Brian Houston says churches hoping to reproduce Hillsong's success sometimes copied its presentation without understanding what gave it purpose. But he named Steven Furtick as one of the few leaders who successfully adapted its approach to worship, arguing that Elevation captured something deeper than musical talent and production.
The comments came during a conversation with Faith Church's David Crank and his daughter, Ashtyn, in St. Louis, shared through JesusFollowers.TV in a video that premiered October 24. The interview combined affectionate recollections of Hillsong's influence with a warning about what happens when church creativity becomes a performance detached from its spiritual purpose.
Houston pointed to the elaborate openings associated with Bobbie Houston's Colour conferences as an example. Other churches, he suggested, could reproduce the visual elements while missing the intention behind them. His concern was that an impressive presentation could become an end in itself.
"My biggest message for pastors is be yourself, be authentic," Houston said. He urged leaders to ensure that everything they do has intention and heart, warning that congregations can sense when a service becomes a show.
That raises a practical question for churches shaped by influential ministries: how can leaders distinguish learning from another congregation from simply reproducing its style? Lighting, arrangements, stage designs, and conference openings are visible and transferable. The relationships and convictions behind them are harder to identify-and harder to reproduce.
Houston's praise for Furtick offered his answer through a specific example. He described the Elevation pastor as one of the few people who had successfully modeled aspects of his church's worship on Hillsong because he understood that the approach depended on more than gifted performers. In Houston's assessment, Elevation had grasped the spiritual purpose behind the presentation.
Those remarks were an endorsement, rather than a criticism of Elevation. They also sharpened Houston's broader distinction: similarity in appearance does not necessarily mean superficial imitation, but a familiar sound alone cannot establish spiritual depth.
The conversation turned directly to contemporary worship when Ashtyn asked about disagreements over what worship should look like. Houston responded by emphasizing the congregation's disposition toward God. Musical ability mattered, he said, but a church could worship meaningfully with modest resources and an imperfect performance.
He also recalled that some talented people at Hillsong remained off the platform because, in his judgment, their attitudes were unsuitable. The point placed character ahead of ability and challenged the assumption that exceptional skill should automatically secure someone a public ministry role.
Yet that principle invites a further question for church leaders: how is character assessed? Saying that someone has the right heart becomes more useful when a church can explain the conduct it expects, how concerns are handled, and whether the same expectations apply to established leaders and emerging volunteers.
Crank's contribution made clear how personally he valued Houston's influence. He described learning from Houston's staff meetings and leadership approach, while the interview concluded with assurances of continuing friendship and support for Brian and Bobbie.
The exchange therefore functioned as both leadership advice and a public affirmation of a longstanding relationship. Its strongest challenge reaches beyond any one church: if authenticity is what gives worship its purpose, congregations need ways to recognize it beyond the confidence of the people onstage.
