Prostitution and Pornography Claims Prompt Questions About Ex-Hillsong Pastor's Return to Leadership
Timeline suggests deeper issues preceding Story Church's collapse and Collier's restoration.
New public allegations from Toni Collier are casting a sharper light on Pastor Sam Collier’s previously vague confessions of making “big mistakes” during his marriage, admissions he made in an interview with Faithfully Magazine about a month before his return to ministry as Christian Cultural Center (CCC) Atlanta’s lead pastor.
In that interview, Collier acknowledged “coping mechanisms” that were “not God-honoring” and sidestepped a direct question about infidelity.
At the time, he framed the dissolution of Story Church and its relaunch as CCC Atlanta as part of a strategic reset and a continuation of his restoration journey. Before launching Story Church in 2022, the Colliers briefly served as the first Black pastors within the Hillsong network when Hillsong Atlanta opened in 2021. Their departure from Hillsong came soon after an avalanche of financial and sexual misconduct allegations against the global brand, which preceded their decision to establish Story Church.
But new public claims from Toni Collier, and a police report reflecting some of her claims, suggest a more complicated timeline. The 2023 police report shows Collier told police he was being harassed by a transgender man who he said was attempting to extort him. Toni Collier asserts the situation was tied to what she describes as a transactional sexual encounter. These claims remain unverified by FM.
These specific revelations about Collier’s alleged infidelity raise fresh questions about CCC’s vetting and oversight during Collier’s restoration process, which culminated in his re-ordination in September 2025.
It remains unclear what CCC leadership — specifically Senior Pastor Jamaal Bernard and founding pastor Dr. A.R. Bernard — knew, when they knew it, and how they assessed these matters before installing him as lead pastor of CCC Atlanta.
FM has reached out to the public relations representative for both Collier and the Bernards and will update this report if a response is provided.
Timeline: Sam Collier, Hillsong Atlanta, Story Church, and CCC
2021
- Sam and Toni Collier become the first Black pastors in the Hillsong Church network when Hillsong Atlanta launches.
- Global investigations into Hillsong intensify, including allegations of financial misconduct and sexual impropriety.
Early 2022
- Amid widening Hillsong scandals, the Colliers announce their departure from Hillsong Atlanta.
- They immediately found Story Church in Atlanta.
2022–2023
- Story Church begins to grow but experiences increasing internal instability.
- In 2023, Collier files a police report alleging harassment and an attempted extortion.
- The Colliers’ marriage continues to deteriorate.
2024
- Sam and Toni Collier finalize their divorce.
- Questions emerge about the future of Story Church.
August 2025
- Collier tells Faithfully Magazine he made “big mistakes” and used "coping mechanisms" that were “not God-honoring” during his marriage.
September 2025
- Collier is re-ordained by Dr. A.R. Bernard and Pastor Jamaal Bernard and installed as Lead Pastor of **CCC Atlanta**.
December 2025
- New public allegations from Toni Collier emerge, prompting renewed scrutiny of Collier’s restoration and reinstatement.
Watch our managing editor’s brief remarks on this new development.