Hillsong Conference 2006
Encyclopedia
Hillsong Conference 2006 was a Christian
conference hosted by Hillsong church from 3–7 July 2006 in Sydney
, Australia
. The year marked the 20th anniversary of the annual Hillsong Conference
, which began in 1986. It is the largest annual conference in Australia.
The conference featured internationally prominent speakers and music worship leaders from the U.S., Canada
, England
, Australia
and other countries, and featured a contemporary worship style. The venue was Sydney Olympic Park
in Homebush Bay, originally built for the 2000 Olympics. Main meetings were held in the Acer Arena
, formerly known as the Sydney SuperDome, with smaller meetings being held in nearby buildings. Youth meetings were held at the Hillsong Baulkham Hills Convention Centre.
According to Hillsong senior pastor Brian Houston
, the "Conference exists to 'champion the cause of the local church' and make God's name known around the earth".
Also Brian Houston
, senior pastor of Hillsong church. There was also a considerable number of other speakers for specific strands/electives.
There were also a number of other Christian musicians and worship leaders for specific strands.
Over 4,000 young people attended the Jam program (Jam 68 and Jam Wildlife). 2006 was the first year that ticketed seating was implemented, with the intent to guarantee seats and reduce queue lengths. Brian Houston declared that the registration money did not cover the costs of the conference, and that it was a big burden for a single church to bear. Some offerings were taken up for independent causes, such as for the evangelistic work of Reinhard Bonnke and his team. Also, over 1200(?) children were sponsored through Compassion.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
conference hosted by Hillsong church from 3–7 July 2006 in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The year marked the 20th anniversary of the annual Hillsong Conference
Hillsong Conference
The Hillsong Conference is an annual Christian conference held each July in Sydney, Australia, London, Europe, and Kiev, Ukraine and hosted by the Hillsong Church. It features prominent Christian pastors, leaders, businesspeople and motivational speakers as well as worship artists like singers,...
, which began in 1986. It is the largest annual conference in Australia.
The conference featured internationally prominent speakers and music worship leaders from the U.S., Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and other countries, and featured a contemporary worship style. The venue was Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
in Homebush Bay, originally built for the 2000 Olympics. Main meetings were held in the Acer Arena
Acer Arena
The Allphones Arena is a large entertainment and sporting complex located in Sydney, Australia. It is situated in Sydney Olympic Park, and was completed in 1999 as part of the facilities for the 2000 Summer Olympics....
, formerly known as the Sydney SuperDome, with smaller meetings being held in nearby buildings. Youth meetings were held at the Hillsong Baulkham Hills Convention Centre.
According to Hillsong senior pastor Brian Houston
Brian Houston (pastor)
Brian Houston is a pastor in the Australian Christian Churches. He is currently the Senior Pastor at Hillsong Church which has locations in Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, London, Cape Town, Kiev, Germany, Paris, Moscow, Stockholm and New York City. He was also the National President of Australian...
, the "Conference exists to 'champion the cause of the local church' and make God's name known around the earth".
| Venue: | Sydney Olympic Park Sydney Olympic Park Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council.... |
| Date: | Mon 3 - Fri 7 July 2006 |
| Delegates: | 30,000 |
| Volunteers: | 4,300 |
| Nations represented: | 71 |
| Denominations represented: | 21 |
| Adult Registration cost: | A$149(?)-$259(?) |
| Budget: | A$4,600,000 for venue(?) |
| Decisions for Christ: | ?? |
Speakers
In order of the night programs:- Rick WarrenRick WarrenRichard Duane "Rick" Warren is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States...
, senior pastor of Saddleback ChurchSaddleback ChurchSaddleback Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The church was founded in 1980 by pastor Rick Warren...
. - Matthew BarnettMatthew BarnettMatthew Barnett is co-founder of the Dream Center and senior pastor of the Angelus Temple, the central house of worship of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, California.-Dream Center:...
, pastor of the Dream CenterDream CenterThe Dream Center is a Pentecostal Christian Church mission located at 2301 Bellevue Avenue in Los Angeles, California, two blocks west of Alvarado Street on the north side of the 101 Freeway...
. - Frank Damazio, senior pastor of City Bible Church.
- Rick Godwin, pastor of Eagle's Nest Christian Fellowship.
- Bill HybelsBill HybelsWilliam Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, one of the most attended churches in North America, with an average attendance of nearly 24,000 as of 2011...
, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community ChurchWillow Creek Community ChurchWillow Creek Community Church is a non-denominational, multi-generational Evangelical Christian megachurch located in the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Bill Hybels, who is currently the senior pastor...
. - Jentezen FranklinJentezen FranklinJentezen Franklin is the senior pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, and Free Chapel OC in Irvine, California. Franklin is the author of New York Times best sellers, Right People, Right Place, Right Plan and Fasting...
, senior pastor of Free Chapel. - Charlotte Scanlon, senior associate pastor of Abundant Life Church.
- Reinhard BonnkeReinhard BonnkeReinhard Bonnke is a German charismatic Christian evangelist, principally known for his Great Gospel Crusades throughout the Continent of Africa.-Early life:...
, evangelist and leader of CfaN Christ for all Nations.
Also Brian Houston
Brian Houston (pastor)
Brian Houston is a pastor in the Australian Christian Churches. He is currently the Senior Pastor at Hillsong Church which has locations in Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, London, Cape Town, Kiev, Germany, Paris, Moscow, Stockholm and New York City. He was also the National President of Australian...
, senior pastor of Hillsong church. There was also a considerable number of other speakers for specific strands/electives.
Worship Leaders and Christian Bands
- Darlene ZschechDarlene ZschechDarlene Joyce Zschech is an Australian Pentecostal worship leader and singer-songwriter who primarily writes praise and worship songs. She is the former worship pastor of Hillsong Church and is currently a member of Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith.-Biography:As a young adult...
and the Hillsong teamHillsong MusicHillsong Music is Christian music produced by Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia as well as offshoot churches, Hillsong London and Hillsong Kiev... - Alvin SlaughterAlvin SlaughterAlvin Slaughter is an American gospel musician, worship leader, singer-songwriter.Slaughter is based out of New York City, where he was a member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir until the early 1990s, when he was signed by Integrity Music and began his solo career. He has been nominated for several...
- Delirious?Delirious?Delirious? were an English Christian rock and worship band. For the majority of their career, the lineup featured Martin Smith on vocals and guitar, Stu G on guitar and backing vocals, Jon Thatcher on bass guitar, Tim Jupp on keys and piano, and Stew Smith on drums and percussion...
- Israel HoughtonIsrael Houghton-Other recordings :* "Champions for Christ" - Hi5 * "Where Are the Fathers?" from He-Motions * "Send Me to the Nations" from A Wing & A Prayer...
and New Breed - Cindy Cruse-RatcliffCindy Cruse-RatcliffCindy Cruse-Ratcliff is a Dove Award winning singer-songwriter who serves as the senior worship leader at the largest and fastest growing church in the United States, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.-Music career:...
There were also a number of other Christian musicians and worship leaders for specific strands.
Over 4,000 young people attended the Jam program (Jam 68 and Jam Wildlife). 2006 was the first year that ticketed seating was implemented, with the intent to guarantee seats and reduce queue lengths. Brian Houston declared that the registration money did not cover the costs of the conference, and that it was a big burden for a single church to bear. Some offerings were taken up for independent causes, such as for the evangelistic work of Reinhard Bonnke and his team. Also, over 1200(?) children were sponsored through Compassion.
Criticism of Hillsong Conference
- Many Christians outside of the charismatic/Pentecostal movement view speaking in tongues, which was common amongst the attendees and was practised by some of the speakers, feel uncomfortable with this expression and doubt its biblical basis.
Response to Criticism
- Pastor Rick Warren says in his book The Purpose Driven Church that many business people in Western society are used to a highly professional workplace and conferences, so they expect a highly professional church worship service. Many Christian leaders believe that it is important for a church to fit in with (neutral or positive aspects of) the local culture, while rejecting negative aspects. They point to the healthy variety of styles exhibited throughout the worldwide Christian church.
- Pentecostals see speaking in tongues as biblical. At the conference, Richard RobertsRichard Roberts (evangelist)Richard Roberts is an American evangelist. Roberts is chairman and chief executive officer of the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association. Since his healing ministry began in 1980, he has preached on six continents. Holding his first overseas crusade in South Africa in 1982, he has since traveled...
, president of Oral Roberts UniversityOral Roberts UniversityOral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
said in a Moving in the Spirit elective that Pentecostals had hurt evangelical Christians through their teaching on tonguesGlossolaliaGlossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
. He announced to a mostly "tongues"-speaking audience (in this stream) that most of them did not actually speak in tongues in the revelatoryRevelationIn religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
sense of 1 Corinthians 14. He suggested that there is a distinction between a "personal prayer language" as practised by the majority of the audience (what critics might refer to as "babble") and the prophetic type of speaking in tongues he claimed was exhibited in 1 Corinthians 14. Another Pentecostal speaker in this elective also mentioned that he had dialogued with evangelicalEvangelicalismEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christians about tongues and grown in his understanding.
See also
- Hillsong ChurchHillsong ChurchHillsong Church is a Pentecostal megachurch affiliated with Australian Christian Churches and located in Sydney, Australia. The church's senior pastors, Brian and Bobbie Houston, began the church in 1983 as the Hills Christian Life Centre in Baulkham Hills...
- Hillsong ConferenceHillsong ConferenceThe Hillsong Conference is an annual Christian conference held each July in Sydney, Australia, London, Europe, and Kiev, Ukraine and hosted by the Hillsong Church. It features prominent Christian pastors, leaders, businesspeople and motivational speakers as well as worship artists like singers,...
- Charismatic movementCharismatic movementThe term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
- PentecostalismPentecostalismPentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...