NSW Minister Stops Hillsong Shows After Claims Of Double Standards

Church denies breach


Article heading image for NSW Minister Stops Hillsong Shows After Claims Of Double Standards

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says he was unimpressed to see crowds gathering in song and dance for a Hillsong concert on Thursday.

The infamous church community is again under the microscope, after a Youth summer camp was held at Newcastle, evidently disobeying the no dancing, singing restrictions laid out by health officials.

Footage from the church's social media pages show people partying without masks on.

“Singing and dancing at a major recreational facility is in breach of the public health order,” NSW health minister, Brad Hazzard, said in a statement on Thursday night.

NSW Health warned event organisers to stop signing and dancing immediately, with the youth show set to finish on Saturday. 

“While the order does not apply to religious services, it does apply to major recreation facilities and this event is clearly in breach of both the spirit and intent of the order, which is in place to help keep the community safe.”

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Hillsong denied the event breached any regulations, despite videos of hundreds of teenagers enjoying a pop-style concert.

A church spokesperson claimed the event involved a religious service for teenage campers.

“These events are our annual high school-aged youth camps, and are not similar to a music festival in any way,” the spokesperson said.

“Outdoor Christian services are held during the camp but these are only a small part of the program … and any singing is only a small part of each service (a video circulating on social media today reflects a few minutes of this part of the program).”

Footage of the jovial summer camp for church-goers has infuriated musicians and sections of the entertainment industry who are reeling from various cancelled events, calling it a double standards by the church.

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14 January 2022




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