{{Short description|Pentacostal megachurch based in Melbourne, Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}} {{Infobox church | denomination = Australian Christian Churches | name = Planetshakers Church | image = Planetshakers_Church.jpg | caption = Planetshakers Church | location = Melbourne, Geelong, Cape Town, Port Moresby and Singapore<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thechristianbeat.org/index.php/news/3687-planetshakers-to-release-new-music-as-the-ministry-celebrates-20th-anniversary|title=Planetshakers To Release New Music As The Ministry Celebrates 20th Anniversary|date=10 July 2017 |publisher=|accessdate=23 July 2017}}</ref> | website = {{URL|planetshakers.com}} | founded = 8 February 2004 | country = Australia | logo = Planetshakers ministry logo.png | embedded = }} {{Infobox Christian denomination | child = yes | name = Planetshakers Church | theology = Pentecostal | members = 21,000 | churches = 9<ref>{{cite web |last1=Casidy |first1=Riza |title=The rise and rise of Hillsong, and what other Australian churches should learn from them |url=https://theconversation.com/the-rise-and-rise-of-hillsong-and-what-other-australian-churches-should-learn-from-them-94487#:~:text=Founded%20as%20a%20single%20church,its%20services%20every%20week%20globally. |website=The Conversation |access-date=18 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref> }}
'''Planetshakers Church''' is a Pentecostal megachurch affiliated with Australian Christian Churches (Assemblies of God) based in Melbourne, Australia, with several church campuses around the world.
The church is also known for its contemporary worship music, with its bands Planetshakers and Planetboom, and its record label Planetshakers Ministries International, whose songs have been translated and reinterpreted in many evangelical churches of the world.
== History == The church was formed as an Australian Christian Conference and band in 1997 from within Paradise Community Church, now known as Futures Church, in Adelaide, South Australia. The church started when the band and ministry moved to Melbourne in 2004, and was then called Melbourne City Church.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.daystar.com/events/planetshakers-live/about-planetshakers/|title=About Planetshakers |website= Daystar Television| access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref>
{{as of |May 2022}} the main Melbourne church's senior pastors are Russell and Samantha Evans, and they have more than 21,000 members.<ref>{{cite web |title=Acceleration: Part one of four |url=https://www.planetshakers.com/acceleration-part-one-fire/ |publisher=Planetshakers |accessdate=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref name="Hutchison">{{cite web | archiveurl = https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20150304032300/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/151030/20150304-1423/www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1825436.htm | url = http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1825436.htm | title = Praise pit to faith | last = Hutchison | first = Tracee | authorlink = Tracee Hutchison | work = The 7.30 Report | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) | archivedate = 4 March 2015 | date = 11 January 2007 | accessdate = 1 July 2015 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Russell Evans is the son of longtime pastor Andrew Evans.{{fact|date=December 2025}}
==Beliefs == It is affiliated with Australian Christian Churches (Assemblies of God), and one of the fastest-growing churches in Australia.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Planetshakers Church |url=http://www.daystar.com/events/planetshakers-live/about-planetshakers/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fastest growing church in Australia opens Austin location |date=24 May 2018 |url=https://medium.com/@thebelotimes/fastest-growing-church-in-australia-opens-austin-location-aa341f907d2e}}</ref>
== Ministry branches == ===Planetshakers band=== thumb|300px|alt=|upright|Planetshakers worship Created as part of the first Planetshakers conference, Planetshakers is a contemporary worship music band with over 30 internationally acclaimed albums.<ref>{{cite web |title=Planetshakers - Venture3Media |url=https://venture3media.com/planetshakers/ |publisher=Venture3Media |access-date=21 February 2022}}</ref>
===Planetboom===
Planetboom is the youth ministry branch of Planetshakers Church, primarily targeting high school students, ministering to teenagers via channels like school programs, youth camps and Friday meetups.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/inside-planetshakers-melbournes-biggest-pentecostal-church/news-story/966521d9c6e4cba8e7ea61533411c6dc|title=Australian News Article}}</ref> They created Planetboom band and released first four singles in 2018. In the 2019 they released their first album entitled ''Jesus Over Everything''.<ref>{{cite web |title=planetboom - Venture3Media |url=https://venture3media.com/planetboom/ |publisher=Venture3Media |accessdate=27 September 2019}}</ref>
===Michael Guglielmucci cancer scandal=== <!---redirects target this section---> It was reported in 2008 that Michael Guglielmucci, pastor of the church and former bass player in the Planetshakers band, had fraudulently claimed he was dying of cancer.<ref>{{Cite news |last = Smith | first=Sharon |title=Chart-topping pastor's cancer lie |pages=1 |location=Adelaide, Australia |date = 29 August 2008 |url = https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/4972420/charttopping-pastors-cancer-lie/|newspaper=7News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last = Wheatley | first = Kim | title = Go to police, church tells lying pastor; praise to the fraud | pages = 1–2 | newspaper = The Advertiser | location = Adelaide, Australia | date = 22 August 2008 }}</ref> He wrote "Healer", a song of encouragement for believers who were suffering from cancer, for the album ''Saviour of the World'', which was released in June (2007).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/thats-sir-conman-to-you-copper-2008s-bizarre-rap-sheet-20081115-67pd.html | location=Melbourne, Australia | newspaper=The Age | title=That's Sir Conman to you, copper: 2008's bizarre rap sheet | first=Mark | last=Russell | date=16 November 2008}}</ref> Guglielmucci performed the song regularly over a two-year period, often with an oxygen tube attached to his nose,<ref name=police>{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/news/preacher-told-go-to-police/news-story/e1852c777bd16d360c5b4c20f2b38121 |title=Fake illness preacher Michael Guglielmucci told to go to police |last=Wheatley |first=Kim |date=15 October 2009 |website=News.com.au |access-date=28 February 2019}}</ref> and during this time received money from supporters who believed his illness was real.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wheatley |first=Kim |date=11 September 2008 |title=Porn pastor unlikely to face charges | The Advertiser |newspaper=The Advertiser |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/porn-pastor-unlikely-to-face-charges/story-e6frea83-1111117460461 |access-date=21 February 2014}}</ref>
Guglielmucci later explained his actions as being a result of a long-term pornography addiction.<ref name=fake/> The track had also been added to the Hillsong album ''This Is Our God'' (2008),<ref>{{cite web |title=Hillsong Pastor Michael Guglielmucci on Today Tonight - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcswYwQczPc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/HcswYwQczPc |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live|website=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref> but later removed from the album.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hillsong.com/music/product.php?xProd=4603|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407094047/http://www.hillsong.com/music/product.php?xProd=4603|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 April 2008|title=Hillsong Music Australia - This Is Our God - CD /DVD - Pre Order Now and receive free shipping! Released July 2008|date=7 April 2008}}</ref> Representatives of churches with which Guglielmucci had affiliations told the press they were totally unaware of this situation. In an email sent to Hillsong members, the church's general manager, George Aghajanian, said the news was even a shock to Guglielmucci's own family and that the suspended pastor was seeking professional help. Guglielmucci was stripped of all credentials by the Australian Christian Churches, who promised that all money donated by listeners inspired by the song would be returned or donated to charity and Guglielmucci's bank accounts would be audited to determine the amount of funds raised.<ref name="abc2008">{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-08-25/money-back-pledge-from-disgraced-pastor/488174 |title=Money back pledge from disgraced pastor - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |newspaper=ABC News |date=25 August 2008 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=9 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fake illness preacher Michael Guglielmucci told to go to police |url=http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24212817-5006301,00.html |work=The Advertiser |date=22 August 2008 |accessdate=22 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821144157/http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24212817-5006301,00.html |archivedate=21 August 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pop star pastor lied about cancer |url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=618463 |work=National Nine News |date=21 August 2008 |accessdate=21 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822132241/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=618463 |archivedate=22 August 2008}}</ref>
Michael is the son of Danny Guglielmucci, co-founder of Edge Church International, located in the southern Adelaide suburb of Reynella, also a Pentecostal church and a member of the Australian Christian Churches (formerly Assemblies of God in Australia) network.<ref name=fake>{{cite news |date=28 August 2008 |publisher=ABC News |title=Fake cancer preacher admits porn addiction |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-08-24/fake-cancer-preacher-admits-porn-addiction/487046 |access-date=26 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=26 August 2008 |title=Money back pledge from disgraced pastor |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-08-25/money-back-pledge-from-disgraced-pastor/488174 |access-date=26 September 2023 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Evangelical Christianity||Christianity}} * Pentecostalism *Australian Christian Churches
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{Official website|http://www.planetshakers.com/}}
{{Coord|-37.8293277|144.9553196|region:AU_type:landmark|display=title}} Category:Planetshakers Church Category:Evangelical megachurches in Australia Category:Australian Christian Churches Category:Pentecostal churches in Melbourne Category:Christian organizations established in 1997