The News Broke Out

On August 22, 2008 01:10am, Chief Reporter KIM WHEATLEY of Adelaide Now, an Austrailian online newspaper, broke the news that Pastor Michael Gulielmucci faked his cancer illness:

" The Australian Christian Churches told The Advertiser yesterday that it was auditing Mr Guglielmucci's bank accounts, which included money donated from people touched by his hit song Healer.

Mr Guglielmucci confessed his two-year fraudulent cancer battle at a national executive meeting of the ACC on Saturday, and was stripped of his credentials." - Adelaide Now

In October 2006, Guglielmucci revealed how he had gone to the hospital for a series of tests which revealed that he had "quite an aggressive form of cancer". He said that it was this diagnosis and moment that inspired his song Healer:

"I just went home. I knew I had to go home and needed to get alone with God," he says in the video. I walked into my studio at home and for some reason. . . I sat at a piano and began to worship. I sang that song from start to finish. I was crying. I just realised that God had given me an incredible gift and I realise that song was going to be my strength."

Shortly after the news broke, Hillsongs withdrew the music DVD, This Is Our God, poised to be a top charter out of the distribution channel. The financial losses are not certain, but Hillsongs Music is still "working with (their) distributors and retailers to assess what further action is required."

"We were obviously shocked at Michael Guglelmucci's confession that he does not have a life-threatening illness... we are removing all footage of Michael and... replace the current stock with the re-mastered DVD shortly."- Hillsongs Music Website

 The DVD in question

Response from the Christian Community and Blogosphere

Response to this episode range from support and forgiveness to outrage and cynism.

On Facebook, as many as 13 groups were formed to support or condemn the transgressor, slamming him as a hypocrite and liar.

 

Probably the people most affected in this episode is Michael's immediate family. Danny Guglielmucci, also a minister in Edge Church internation, said his son Michael's bizarre double life was underpinned by a 16-year addiction to pornography.

In an exclusive interview with TodayTonight, Danny expressed his thoughts:

"As a father... I can only say I'm so happy that he is alive and can get help but (also) devastated by the damage caused."

"As a professional minister I've stood in front of my congregation and cried and said to pray for my son," he later said.

The two year lie includes funds raised to help Mike through the "terminal illness." In Danny's address to his congregation at Edge Church International, he announced that Michael Guglielmucci's bank accounts are currently being audited by his church and leaders have promised any money raised deceptively will be returned or donated to charity.

How should the church respond? Should there be legal action taken against Guglielmucci? Should the song, so inspiring and beautiful, be taken down from the DVD? There are no easy answers for these questions.