When Mars Hill Church was planted in Seattle in 1996, few would have imagined where it would lead. But in the next 18 years, it would become one of the largest, fastest-growing, and most influential churches in the United States. Controversy plagued the church, though, due in no small part to the lightning-rod personality at its helm: Mark Driscoll.
By 2014, ... Show More
Jun 2021
Boomers, The Big Sort, and Really, Really Big Churches
In the mid-1950s, Rev. Robert Schuller began preaching in a drive-in movie theater in Southern California. He melded traditions like vestments with a theology of post-war optimism and self-esteem. As his ministry grew, guest preaching in his pulpit became a mark of celebrity achi ... Show More
55m 59s
Jul 2021
"You Read the Bible, Ringo?"
Church planting, even under the best of circumstances, always requires grit and determination. Planting in one of the most progressive cities in the US at the turn of the millennium required even more. But if Mark Driscoll struggled with anything in his ministry, it wasn’t a lack ... Show More
52m 11s
Oct 2022
Ep.1: The Church I See Now
In March, 2022, the documentary series ‘Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed’ was released on Discovery+, with victims shedding light on the widespread emotional, financial, and sexual abuse by leaders of one of the most popular megachurches in the world. The series was just the beginn ... Show More
31m 31s
Feb 2023
Introducing - Faith on Trial: Hillsong
<p>From humble beginnings in a suburban Sydney warehouse to an international pentecostal powerhouse, Hillsong has changed the world around it, filling stadiums with screaming congregations and counting politicians, business tycoons and A-list celebrities among its true believers. ... Show More
3m 49s
Sep 2022
Introducing Hillsong: A Megachurch Shattered
The dark secrets of Hillsong Church were exposed, setting off a chain reaction of shocking new leaks and revelations. A follow-up to the documentary series Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, this 7-part podcast series, Hillsong: A Megachurch Shattered, follows documentary filmmaker ... Show More
2m 9s
Sep 2025
CULTS: Church of Jesus with Signs Following
In a small Alabama church, faith meant more than prayer. It meant picking up a live rattlesnake and trusting God to spare you. But when Pastor Glenn Summerford’s wife was bitten twice, the truth slithered into view. On this episode of "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes," we in ... Show More
41m 3s
Sep 2023
Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed w/Fluently Forward
cw: SA, child abuse. Exploring the rise and dramatic downfall of the Hillsong megachurch with Shannon from Fluently Forward, we go over this 4 part documentary that covers the churches celebrity appeal, “rockstar pastors” like Carl Lentz and the waves of shocking revelations abou ... Show More
1h 6m