Hillsong Reacts to Idol's Shout to the Lord

Hillsong Church leaders say they are thrilled that their song "Shout to the Lord," was chosen for American Idol's Give Back broadcast that aired Wednesday.

But they also said they were not asked about the removal of the name Jesus in the broadcast performance.

RELATED STORIES:
WATCH: 'American Idol' Shouts to the Lord - Again

Aussie Gets the Boot
on American Idol
"Hillsong Church was thrilled to see the song "Shout To The Lord" performed recently on American Idol," officials with the Australian church said in a statement issued late Friday.

"It received an incredible response and was the fifth most downloaded song in this week's U.S. iTunes charts," a church spokesperson said.

The show's eight final contestants from season seven first sang the song during American Idol's second annual charity drive Idol Gives Back. But during the broadcast, the opening line of the song was changed to remove the name of Jesus. The word 'shepherd' was inserted instead.

But in a reprisal of the song Thursday night, and in the downloaded version, "Jesus" was left in.

"Darlene Zschech and Hillsong Church were not asked, nor approved, of the name of Jesus being replaced," the spokesperson said. "We were pleased to see that the song was performed again with the correct lyrics."

Wednesday night's performance became the number one download from that night in the United States.

"Wow. I've never heard this song until they played it on Idol Gives Back," said one reviewer of the downloaded performance. "I really liked how it was giving praise to the Lord and was full of hope. It was beautiful."

On Wednesday, millions tuned in to the charity show to see the needs spread across the globe -- everything from hungry children to AIDS victims.

Numerous celebrities participated in the event to encourage viewers to donate, including Bono, Miley Cyrus, Brad Pitt, Billy Crystal, and Peyton and Eli Manning -- just to name a few.

Producers expect the event to raise $100 million.