Where is Ex-Student at Hillsong College Today? Update

Hillsong, a church based in Australia by Brian Houston in 1983, has since arrange roots in a number of different international locations, together with america. Other than church actions, Hillsong additionally runs a school in Australia the place college students from everywhere in the world come to attend and imbibe their theological beliefs.

Investigation Discovery’s ‘Hillsong: A Megachurch Uncovered’ focuses on the church’s development and the problems which were made public alongside the way in which. Anna Crenshaw, a former pupil at Hillsong School, shared her story of being assaulted by one of many worship leaders. So, for those who’re questioning what occurred, right here’s what we all know.

Who’s Anna Crenshaw?

Anna moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Australia in 2016 to check at Hillsong School. The daughter of a pastor, Anna was additionally eager on studying extra about God. Simply months into her time there, a pal invited her to spend time on the home of one other congregant. Over there, she met Jason Mays, a employees administrator and volunteer singer. He was additionally the son of the human sources head, John Mays.

Anna mentioned that Jason had been drinking fairly a bit that night time and, in some unspecified time in the future, sat beside her. He had additionally requested if the ladies could be staying over for the night time. Then, Anna claimed that Jason positioned his hand on her inside thigh, at which level she froze. One of many different males on the home observed that and tried to get her out by saying it was time for the ladies to go away. In a press release, she later mentioned, “After I stood up, Jason grabbed me, placing his hand between my legs and his head on my abdomen and commenced kissing my abdomen. I felt his arms and arms wrapped round my legs, making contact with my inside thigh, butt, and crotch.”

The person who tried to get Anna away later allegedly asked her to not inform anybody about it, asserting this was out of character for Jason and that he was a very good man. Within the days after the incident, Anna struggled with guilt when she discovered that Jason was married. She additionally was torn about reporting the incident due to what the opposite man had instructed her. Moreover, traumatic recollections got here crashing again to her as a result of a youth chief had abused her as a baby.

Afterward, Anna went to a counselor who urged her to report the assault as an alternative of holding quiet about it. So, in December 2018, she talked to Margaret Aghajanian, the pinnacle of pastoral care oversight. Whereas Jason was knowledgeable about it three months after the preliminary report, no motion was taken within the following two months. Anna additionally stated that Jason claimed to haven’t any reminiscence of the occasion.

Anna needed to repeat her assertion a number of instances after the preliminary report, with Margaret asking repeated questions on whether or not Jason’s spouse was current or not that night time. After Anna talked in regards to the assault, Jason’s spouse had additionally develop into her volunteer group’s chief. Anna later said that the pastoral care staff wasn’t actually useful, asking her to serve elsewhere as an alternative.

The place is Anna Crenshaw Now?

Finally, Anna’s father turned concerned, resulting in the police coming into the image. In January 2020, Jason pleaded responsible to indecent assault however solely bought probation. After receiving a 12-month ban, Jason was again within the church administration. Anna believed that Jason wanted to be fired and added, “I feel the message it sends to the remainder of the employees and the remainder of the church by holding Jason on employees is that they will get away with actions like Jason.”

As soon as Anna discovered that Jason was again, she left Hillsong school and church. She mentioned, “I’m not to help a company that’s prepared to deal with abuse the way in which I’ve seen them deal with abuse. What occurred with my relationship with Hillsong is as soon as I did report back to church, that’s when issues began going downhill… That’s once I noticed how they handled abuse, and it’s one thing I’m not prepared to miss in my relationship with the church.” Anna appears to be doing significantly better since then. She nonetheless lives in Sydney, Australia, and enrolled in a special Bible school. Other than that, Anna appears to journey so much, posting photos of her journeys on social media.

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