(AUSTRALIA)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
March 28, 2024
By Josh Shepherd
Two Australian pastors, Corey Turner and Stacey Hilliar, will “lose their ministry credentials” for at least two years in the wake of a sex scandal, their former church’s overseeing denomination announced.
In an email posted Wednesday by a watchdog group, Wayne Alcorn, president of Australian Christian Churches (ACC), informed ACC pastors of “recent action” the denomination had taken regarding two ACC pastors. Turner, lead pastor of Neuma Church in Melbourne, confessed to a relationship with Hilliar, executive leader of the church’s worship and creative teams.
A charismatic megachurch seemingly modeled after Hillsong, Neuma Church has nine locations in Australia, plus campuses in Bangkok, Thailand, and San Francisco. Both pastors have admitted to sexual misconduct that violated their marriage vows and resigned in early February.
Alcorn referred to the ACC’s “extensive processes” of evaluating the behavior of the prominent ministers and its impact. “It was determined that they (Turner and Hilliar) should lose their ministry credentials for a minimum of two years,” wrote Alcorn.
“This is due to serious breaches of the ACC Ministerial Code of Conduct,” he continued. “Consequently, they are required to cease all ministerial duties, including platform ministries.”
The denomination’s code of conduct states that all paid or volunteer workers in ACC-affiliated churches “shall act with sexual integrity” and “shall not be abusive in any way toward others, spiritually, emotionally, physically or sexually.” Aa
In a Feb. 22 statement, Turner admitted to the “morally inappropriate relationship” in posts to the social channels for his self-named ministry, as previously reported by The Roys Report (TRR).
“In a fog of deception that clouded my emotions and judgement, I sinned and compromised my relationship with God, my marriage covenant, my character, and my calling to ministry,” he wrote in part. His statement also cited “fatigue” as a causal factor in the moral failure.
Three weeks later, Hilliar posted a statement to social media with further detail, noting that she and her husband, Jai, and their family have been part of Neuma Church for 12 years.
“My, Stacey’s, poor choices from Nov 2023 – Jan 2024, for which I offer no excuses, are being soberly processed & worked through in private as our family seeks healing and restoration, looking to the future, united,” she wrote.
Hilliar also apologized and sought forgiveness from church members. “For the pain & disappointment I have caused to so many people, I am sorry. I own my part & I own my sin. Nobody else is responsible for my choices.”
‘More questions than answers’ about church, ACC response
Neuma Church initially announced on Feb. 4 that Turner and his wife, Simone, were resigning, citing their “health and wellbeing,” as previously reported by TRR. In her statement, Hilliar confirmed that she resigned on Feb. 2.
On Feb. 9, the church clarified in a statement that an “inappropriate relationship” between Corey Turner and Hilliar precipitated both pastors’ resignation.
In the wake of the scandal, the church board named Raef Soliman, formerly listed on the church website as “Apostolic Pillar,” as interim senior pastor. A search for another senior pastor is underway, the board later announced.
The board also stated it would not pursue an investigation of the scandal involving Turner. Rather, the statement on Feb. 9 noted that “the matter is now in the hands” of the ACC.
A week later, on Feb. 15, ACC president Wayne Alcorn announced to member pastors that the denomination was considering the “inappropriate relationship” between Turner and Hilliar.
Previously, Jimmy Hinton, an author who trains church leaders in abuse prevention, told TRR he believes the Neuma situation “warrants an independent investigation.” He raised questions about the scope of the misconduct as well as what church and denominational leaders knew.
In the ACC statement on Wednesday, Alcorn pointedly addressed criticism of the denomination’s response.
Alcorn stated that members of the ACC council have “followed due process when assessing any breach or complaint against a pastor, and prayerfully considered their response. Any suggestion to the contrary has one aim – to undermine the credibility of good people serving the Lord.”
Hinton told TRR that he finds Alcorn’s comments “troubling.”
“That is a horrible assumption on the part of Wayne Alcorn,” said Hinton. “Instead of allowing opportunity for questions about what the ‘due process’ is, (ACC) pastors know that they will be targeted for ‘undermining the credibility of good people serving the Lord.’”
The statement “leaves more questions than answers,” Hinton added.
“The questions still remain,” he said. “What was the ‘inappropriate relationship’? How long did it last? Were there more people involved than pastors Corey Turner and Stacey Hilliar? What steps have been taken to ensure they did not target other church members?”
TRR has reached out to Neuma Church and the ACC multiple times since Feb. 4, including for this story, but has not received a response.
The ACC, which consists of 1,100 churches and 3,300 ministers, according to the organization, has been linked to numerous recent scandals.
Embattled Hillsong co-founder Brian Houston formerly served as president of the ACC, during same time his father, Frank Houston, pastored a church and served as a regional ACC leader. Frank Houston was a “serial pedophile,” as the younger Houston later stated in court.
Similarly, John McMartin, formerly a regional ACC leader in New South Wales, was sentenced last year on charges of assault with an act of indecency. The incident reportedly involved a 19-year-old staff member at Inspire Church, which McMartin founded.
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.