Hillsong leader Brian Houston steps down from board, charged with concealing late father’s child sex abuse
Credit: Hillsong
By Rebecca Johnson // Sex Crimes // EEW Magazine Online
The founder of the Sydney-based global Hillsong Church Brian Houston has stepped down from the board as he faces charges for concealing his late father’s sexual abuse of a child.
The Australian leader, 67, spoke out in a personal email message to Hillsong congregants obtained by EEW Magazine Online.
"I've made a decision to step aside from my role on the Hillsong Church boards that oversee the governance of our operations,” said Houston who was served with a notice to appear in a Sydney court on Oct. 5 for allegedly concealing a serious indictable offense, police said in August.
Brian Houston and wife Bobbie Houston pray together (Credit: Hillsong Church)
“I did this so that these boards can function to their fullest capacity during this season. This doesn't change my role as Global Senior Pastor. I thought it was important to let our church family know in the interests of transparency, and I wanted you to hear it from me directly,” wrote Houston.
The legally embattled pastor’s father, Frank Houston, confessed to abusing a boy over several years in the 1970s before dying in 2004 at age 82.
Before his death, he headed the Assemblies of God church in New Zealand until the early 70s, while his son was the head of the Australian branch from 1997 until 2009 and founded Hillsong in 1983.
According to The Guardian, Frank Houston was accused of sexually abusing a total of nine boys. One of the victims, Brett Sengstock, chose to waive his anonymity, submit evidence and disclose that he was raped in the 60s and 70s.
According to an Associated Press report, police will allege in court that Houston knew information relating to the sexual abuse and failed to bring that information to the attention of police.
Thousands gather for worship at the popular megachurch (Credit: Hillsong Church)
“These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I’ve always been about this matter,” Houston previously stated in August. “I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.”
Hillsong issued its own statement saying that the church was disappointed that its senior pastor had been charged and asked that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process.
A government inquiry into institutional responses to allegations of child sex abuse found in 2015 that Houston did not tell police that his father was a child sex abuser. Rather, the inquiry found that Houston became aware of allegations against his father in 1999 and allowed him to retire quietly rather report him to police.
Hillsong has churches in 30 countries and on six continents. The church boasts an average global attendance of 150,000 weekly. Since 1992, Hillsong Worship has created 36 albums with more than 500 songs. Each week, the ministry reports that Hillsong Worship songs are sung by an estimated 50 million people in 60 languages.
