Leaving Hillsong

Sarah continues her deconstruction story and wow there's a lot here... We discuss issues that women face in leaving churches, especially if they're gay women.  Describing herself as both a 'wee sensitive soul' and a 'diehard atheist' we managed to get through issues including  - rape in marriage - custody battles - lesbian parenting -neurodiversity - purity culture -prophecies and facades - consent - going NO CONTACT  and can ExVangelicals trust therapy?  It was a doozy so don't miss it!

Sarah continues her deconstruction story and wow there's a lot here... We discuss issues that women face in leaving churches, especially if they're gay women.  Describing herself as both a 'wee sensitive soul' and a 'diehard atheist' we managed to get through issues including  - rape in marriage - custody battles - lesbian parenting -neurodiversity - purity culture -prophecies and facades - consent - going NO CONTACT  and can ExVangelicals trust therapy?  It was a doozy so don't miss it!  (explicit language content)

Growing up in the Christian Outreach Centre movement, Sarah was immersed in church life. She grew up in a Christian home and married a Christian man. Everything was perfect.  Except Sarah is gay and she knew something had to change.  Sarah is from Glasgow, and it's another look from another culture at  what happens when an insignificant gay kid is also 'a raging homosexual'. 

When People in Glass Houses was first released in July 2007, Australian ABC show Enough Rope and its host Andrew Denton wanted  exclusive rights to interview me. That interview  was intense for me having never done any media and starting on TV was a lot.  Derryn Hinch is an Australian icon for an 80's kid like me. He was a late night current affairs host who famously served a jail sentence for releasing a suppressed name of a pedophile before the courts.  I really wanted to get this opportunity and it was only in the second week of publicity that he showed interest.  15 years later, he and I are still saying the same things.  And I'm still grateful to chat to this Aussie hero!

Growing up in the Christian Outreach Centre movement, Sarah was immersed in church life. She grew up in a Christian home and married a Christian man. Everything was perfect.  Except Sarah is gay and she knew something had to change.  Sarah is from Glasgow, and it's another look from another culture at  what happens when an insignificant gay kid is also 'a raging homosexual'.  R - rated language warning  

When Ben Gresham had had enough of Hillsong's inaction on LGBT issues and Gay Conversion Therapy, he Tweeted the pastor, Brian Houston and was invited to breakfast.  Ben joins us in this chat to discuss that discussion and what it's like to come face to face with the leader himself.  We also talk coming out of the closet and out of Hillsong and living an authentic life... no matter who you are! You don't want to  miss part 2!

Ben Gresham-Petchell is an out and proud gay Christian. However, that wasn’t always the case. After coming out to his Hillsong youth group leader, Ben entered his first ‘ex-gay’ program at 16 years old believing that it was impossible to be gay and Christian. What followed was years of harm resulting in depression and even a suicide attempt. Ben joins Matthew and me to discuss his Big Gay Rainbow of Light in the Darkness that was Hillsong and how he took its leader, Brian Houston to task and to coffee.    It's a wonderful story so join in and share with us!

In Part 2 , we hear Matthew Drapper's story of gay conversion therapy and the damage and dangers it presented.  Drappa takes us through his path OUT of the closet and also the wannabe Hillsong church he was so heavily invested in.  It's a magical conversation and an incredible story of hardship and hope and authenticity. Please pull up a chair and join us! 

In our first #PRIDE interview, Matt Drapper details a childhood growing up in a 'Duggaresque' family where homeschooling and homebirthing were the order of the day and the parents.  Being gay was a secret Matthew kept for a very, very long time, until he finally couldn't keep the truth inside for much longer..  Please join us for part 1 of A Kind of Empathy.. it's an emotional roller coaster and you're gonna love it..

When Hillsong's Interim Pastor Phil gave the Great Announcement of 19 March 2022 in front of 800 of the company's closest friends on Zoom, not everyone responded sympathetically to the delivery of the news that To Be or Not to Be a Houston supporter was to be the question.  Brian and Bobbie's daughter Laura, as well as their son, Pastor Ben, leapt to their defences with an emotive email to the board that Ben soon supported.  Somehow that email made its way to the Saturday Paper's Elle Hardy and to Grace and me.  Listeners of #leavinghillsong on the reg will enjoy getting to know Grace a bit more as she gets ready to discuss her own life in the Glass House.  We also rip up some child protection issues so be careful, and be kind to yourself, and to those around you.  Come chat with us! Send us your thoughts and listen in to  To Be a Houston !