Hillsong Worship, the worship band of its namesake church, the popular megachurch Hillsong, has announced that it will not be joining a concert tour with other Christian groups anymore in order for its team to "heal" amid the issues surrounding the church's leaders.
Hillsong Worship was supposed to go on an 18-city tour with Casting Crowns and We The Kingdom in less than a month, the Christian Post reported. The famed worship band, however, announced via Facebook that it is withdrawing from the said tour as they "feel" that it is the "right one at this time in our history."
The group, which described itself as "not and has never been a band" but is "an extension of and expression of Hillsong Church," said it is "deeply disappointed" to have to make this decision, one that "requires the most faith" from its members.
Disappointed
Hillsong Worship said the concert tour, which is the result of a collaborative effort between itself, Casting Crowns, We The Kingdom and Premier Productions. They have been planning, praying into and working behind the scenes for over a year to make it a reality, and the decision to abandon the tour altogether has "devastated" them.
The popular group also apologized for having to drop out of the said concert tour despite having promoted it. "We are so sorry," the group said.
Indeed, the famed worship music group's decision comes amid reports of serious accusations against Hillsong Church's founder, Brian Houston, as well as reports of Hillsong pastors leaving the network.
Further, the group's decision comes after a documentary supposedly revealing the Australian megachurch's wrong practices was made available for the public to watch.
Hillsong Worship said the Hillsong Church community is "hurting" as it faces difficult times and as it goes through major changes, but nevertheless the community remains "hope-filled." It added that the decision to forego the said tour with Casting Crowns allows it to prioritize the "health" and "well-being" of the team.
"Now is the time for us humbly seek the Lord," the group said, "to grieve in hope and to heal in community, together."
Looking forward
Hillsong Worship encouraged those who already purchased tickets to still come and "head along to these nights which are going to be so full of life, joy and encouragement in God's presence." They added that they "know" God will be using the other groups, Casting Crowns and We The Kingdom, to minister to those who come.
At the moment, while the group acknowledges that it will not be able to push through with joining the teams on the stage, it said it is looking forward to being able to worshiping with others again and "celebrating what the Lord has done in our midst as we fully surrender to His will and purposes."
Hillsong Worship's post has been met with a myriad of responses and comments, many of which are from people expressing their support for the group the home church of which has been facing intense criticism in recent months.
