Hillsong Church has signed a lease for a new property for Hillsong College USA and Hillsong Orange County. The news came as Hillsong Church Australia, the flagship branch for the global Hillsong Church brand, reports a significant drop in both giving and church attendance in 2021.
The new property is located at 17475 Gillette Ave. Irvine, CA 92614. It is situated 13 minutes from the beach, 5 minutes from the John Wayne International Airport, and in the 3rd safest city to raise a family, This is a state-of-the-art facility that will accommodate all of college and church needs across the week.
Meanwhile, according to their recently published annual report, Hillsong Australia's revenue has dropped by almost $11 million, which comes primarily from donations. Hillsong Church Australia's total revenue for 2021 was $76,924,646 - or 12.3% less than the nearly $88 million in revenue generated by the church in 2020 during the height of the pandemic.
The church also suffered a drop in attendance. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2020 annual report, the average weekly live views of services online for Hillsong Church Australia was 4,684. After COVID-19, the average live views across weekend services was 444,127 in 2020. In 2021, however, the average weekly attendance online and in-person combined was 21,219.
Some of the major causes that have caused such a dip in revenues and attendance, include the the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of sex and financial scandals that have enveloped the church network in the United States and Australia.
