Hillsong Conference 2007

The growth of Hillsong over the years have been phenomenal. Unfortunately, due to bad press and non support from some evangelical groups, mainstream conservative Christians still have doubts about them. People expect that sermons at Hillsong are filled with the message of prosperity gospel and that people there frequently speak aloud in tongues. They expect songs from Hillsong to have questionable lyrics.

But can we be so judgmental? Some conservative Chinese churches teach some sort of prosperity gospel. I have heard sermons about how tithing is still relevant in Chinese sermons (even though it is widely accepted that this concept is under the Old Covenant which has been abolished under the New Covenant). I have heard sermons in evangelical churches where passages are taken out of context. Sure, Hillsong may take passages out of context in relation to giving and receiving, but that is a danger we see in all churches, not just Hillsong.

Music is the soul and heart of Hillsong. On the night I was there at this year's conference, Hillsong United sang some of their famous numbers. The highlight was Chris Tomlin, whose voice was mesmerising. Again, How Great is our God brought tears in my eyes. His rendition of The Wonderful Cross and Amazing Grace comforted the souls around the stadium.

Overall the experience to me was positive. It was wonderful to see people committing themselves to God. The greatness of God was highlighted in the sermon, and reminded once again how insignificant we are compared to the great God. If we are willing to cast away our prejudice, maybe we can see that God works through different means and media. This is something conservative evangelical Christians need to understand.