Disgraced former Hillsong pastor Pat Mesiti has contacted his lawyers has sent a letter to discernment ministry site Hillsong Accountability, threatening to sue them for defamation over some posts they made criticizing him.
By way of brief background, Pastor Pat Mesiti taught at Hillsong in Australia for over 20 years, co-founded Hillsong Music and Hillsong College and, describes himself as an “influential father figure” to Darlene Zschech, Christine Caine, and Carl Lentz. In 2020 he joined a long pedigree of biblically illiterate preachers who restored themselves back to ministry after being kicked out of the church.
In Mesiti’s case, not content to the usual boring “extra-marital affair,” he was given the left dropkick of fellowship in 2001 after being an admitted sex-addict who was picking up hookers at an unprecedented rate – that’s when he wasn’t pleading guilty to beating up his wife, whom he later divorced.
Naturally, this made him a prime candidate for getting back on that ministry horse. With spurs in tow, Mesiti launched Reborn Ministries with his new wife, Catherine. According to his website bio
One of the world’s most celebrated speakers. He is a highly effective communicator. His passion is to EQUIP and EMPOWER individuals to reach their fullest potential. His expertise is to SHIFT MINDSETS AND TO BUILD BIGGER PEOPLE to produce results. Pat has spoken globally to some of the largest events, and his books and materials have sold over 2 million copies.” [Editorial side note: One of those he wrote was called Staying Together Without Falling Apart. He describes it as ‘the definitive guide to helping men and women “thrive together in a modern-day relationship.”‘]
As far as what this ministry actually does, Mesiti travels the world teaching people about prosperity and “how to attract it.” One of the endorsements on the site says that he has “dedicated his life to unlocking the potential inside of people, and opening up their minds to a more rewarding, fulfilling, and prosperous future.”
He’s also very litigious. Hillsong Accountability explains in a Facebook post:
Here at Hillsong Accountability, we know our defamation law. Truth is a durable defence, as are honest opinion and public interest.
When Pat Mesiti threatened to lawyer up, we referred him to the response given in the libel case of Arkell vs Pressdram.
He had become incensed that, and we’re quoting here, that we imputed variously that:
• Pat Mesiti has a similar appearance to an animated emu,
• Pat Mesiti is of poor financial means and at least recently, he lived in a caravan;
• Pat Mesiti was a bankrupt;
• Pat Mesiti is a liar;
• Pat Mesiti has stolen money from people;
• Pat Mesiti does not keep promises;
• Pat Mesiti acts on impulse; and
• Pat Mesiti is a racist, bigot and a fear monger.
Confining ourselves purely to the facts, we are able to say that
• Pat Mesiti is a defrocked Hillsong minister. He carries no ordained credential from the Australian Christian Churches, C3 Churches or Hillsong.
• In 2001 the church leadership at Hillsong discovered he had been sleeping with prostitutes, and had used his Hillsong-paid phone, car and credit card to facilitate his assignations. He was sacked, and his marriage fell apart.
• Mesiti admitted in an interview in 2006 that he suffered from a sexual addiction.
• In September 2014, Mesiti had returned to the fold at Hillsong enough to holiday with Brian Houston and Hillsong identities on the Amalfi coast in southern Italy. Birds of a feather…
• In 2016, he was arrested for domestic violence against his second partner. Media reports at the time quoted police saying “The accused was heavily intoxicated and in a fit of rage over a family issue”. He pleaded guilty when the matter came to court.
• In 2021, News Limited media warned Mesiti was running what were little more than “Get rich quick” schemes full of motivational psychobabble and little else.
• Pat has tried to re-invent himself over and over. His “Prayer and Pushback” forum during Covid became a conga-line of anti-vax and anti-lockdown conspiracy theorists like George Christensen, Craig Kelly and Malcolm Roberts. Pat now styles himself as a culture warrior intermixed with dangerous Christian dominionism.
Hillsong Accountability do not resile from our views, and will continue to warn, offer factual commentary and honest opinion in the public interest.
On his Facebook page, Mesiti levelled some threats against the site, demanding they take it down lest they face further action.
