Hillsong Church has announced that the number of campuses in the USA has now dropped to just five.
During a broadcast on Sunday, global senior pastor Phil Dooley and Hillsong California lead pastor Sam Lopez shared that Hillsong San Francisco will be separating from the church network and will operate independently under a new name, which will be revealed next week.
"After much prayer and thoughtful consideration, we're announcing that Brenden and Jacqui Brown will be taking on the leadership of our church community in San Francisco as a separate church, so separating from what has been part of Hillsong California," Pastor Dooley said.
"We believe the time is right for this. This is an exciting season for the Browns and for our church in San Francisco, and we want to say how much we love Brenden and Jacqui, and we value their dedication, their sacrifice, and their commitment to pastoring and leading the Hillsong San Francisco community," he added.
This marks the closure of the 11th of Hillsong's 16 U.S. campuses, following scandals like the 2020 firing of Pastor Carl Lentz over infidelity and leadership issues and the stepping down of its founder and former global pastor Brian Houston.
Pastor Lopez mentioned that the decision to separate Hillsong San Francisco had been under discussion for about two years, with the Browns responding to God's call for a "fresh vision," and with full support from Hillsong.
In a statement on Instagram, the Hillsong San Francisco leaders, who have served the megachurch for 24 years, expressed their excitement for the new direction. "God has been faithful in every step of our journey, and we believe He's leading us into something fresh and full of purpose," they wrote.
"While our name is changing, our heart remains the same — to love people and connect them to Jesus," they continued, thanking their Hillsong family for their support. "Join us next Sunday as we reveal the new name of our church and unpack the vision for what's ahead! We can't wait to step into this new season together."