[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Hillsong Church is once again facing some serious allegations.
Former Hillsong Dallas pastor Reed Bogard was accused of rape involving a female staffer, according to the report. The two later had an affair between 2013 and 2014 while he was serving at a Hillsong location in New York City. According to an investigation report obtained by The Christian Post, the unidentified woman told Hillsong church leaders in October 2020 that their affair did not begin consensually, and an investigation, commissioned by Hillsong Global and conducted by New York law firm Zukerman Gore Brandeis & Crossman, was soon launched. However, the details were never made public until now.
The allegations outlined in the report have not resulted in criminal charges and have not been adjudicated.
Related: Hillsong Church Co-Founder Brian Houston Resigned After 2 Women Made Complaints Against Him
According to the report, the accuser claimed that she first met Bogard in a bar somewhere in the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 2013 and accepted a ride home from him. Once they got into the car, the situation escalated, according to the report:
“Ms. [redacted] stated that when they got into the car (she in the front passenger seat and Mr. Bogard in the driver’s seat), Mr. Bogard leaned across the arm rest and kissed Ms. [redacted]. Ms. [redacted] admits that she kissed Mr. Bogard back. Mr. Bogard then began to climb over the arm rest until he was bearing down on top of her in her seat. Significantly, Ms. [redacted] now discloses that at the time she said, ‘no, I don’t think we should do this.’”
However, investigators noted in the report that she claimed Bogard ignored her and continued to climb on top of her. According to the report, she described the encounter as follows:
“He then reached down between the seat and the door and pulled the lever that released the seat back. Ms. [redacted] recalled the disoriented falling sensation of the seat back suddenly going back when she’d not realized it was about to do so. Ms. [redacted] recalls that at around this point, Mr. Bogard undid his pants. Ms. [redacted] now reports that at this point, she said ‘no.’ Mr. Bogard began to apply his hands to Ms. [redacted’s] breasts. Ms. [redacted] reports that at this point, she ‘froze.’ Mr. Bogard then asked Ms. [redacted] to take off her pants. Ms. [redacted] admits that she complied. Mr. Bogard then asked Ms. [redacted] to crawl into the back seat, an act which was facilitated because her seat back was now lying flat. Again, she complied. The two then had sexual intercourse.”
The account was included in the report obtained by The Christian Post, which detailed the allegations.
Meanwhile, the pastor claimed to the investigators that he had no memory of the accuser “saying no” at the time. Bogard has denied wrongdoing in connection with the allegations. Following the alleged incident, the report states that the woman entered into a sexual relationship with him and was given a new employment contract with a non-disclosure agreement. The investigators noted in the report:
“Mr. Bogard told her ‘if you don’t sign this contract, you don’t work here.’”
According to the report, Hillsong Church Australia leaders learned about the affair a year later in 2014 and believed it had been consensual between the two people involved, and therefore did not conduct an investigation at the time. They instead faced “consequences” at the time, and Bogard was ordered to take time away and undergo counseling.
These allegations, as outlined in the report, are the latest in a string of controversies the celebrity megachurch has faced over the years, some of which, according to reports, also involved Bogard. He and his wife Jess left their roles at the now-defunct branch of the church in Dallas back in January 2021 following accusations that they were misappropriating church donations in order to fund their own lavish lifestyle.
What do you think about the latest Hillsong controversy? Let us know in the comments.
Updated Friday, May 1, 2026 for clarity.
[Image via Red Rocks Young Adults/YouTube]
