Peter and Laura Toganivalu announced on Sunday that they are stepping down as Global Pastors of Hillsong Young & Free.
Laura is the daughter of Brian and Bobbie Houston. Brian is the founder and former Hillsong Church senior pastor. He stepped down from his role in 2022 when he was criminally charged with allegedly hiding the sexual abuse of a child by his father, also a pastor.
Brian has said he is “not guilty,” but critics say he knew of his father’s abuse as early as the 1990s.
New global senior pastors of Hillsong Church, Phil and Lucinda Dooley, were also part of Sunday’s announcement, ChurchLeaders.com reports.
“We just wanted to honor a couple who are moving on from roles in our church,” said Phil Dooley, who once served as the Toganivalus’ youth pastor. “They’ve been just a blessing over so many years.”
Peter told Dooley earlier this year that it was time for his family to move on from Hillsong Church.
“We are with you guys, whatever the choice is,” Dooley told Peter. “If you’re gonna stay, hey, we love you and let’s go for it. If you feel there’s a season for you to step into that is outside of what we’re doing as Hillsong Church, we’re gonna cheer you on as well.”
He also thanked the Toganivalus for their years of service to the church.
“I think life is lived in seasons, but life is also lived in tension, because it’s the tension of letting go of so much that you love, but also for Laura, I was so full of anticipation and vision for the future,” Peter told the congregation as he expressed his gratitude for them all.
He added: “Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey of faith and imparting, whether it was into your kids or whether it was into you as a family or whether it was you as an individual. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of that.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/wwing
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.