Hillsong has released a significant update to their megacorp organization, announcing the hiring and creation of a Global Race Diversity and Inclusion Committee team and strategy to ensure that the church is operating in an equitable manner and making sure there are sufficient minorities and women on staff and in positions of power, announcing in a press release:
“We realized we had to go after not only racial reconciliation and healing but also racial diversity and inclusion. And this we did.”
The church formed a “Global Race Diversity and Inclusion Committee” that is compromised of “global RDI experts” and other church leaders.” It is spearheaded by longtime pastor Darren Kitto and Hillsong member Harry Phinda. Over the last few months they’ve been busy doing the following:
Hired a full-time Race Diversity and Inclusion Manager.
Developed a Global Racial Diversity and Equity Strategy to build racial diversity, equity, and inclusion into our church’s strategic planning, policy, and governance process.
Published a theological paper on Racial Diversity to ensure that Hillsong staff are leading from a Biblical standpoint.
Provided racial diversity equity and inclusion training for the global lead pastoral team and global board.
Started the creation of a high-quality Race Matters 9-hour mandatory video training for Hillsong staff and volunteers, composed of numerous global experts and lead staff, with the intent of increasing awareness and equipping our global leaders.
Other members of the team include Fadzi Whande, the Senior Diversity and Inclusion Adviser at the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva, Switzerland, who retweeted this lovely tweet, and Femi Olu-Lafe, an “award-winning diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist” who is the Senior Vice President of Global Culture & Inclusion for Kinesso.
In an attached Q&A about whether or not the church supports Critical Race Theory, they note that “We understand CRT to be a social theory” and that “we believe that where social theories align with Biblical truth, they can be useful tools for us as we learn how to love our neighbors better.”
