A couple of days ago, the Hillsong church informed their congregation and by implication the wider Christian community about Michael’s moral and ethical failure. They emailed members that it had been brought to their attention that Michael Guglielmucci’s illness was not what they had been led to believe. I.e. Michael had confirmed that he was not suffering a terminal illness and was seeking professional help in Adelaide with the support of his family. This news has come as a great shock to everyone including, it seems, his own wife and family.
There is no doubt that some people in our church will be very upset about this news, as Mike Guglielmucci has been the recipient of lots of prayer and heaps of concern. I know how strong my four adult children are and they have been rocked; and Cathy and I have had to talk things through with them at a pretty deep level as they all have been influenced by Mike in recent years. I have personally wept with his father Dan over Mike’s supposed terminal illness and at the moment the entire Guglielmucci family is undergoing unbelievable trauma because of Mike’s sin.
The media have already picked this up (particularly in South Australia) as it seems Michael has made a considerable amount of money through using this false testimony as the integral part of his preaching and song writing in recent times. This is obviously not a good news story and will affect hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people around the world due to his recent involvement in Hillsong’s latest top-selling album.
For those of us who have been in Christian leadership for a long time, we understand that these unseemly break-downs occur from time to time; and if you’re an old war horse like me, being in Senior leadership for 30 years at the Christian Family Centre and a couple of decades in State and National leadership roles, nothing surprises me anymore. However newer pastors, leaders and our precious young people can be negatively affected in their walk with Jesus and in their desire to serve God’s purposes.
Let me now share how I think we can handle this very unfortunate story.
- Let’s err on the side of mercy rather than judgement without being perceived as being soft on issues of sin. Even though it is hard to outwork, my maxim in these matters when I have had to discipline and restore fallen pastors and leaders, is to place myself in their position and honestly answer the question “How would I want to be treated if I was in their position?” As I think deeply on this question it forces the issue that I must be restorative in my orientation with people who fall into sin and who are now repenting of that sin and are prepared to make restitution to all offended parties. As Christ followers we have no choice but to forgive when people genuinely repent and show evidence of that repentance. The following scriptures guide me in outworking this.
Luke 17:3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” - It is ok for hurting people to vent their deep disappointment and to be angry at what seems to be serious fraudulent behaviour that has the potential to shipwreck some people who have genuinely poured out their hearts to God for Michael to be healed. As a church leadership we are targeting people who we think need special attention – it’s okay to express your feelings if you feel you have been let down by a hero figure. I encourage you channel your anger appropriately so that you will not get entrapped by the enemy. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “"In your anger do not sin". Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
- I would be very careful in trying to psycho-analyse this type of behaviour that is so obviously fraudulent and involves clear moral and ethical breakdown/failure. In our church, we have many people who have struggled with mental health issues but are honest and upright. We simply don’t have at this stage enough facts to assess whether Mike’s sinful behaviour may also have an emotional ill-health component.
- Following on from my third point, we live in an era that dilutes the doctrine of sin and as someone said, “the depravity of man is the most provable of all Christian doctrines”. Please do not let bitterness replace your understandable and temporary anger. In fact when things like this occur it’s wise that we do an audit on our own hearts and realise that the potential for sin lurks within all of us and unless we walk humbly before Jesus, we can all become deceived by the evil one. James sobering words are appropriate here, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:6-10
Let’s believe that God will use this sobering public failure to increase our personal holiness and to genuinely walk the talk and to live humbly and transparently before Jesus and our fellow believers. Paul’s words to Timothy are apt here, “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.” 1Timothy 5:20.
Finally let’s pray for Pastor Brian Houston and the Hillsong church that God will protect them from the inevitable knockers who will gleefully point the finger suggesting they are somehow responsible. Also let’s pray for Pastor Dan Guglielmucci, his family and the Edge church; and that God will give Dan the gift of wisdom to shore up his church and to bring peace and healing into his people’s lives and for Michael’s full restoration.
Bill Vasilakis
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