Hillsong Worship Returns with New EP “Holy Is the Name” After Years of Scandal

Hillsong Worship has returned with new music after years of scandal, as longtime member Jad Gillies reflects on the church’s painful season and the renewed focus on God behind its latest EP, Holy Is the Name. Gillies, a longtime member of Hillsong United and Hillsong Worship, revealed to The Christian Post how the Australia-born church has been navigating a difficult season in recent years. “The season that we’ve been through, and upheaval, and there’s been some disappointments in there,” he explained. “What I think this new season represents is a real opportunity to kind of reset.” He added, “I feel like even for us at Hillsong, it was… a bit of a gift, as painful as it was, and as painful as it is, and the impact on relationships and things like that.” Hillsong, known for hit worship songs including “What a Beautiful Name,” “Oceans,” and “Shout to the Lord,” recorded the new EP without prior public announcement—its first live recording since 2018.

Despite struggling with whether Hillsong Worship should resume making music, Gillies believes they ultimately felt called to make more music, particularly with a focus on the character of God. The project’s name is based on 1 Peter 1:16, which states, “Be holy because I am holy.” “What does God really want His church to sing?” Gillies recalled asking. “Let’s sing the ‘He is’ songs. Let’s sing the ‘You Are’ songs. Let’s make it so that… we’re just helping people to put their attention on God, but also we’re helping people to remember who He is, and remember what He said, and remember what He did, and remember whose we are.” Hillsong Church, founded in 1983 by Brian and Bobbi Houston, faced multiple scandals in recent years, including the termination of NYC Pastor Carl Lentz for leadership issues and his subsequent confession of infidelity, as well as Brian Houston’s resignation as global senior pastor in 2022 after being accused of inappropriate conduct involving two women. He was found not guilty in August 2023 after being charged with concealing his late father’s sexual abuse of a child. When addressing the matters, Gillies shared that he initially questioned whether to leave or remain at Hillsong until he recognized the struggles his fellow church members were experiencing at the height of the turmoil. “I just watched a bunch of that unfold one morning, and it was right in the midst of everything that was going on,” he said. “Our church is made up of these people that just love God and they’re doing their best for their family… [I thought], ‘Well, we can serve our church in this season.'” He also expressed gratitude for both the church’s current senior pastors, Phil and Lucinda Dooley, for navigating through a “tough season” and for Brian and Bobbi Houston for their contribution to building Hillsong over the past three decades. “Did we get everything right? No, we didn’t,” he continued. “But I’m not ashamed of what I’m a part of, and I’m not ashamed of… what God did through our church and through our teams.” Looking ahead, Gillies expressed confidence in worship music’s ability to impact younger generations, especially those questioning organized religion and seeking an authentic relationship with God. “People are searching for what’s real and what’s true,” he reflected. “This is an amazing opportunity right now to be like, this is real. God is real, His word is true, His promises are faithful, and this is somewhere that is for you. And God will not let you down. There are many things that will let you down. There are many people that will let you down, but God will never let you down, and that is the truth.” Hillsong Worship’s Holy Is the Name EP was released Friday, October 23, with a full album to come in 2027.

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