Wife of Sam Collier, Hillsong’s first black lead pastor, announces divorce amid allegations of infidelity

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Friday, December 01, 2023

Toni Collier, the wife of former Hillsong Atlanta Pastor Sam Collier, who served as Hillsong Church’s first black lead pastor before he stepped down early last year as the global church network faced a wave of scandals, announced Friday that she is seeking a divorce over alleged infidelity. In response, her husband accused her of abuse.

The couple issued dueling statements on Instagram just minutes apart on Friday morning, confirming their relationship is over.

“I’m in the middle of the hardest season of my life. I am heartbroken, yet still hopeful. If you could see all the ways God has been kind to me and my kids your jaw would be on the floor. After years of discovering and enduring repeated acts of infidelity, I have chosen to end my marriage with Sam,” Toni Collier announced minutes before 10 a.m. Eastern time.

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“Despite seasons of hope, attempts at reconciliation, and counseling, after recently discovering more infidelity, I realized this wasn’t a sustainable or God-honoring marriage anymore. I’m at a point where I have to say ‘no more.’ I’m taking time off the stage and social media to focus on healing with my kids. I have no desire to hurt Sam but do want to vigorously protect my heart and my children,” she added before ending with, “Thanks for giving us privacy to do that, and for prayers that will undoubtedly be felt. Love y’all.”

In a separate post that has since been deleted, Sam Collier accused his wife of being a “liar and abuser” and insisted that they made a mutual decision to divorce.

“Toni Collier is a liar and abuser. It is documented that she has abused me our entire marriage and wants to continue to. I asked Toni not to do this. As well as our team and ‘our’ lawyers. She is not divorcing me, we are divorcing each other,” he wrote. ”AND I tried to divorce her 7 times and she begged me to stay and kept abusing me. I will tell more of the story later.”

Following that post, Sam Collier released a separate, formal statement and an apology: "I would like to apologize for my earlier comments regarding my divorce. It did not reflect the leader I am or my sincere feelings. I was emotionally overwhelmed and angry at the highest level. These past two months have been extremely exhausting."

The public statements come days after The Christian Post reached out to the couple after Toni Collier posted pictures of herself and her two children last week on her social media while calling out unfaithful, manipulative and unhealthy church leaders.

“Went to a safe, honest church with my babies today, sat next to dear friends who held grief with me, and left with these thoughts … I’ve been in a lot of churches as a member, as a volunteer, a minister, a pastor, and as a speaker and here’s what I know to be true. God will not be mocked,” she wrote.

“The church is designed to be the safest house on the block, God’s plan A for humanity and I’ve seen it be destroyed in my time, not because of its design, but because of its unhealthy leaders. The root of this destruction is shame,” she insisted. “We’ve all seen how the disgusting behavior of leaders and their attempt to cover up addictions, infidelity, and manipulation has torn apart God’s design and have His people left in disappointment and confusion about their own faith. But God will not be mocked.”

Sam and Toni Collier both led the Georgia-based branch of Hillsong for approximately one year until he announced on March 23, 2022, that he was stepping down.

“My greatest reason for stepping down as pastor of Hillsong Atlanta is probably not a secret to any of you. With all of the documentaries, scandals, articles, accusations and the church’s subsequent management of these attacks it’s become too difficult to lead and grow a young Church in this environment,” Collier, who currently leads Story Church wrote on Instagram. “I have no shame in admitting I cried like a baby moments after I informed the Hillsong global pastor of my departure."

While Story Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CP about his wife’s latest announcement, Collier noted in a statement on his social media accounts that “God knows the story, I’m just glad I’m still alive to tell it one day. Here’s to better and brighter days ahead!”