Hillsong Loses Russia As Global Network Continues To Shrink
Once an evangelical monolith, claiming influence in 30 countries and 16 churches in the U.S., the Australian-based Hillsong Church has — due to leadership scandals — shrunk considerably.
Eleven U.S. churches have left Hillsong, bringing the U.S. total to five. And the global church network just lost a country: Russia.
In November, senior pastors Vadim—sometimes referred to as “Vadik” — and Anna Feshchenko renamed the church наследие; Russian for “Legacy.” It has campuses in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
“We have been reflecting and praying about how we can honor our history while focusing on what God still has in store for us and sharing our faith with the future generations,” the couple said in a Nov. 17 statement.
“The Lord had placed a new name into our hearts. Our new name is Legacy.”
Calling the last decade of church life “turbulent and transitional,” the couple has not outright stated they have separated from Hillsong Global.
However, the church has been removed from the Hillsong website and legal paperwork states the church changed its name and constitution as of Nov. 13, 2025. There is no mention of Hillsong on the church website and its contact information has changed.
According to the letter, the new name was formed in part due to Russia’s new legislation preventing businesses from being named in English. Violators risk fines or imprisonment.
Churches must also register with a recognized Russian union and be run by congregational governance, meaning members have full control over leadership decisions without any input from foreign entities, like Hillsong.
Founding pastors Gino and Vera Kasevich, who mentored the Feshchenkos before the latter took over in 2014, say that the name change is a practical necessity in Moscow.
“In Moscow (local churches) can’t function as if final authority sits overseas,” the Kaseviches told The Roys Report (TRR) via email.
“If this transition brings clearer local accountability and removes foreign-brand pressure, it can stabilize the church and protect the congregation. The risk is confusion and loss of trust if the transition is not communicated transparently and pastorally.”
The Kaseviches planted Hillsong campuses in Kyiv and Moscow in 2007. They began mentoring the Feshchenkos in 2009 when Vadim was appointed youth pastor at Hillsong Kyiv. According to the Kaseviches, who have lived in the United States for the last decade, local and global leadership have always been in tension at the Moscow church, making a split inevitable.
“The later tension [with Hillsong Global] came when a centralized ‘global church’ model began requiring constitutional changes that would place final authority outside the country,” the Kaseviches told TRR.
The couple made global headlines in early 2022 when they alleged Hillsong leadership tried to force them to give control of church governance to Hillsong Global. They told TRR they stepped aside from their positions because they wanted to protect the church in a time of unrest when war seemed inevitable.
War broke out between Russia and Ukraine just weeks later. Authority over Hillsong Moscow was then given to the Feshchenkos.
“We … know this pastoral couple personally: we discipled them, raised them spiritually, and appointed them into leadership in Moscow,” the Kaseviches said.
“Yet communication stopped the moment we had conflict with Hillsong Australia. And that is a painful example of the same ‘cancel culture’ dynamic that damages churches everywhere.”
They are unsure what Legacy’s future will look like.
“We read the current pastors’ letter about the transition, and it felt vague; more like slogans than an explanation,” they said. “We don’t believe a new name by itself will heal anything. A changed culture — truth, accountability, and restored relationships — is what actually heals a church.”
TRR reached out to Legacy Church and Hillsong Global for comment but did not hear back from either.
This article was originally published by The Roys Report.
Jessica Morris is a music journalist, podcaster and author based in Melbourne, Australia.