General Manager's report

General

MANAGER'S REPORT

It is with pleasure that I present to you Hillsong Church Australia’s Annual Report for 2020. This has been a year like no other as individuals and organisations grappled with the challenges presented by a global pandemic. Like so many organisations, our programs and services were significantly affected and our inability to meet in person at church services made things even worse. Our focus shifted from physical activities and programs to online services and heightened pastoral care, as we aimed to provide support and community in such a difficult environment.

A key theme of our church is to Love God, Love People, Love Life. Loving People saw its expression through the congregation’s generosity towards those affected by the horrific bushfires that swept our nation, it was also seen in the response to support victims of the catastrophic explosion in Lebanon where over $100,000 was raised and donated. Our desire to Love People has also been at the forefront of the church’s response to racial injustice.

As a church we stood in support of the 'End Covid for All' campaign led by Micah Australia. This important initiative recognises that we must be aware and supportive of vulnerable people in disadvantaged communities around the world.

Several steps were introduced throughout the year to ensure the church navigated the impact of COVID-19. I would like to express our appreciation for the role the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee played in regularly reviewing the impact the pandemic imposed on church finances along with overseeing key measures taken throughout the year. Thanks also to the Pandemic Response Team who met weekly to ensure the church followed governmental requirements and that people in Hillsong programs remained safe.

Considering the difficulties we all faced, our revenue remained strong enough to meet all the ministry outgoings. Tithes and offerings form the majority of church’s income, and we were encouraged by the congregation's ongoing generosity and support. Other areas of church were more significantly impacted when activities ceased. We were hosting our annual women’s conference, Colour Conference, at the outbreak of the pandemic. We were saddened to postpone both the Hillsong and Worship Conferences scheduled later in the year. The impact of this can be seen in the drop in related expenditure.

Close and regular attention was given to the church’s cash flow with austerity measures introduced to offset the interruption in our activities. As a result, our cash position remained stable throughout the year. We entered 2020 without any debt on church facilities, this was a blessing as we did not have the burden of meeting loan repayments in this season.

We are ever thankful for the support of our congregation. Their generosity enables our church to effectively reach and care for people and move our church forward. Due to your faithful giving in the years leading up to and including 2020, it has meant we have been able to open a new facility in Highland Park on the Gold Coast, commenced the fit out on a new location in Macquarie Park, Sydney, due to open in early 2021 and purchased the iconic Festival Hall in Melbourne. This incredible venue will continue to serve the City of Melbourne whilst providing much needed church facilities on the weekend.

While we are not yet totally free from the challenges forced upon us all by this pandemic, we can look to the future with great hope. Our church has always worked hard to provide a place where people can find hope, love, faith and care; that they would know the fullness of joy that a real relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can bring.

George Aghajanian

General Manager Hillsong Church