Discovery Plus on Thursday released the trailer for its upcoming original three-part documentary series about Hillsong church, saying it will "explore the high-profile, star-studded church's alleged exploitation, abuse and cover-ups" of the global movement.
Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed will premiere on Discovery Plus on March 24.
Hillsong was founded in Australia by Brian Houston and has congregations worldwide.
"The docuseries will pull back the curtain and give viewers a look into the world of Hillsong, the megachurch with more than 150,000 global members that has recently come under scrutiny," a news release said.
"Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed will profile numerous ex-members of the church who have come forward en masse, to share harrowing allegations of the trauma, abuse, financial and labor exploitation and homophobia that created a culture of chaos at Hillsong," it added.
The trailer shows scenes from worship services interspersed with interviews and photos of scandal-ridden headlines.
"Hillsong changed the way that many of us saw church," one man in the trailer says.
"This was going to be a place where I could call my home," a woman says. "But that clearly wasn't the case, and it almost took my life."
The news release said the documentary will include interviews with New York Post reporter Hannah Frishberg, former Hillsong volunteer Janice Lagata, megachurch expert Ben Kirby, and Ranin Karim, who had an affair with former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz.
The series will "examine how the star-studded Hillsong was able to grow into a global brand that attracted high-profile celebrity attendees, unearth the truth behind headlines of recent scandals and shine a light on the fine line between culture, corporation and cult," the news release said.
It is the second film or series in recent months about the church, following the BBC film Hillsong Church: God Goes Viral.
Following the BBC film's release, Hillsong released a statement saying the storylines in the film "do not reflect reality."
"Most of the footage that demonstrated the positive impacts of our church were relegated to the cutting room floor and erased from the final cut of the documentary," Hillsong said of the BBC film. "We strongly refute the many aspects of the film that fail to meet a basic level of journalistic integrity and a commitment to the truth."
Related:
Hillsong London's Lead Pastors Resign after 12 Years of Ministry
Hillsong's Brian Houston Steps Down as Global Senior Pastor
Hillsong Founder Brian Houston Addresses Carl Lentz Scandal, Admits to Allowing Celebrity Culture
Hillsong Church Leadership Accused of Spending Tithe Money on Luxuries
Carl Lentz Breaks Silence Following Firing from Hillsong: 'I Was Unfaithful in My Marriage'
Photo courtesy: ©GettyImages/Boonyachoat
Video courtesy: ©Discovery+
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
