Our Governance

While Hillsong Church is one church, there are many legal entities that operate the various programs offered. These individual entities have been established for various reasons, which include legislative requirement, tax status distinction and resource allocation. Each of these legal entities have their own unique purpose and requirements. These requirements include such things as who they are accountable to and how they are governed.

Directorship

The primary responsibility of the Board of Directors is governance. The governance regime is outworked within three principle activities, which are: compliance, assurance, and risk management.

Compliance

The Board is responsible for adherence to all compliance requirements of the church. The scope of this compliance goes beyond financial reporting. The breadth of compliance ranges from matters relating to employment, WH&S, commercial contracts, funding covenants, medical, child protection, and building regulations.

Assurance

The responsibility of the Board is to seek assurance from the organisation and its management that the organisation is complying and managing its risks effectively. An effective assurance tool is audit. This is annually conducted on the financial statements of the church by a top tier audit firm.

Risk Management

Effective risk management is the responsibility of the Board. Members of the Board require that risks facing the church have been identified and assessed, and that the risks are being properly managed. The Board of Hillsong Church Australia is committed to the practice of risk management to assist with strategic decision-making and operational oversight.

Sub-Committees

The Constitution provides the Board with the power to establish one or more sub-committees. To ensure governance effectiveness, the Board has determined standing sub-committees will be formed in the key areas of audit, risk, compliance, and remuneration.

Global Senior Pastor

The Global Senior Pastor, in the context of Hillsong Church, is the ordained minister of religion who has been commissioned with the ultimate responsibility of the spiritual oversight of the church. The fulfilment of this role includes leadership of the Executive Management, and as an Elder.

Board Composition

The Board draws on the skills and experience of both executive and non-executive members. The majority of whom are non-executive.

Board Remuneration

As outlined in the church constitution, ‘no director shall receive remuneration in respect to their duties as a director of the church.’ Remuneration received by Executive Director’s is in respect of their executive duties. There is no relationship between the packages received by Executive Directors and the church’s financial performance and no equity-based remuneration packages are entered into.

Material Personal Interests

When conflict arises, each Director acknowledges their duty to notify other Board members of a material personal interest, which relates to the church. Furthermore, the Board Member who has a material personal interest in a manner that is being considered at a Board Meeting must not be present while the matter is being considered at the meeting, nor vote on the matter.

Ethical Standards and Values

Hillsong Church is a Christ-centred ministry and therefore the Directors, Management and Employees are expected to conduct themselves with the highest of ethical and Biblical standards. The expectations of Directors are outlined in each respective constitution as well as the governance standards of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). Employees are bound by the code of conduct and the terms and conditions within their employment contract, and pastoral staff are accountable to Hillsong Pastor’s Code of Conduct.

Safety & Child Protection

The Board is responsible for monitoring the performance of safety measures being implemented within the Church. The Board is committed to the safety of all those who participate, in particular those who are vulnerable.