Former Hillsong worship leader clarifies he hasn’t renounced faith, but it’s on ‘incredibly shaky ground’

Marty Sampson, the worship music writer
who recently revealed he is “genuinely
losing” his faith, clarified that while he
hasn’t “renounced” his Christianity, it’s
nevertheless on “incredibly shaky ground.”
Sampson, known for penning lyrics for
Hillsong Worship, Hillsong United, Delirious
and Young & Free, responded to a Christian
Post op-ed titled “Reaching out to a
Hillsong leader who is renouncing his
faith.” In it, columnist Michael Brown said
he prays Sampson “would have the
integrity of heart to seek the truth
earnestly, with humility and passion, and
that all others with questions will put those
questions on the table.”
After emphasizing he truly wants answers
to his questions, Sampson admitted he’s
“struggling with many parts of the belief
system that seem so incoherent with
common human morality.”
“If most of humankind had a choice, would
we not rid the world of the scourge of
cancer? Or sickness and disease? Why
doesn’t God do such a thing? Of course
there is an answer to this question, but the
majority of a typical Christian’s life is not
spent considering these things,” he wrote.
“Questions such as these remain in the too
hard basket.”

The artist, who has been with the worship
team at Hillsong since he was 16, clarified
he wouldn’t say he has “renounced” his
faith but would say “it’s on incredibly
shaky ground.”
“I have and continue to analyze the
arguments of prominent Christian
apologists and biblical scholars, and am
open minded enough to consider the
arguments of atheist debaters and
debaters from other religions,” he
continued. “If the truth is true, it will remain
so regardless of my understanding of it. If I
search it out, surely it will become even
more clearly seen as the truth that it is.
Examining a diamond more closer reveals
the quality of the diamond. As I am still
breathing, I am still learning.”
Despite his long history with Hillsong
Church, Sampson emphasized his thoughts
are his own and do not represent any
church, adding, “If anything all I have ever
received from Hillsong is support and the
opportunity to follow my own mind, and
they have always taught what I perceive to
be sound Pentecostal doctrine.”
“You cannot have well-educated opinions
without educating yourself well,” he
concluded. “This is a window into my
thought processes at the present time.”

Sampson made headlines this week after
announcing in a since-deleted post on
Instagram , “I’m genuinely losing my faith,
and it doesn’t bother me. Like, what
bothers me now is nothing. I am so happy
now, so at peace with the world. It’s
crazy.”
“Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No
one talks about it. How can God be love
yet send four billion people to a place, all
‘coz they don’t believe? No one talks about
it,” he wrote.
The “All I Need Is You” writer said he’s “not
in” anymore and desires “genuine truth.”
“Not the ‘I just believe it’ kind of
truth.Science keeps piercing the truth of
every religion. Lots of things help people
change their lives, not just one version of
God. Got so much more to say, but for me,
I keeping it real. Unfollow if you want, I’ve
never been about living my life for others.”

“All I know is what’s true to me right now,
and Christianity just seems to me like
another religion at this point,” he
concluded.
In his CP op-ed, Brown challenged
Sampson’s claims that “no one” is talking
about challenges to the Christian faith,
discussing difficult intellectual issues, or
engaging the apparent contradictions or
interpretative problems in the Bible.
He also encouraged Sampson, “Don’t be
afraid to ask your honest questions and to
follow the truth where it leads.”
“I’ve done that for the last 47+ years, being
challenged by rabbis from my earliest days
as a believer and having done all my
academic studies in secular institutions. As
a result, I love the Lord with all my heart
and with all my mind. He is the God of
truth, and His Word is truth,” Brown wrote.

“So, don’t be afraid to ask your honest
questions and to follow the truth where it
leads. Just don’t do it superficially, and be
sure to seek God first and foremost. And
let’s pray for Marty’s repentance,
restoration, and more.”
Responding to a comment on whether he
really is seeking answers or is just making
excuses, Sampson said, “I really do want
answers. I don’t want judgement. If it
comes however, who am I to judge?”
Sampson has both written and sang
worship songs with various Hillsong
legends from Darlene Zschech to Joel
Houston and Brooke Ligertwood. Some of
his most recent popular songs include
“Forever” and “Came to My Rescue.”