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| Planetshakers Church | |||||||||
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 Planetshakers Church | |||||||||
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| Location | Melbourne, Geelong, Cape Town, Geneva, Austin and Singapore [1] | ||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||
| Denomination | Australian Christian Churches | ||||||||
| Website |
planetshakers | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| Founded | 1997 | ||||||||
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| Senior pastor(s) | Russell and Samantha Evans | ||||||||
| Laity | |||||||||
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Planetshakers Church is an evangelical Christian Pentecostal megachurch adult and youth movement based in Melbourne, Australia, with several church campuses around the world.
The church is also known for its contemporary worship music, with its bands Planetshakers and Planetboom, and its record label Planetshakers Ministries International, whose songs have been translated and reinterpreted in many evangelical churches of the world.
History
The church was formed as an Australian Christian Conference and band in 1997 from within Paradise Community Church, now known as Influencers Church, in Adelaide, South Australia. The church started when the band and ministry moved to Melbourne in 2004, and was then called Melbourne City Church. [3]
Description
Planetshakers Church is an evangelical Pentacostal Church affiliated with Australian Christian Churches ( Assemblies of God), and one of the fastest-growing churches in Australia. [4] [5] It has multiple church campuses in Melbourne and others around the world, including in Cape Town, South Africa; [6] and Singapore. [7] with campuses being planted in Sydney and Papua New Guinea in 2022.
As of May 2022 [update] the main Melbourne church's senior pastors are Russell and Samantha Evans, and they have more than 21,000 members. [8] [9] Russell Evans is the son of longtime pastor Andrew Evans.
Ministry branches
Planetshakers band
Created as part of the first Planetshakers conference, Planetshakers is a contemporary worship music band with over 30 internationally acclaimed albums. [10]
Planetboom
Planetboom is the youth ministry branch of Planetshakers Church, primarily targeting high school students, ministering to teenagers via channels like school programs, youth camps and Friday meetups. [11] They created Planetboom band and released first four singles in 2018. In the 2019 they released their first album entitled Jesus Over Everything. [12]
Michael Guglielmucci cancer scandal
It was reported in 2008 that Michael Guglielmucci, pastor of the church and former bass player in the Planetshakers band, had fraudulently claimed he was dying of cancer. [13] [14] He wrote "Healer", a song of encouragement for believers who were suffering from cancer, for the album Saviour of the World, which was released in June (2007). [15] Guglielmucci performed the song regularly over a two-year period, often with an oxygen tube attached to his nose, [16] and during this time received money from supporters who believed his illness was real. [17]
Guglielmucci later explained his actions as being a result of a long-term pornography addiction. [18] The track had also been added to the Hillsong album This Is Our God (2008), [19] but later removed from the album. [20] Representatives of churches with which Guglielmucci had affiliations told the press they were totally unaware of this situation. In an email sent to Hillsong members, the church's general manager, George Aghajanian, said the news was even a shock to Guglielmucci's own family and that the suspended pastor was seeking professional help. Guglielmucci was stripped of all credentials by the Australian Christian Churches, who promised that all money donated by listeners inspired by the song would be returned or donated to charity and Guglielmucci's bank accounts would be audited to determine the amount of funds raised. [21] [22] [23]
Michael is the son of Danny Guglielmucci, co-founder of Edge Church International, located in the southern Adelaide suburb of Reynella, also a Pentecostal church and a member of the Australian Christian Churches (formerly Assemblies of God in Australia) network. [18] [24]
See also
References
- ^ "Planetshakers To Release New Music As The Ministry Celebrates 20th Anniversary". 10 July 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
- ^ Casidy, Riza. "The rise and rise of Hillsong, and what other Australian churches should learn from them". The Conversation. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "About Planetshakers". Daystar Television. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "About Planetshakers Church".
- ^ "Fastest growing church in Australia opens Austin location". 24 May 2018.
- ^ "Planetshakers Church -". www.planetshakers.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- ^ "Planetshakers Church -". www.planetshakers.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- ^ "Acceleration: Part one of four". Planetshakers. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Hutchison, Tracee (11 January 2007). "Praise pit to faith". The 7.30 Report. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "Planetshakers - Venture3Media". Venture3Media. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Australian News Article".
- ^ "planetboom - Venture3Media". Venture3Media. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- ^ Smith, Sharon (29 August 2008). "Chart-topping pastor's cancer lie". 7News. Adelaide, Australia. p. 1.
- ^ Wheatley, Kim (22 August 2008). "Go to police, church tells lying pastor; praise to the fraud". The Advertiser. Adelaide, Australia. pp. 1–2.
- ^ Russell, Mark (16 November 2008). "That's Sir Conman to you, copper: 2008's bizarre rap sheet". The Age. Melbourne, Australia.
- ^ Wheatley, Kim (15 October 2009). "Fake illness preacher Michael Guglielmucci told to go to police". News.com.au. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ Wheatley, Kim (11 September 2008). "Porn pastor unlikely to face charges | The Advertiser". The Advertiser. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ a b "Fake cancer preacher admits porn addiction". ABC News. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ "Hillsong Pastor Michael Guglielmucci on Today Tonight - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Hillsong Music Australia - This Is Our God - CD /DVD - Pre Order Now and receive free shipping! Released July 2008". 7 April 2008. Archived from the original on 7 April 2008.
- ^ "Money back pledge from disgraced pastor - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 August 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
- ^ "Fake illness preacher Michael Guglielmucci told to go to police". The Advertiser. 22 August 2008. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
- ^ "Pop star pastor lied about cancer". National Nine News. 21 August 2008. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
- ^ "Money back pledge from disgraced pastor". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2023.