Ministry News

Darlene Zschech Leaving Hillsong to Co-Pastor Church

Details: Monday, 01 November 2010 15:39

Well-known worship leader Darlene Zschech will soon be leaving the Australian megachurch where she has served for 25 years to become senior pastor of a nearby Pentecostal church.

Zschech, whose songs "Shout to the Lord," "The Potter's Hand" and numerous others over the last decade made the name of Hillsong Church in Sydney synonymous with modern worship music worldwide, will lead Church Unlimited on Australia's Central Coast with her husband, Mark (pictured with her, left), starting late January.

"We are entering into what we believe will be a wonderful and fruitful season ahead,” Mark Zschech said in a statement last week. “The two words that are on our hearts are to 'lead' and to 'build.' We're going to build a church for everybody.”

Longtime Hillsong pastor Brian Houston expressed good wishes for the Zschechs.

"Mark and Darlene have really sown into our church for a long, long time,” Houston said in a message to his congregation, which is part of the Australian Christian Churches denomination, formerly Assemblies of God. “Whilst they will be greatly missed, we feel as though this is a good and a timely step for them.

Zschech was the worship pastor of Hillsong Church for 11 years, stepping down in 2007. She continued to lead worship regularly at Hillsong and was a prominent figure with the Hillsong worship team on its international ministry tours.

Houston said in a note posted on the Hillsong website that Darlene has been welcomed "to continue to be part of the team in key Hillsong praise and worship projects and, with Mark, in Hillsong Conferences, and we pray great things for their future.”

Subscribe to Ministry Today magazine

Comments

0 #16 yoj 2011-06-15 17:43

deal: not all opportunities are blessings. it's much better that darlene and mark have already left hillsong and to have a church.. HEART OF WORSHIP to hillsong.

Quote

0 #15 Ruth Divers 2011-02-22 10:41

You know, in John ch 17 Jesus is very clear about a unified church as one unit. In Matthew He says we dont judge who is his and who is not that God will send angels to the harvest and HE will decide NOT US In psalm 68 it states grea are the great host of women who preach the good news. Billy Graham himself has prayed that she continue even more and kissed her hand and he is a fundmentalist as did George Beverly Shea. It says all who choose to serve Him will be perscuted EVEN BY THE CHURCH!! WHAT SAY YE? Blessings to Mark, Darlene and Family you have so ministered to me in my sons death and physical difficulties that followed May God richly bless you new venture IN HIM

Quote

0 #14 biswa 2010-11-26 23:20

It's a great step of faith in God and in His leading. At times natural mind don't fully understand how God leads, but the best part is to obey His still small voice and follow Him. God is faithful no matter what! God bless Darlene & Mark.

Quote

0 #13 Marcos Nogueira 2010-11-15 17:20

The first time Mark and Darlene in Brazil had the pleasure of preparing a dinner for them, humility, love and anointing them found

Quote

-1 #12 SHAJI K 2010-11-10 01:25

Re: Zelotes1's comment

Very truley and clearly said according to the word of God which is EVERLASTING.

"The fear of the LORD is the begining of wisdom".

Quote

-5 #11 zelotes1 2010-11-09 14:19

Tina, the judgement isn't women sharing the Gospel. The first proclaimers of the resurrection were the two Mary’s in Matthew 28 Anybody can share the Gospel and lead others to Jesus. But Its the disbelief of Gods ordained Government for the family & Church. Some of Pauls clearest teaching is on Church government with Man as head and women not being in Church authority due to eve's fall & NOT Corinthian culture. It is Fallen mankind who seeks to infiltrate Christ's church with their Godless government & cultural standards who's only goal is to destroy the bible, and rebel against Gods Government. In society today the husband is no longer the head of the home. He’s either “co-partner”, or the wife rules the home treating the husband as the subordinate partner. And now it's being copied in Church. So.."if" Darlene is Sr. Pastor as article quotes, She's in disbelief concerning Gods Government and the authority of the Apostle himself.

Quote

0 #10 Tina18 2010-11-08 06:18

It truly saddens me that there is such judgement on women in ministry still to this day. Do you really think God cares if it is a woman or a man preaching His Word? Seriously!!! As a woman God has called into ministry, it is so frustrating to find at times men and or woman who have issues with this! In His eyes "there is neither greek nor jew, male or female". MEN...get over it. Like God is going to judge us one day for preaching His Word! WHO HE WILL JUDGE IS THOSE MEN OR WOMEN CRITICAL OF THOSE PREACHING THE WORD! So, Zelotes1...you might want to get off the soap box and your pew and if you are so against women ministers...why don't you go through six years of Bible college and preach the Word of God. Time is too short for small mindedness! Seriously...wake up to the real God instead of the one you think has issues with women preaching His Word!

Quote

+1 #9 Victor Khongmen 2010-11-05 10:13

I pray that God will open the way for Darlene to come to minister to us in North East India, namely Shillong. I hope this new move will open up more places around the world for them to minister in.
Praying for them .....

Quote

-9 #8 Zelotes1 2010-11-03 14:46

My prayer is that what Darlene is doing, she is doing in ignorance and that she would find mercy in that day, because if she knows what the scriptures teach about headship and her role as a woman of God and yet stands glaringly in the face of the apostle himself and says, No! I will not obey your apostolic authority given you by Christ and I will do as I feel. Then I would not want to be in her shoes Or her head (husband) on judgement day when they give an account of thier decisions. I myself stand daily in awe and holy fear crying out to God to deliver me from sin and error and to give me a holy desire for obedience to all the will of God. I am just very confused. I know how we can be confused about certain scriptures that are not real clear, but ones so plain and clear??? We might as well rewrite the whole thing at our every whim when it doesn't fit our desires or theology. And if you think Im a women hater, my wife say's she wishes all husbands would love thier wives as I.

Quote