The board of directors of Hillsong, the global megachurch and music empire, co-founded by Australian pastor Brian Houston, on Friday released a statement addressing two complaints about Houston, including an accusation that the married pastor had spent time alone in a hotel room with a woman. in 2019.
The statement, which came as the story broke in the Australian press, said the Hillsong board had “dealt with two complaints against Pastor Brian in the last 10 years” and said everyone had been investigated by a board or “a body” appointed by the Global Board of Directors, “and treated confidentially.
The other lawsuit alleges that Houston flirted with an employee over a decade ago via SMS.
Prior to the release of the statement, Hillsong reported a video conference with 800 Hillsong staff around the world, in which interim senior pastor Phil Dooley, who leads the church while Houston is on leave due to ongoing legal issues, who first discussed. Time with the church as a whole. Dooley explained the lyrics, according to Australia’s ABC News, as having the effect, ‘If I were with you, I’d love to kiss and cuddle you’, words of that nature.
The second incident, as reported in the staff meeting, took place during his annual conference at the Qudos Bank Arena in Homebush, New South Wales in 2019. According to ABC, Dooley said Houston “drank with a group.”
“Later that evening, Pastor Brian tried to get into his room but did not get his room key and eventually knocked on the door and the woman of the room,” Dooley said. “She opened the door and he went into her room.”
“The truth is, we do not know what happened next,” ABC told Dooley to staff. “The woman did not say there was any sexual activity. Brian said there was no sexual activity but he was in the room for 40 minutes.
The Hillsong Board statement said Houston, 67, became “disoriented” after taking more than the prescribed dose of an anti-anxiety prescription mixed with alcohol. “This led to him knocking on the door of a hotel room that was not his, entering this room and spending time with the female owner,” the statement reads.
The board’s statement said Houston was also under the influence of sleeping pills at the time he sent the inappropriate texts “on which he developed an addiction.” The text messages eventually led to the employee resigning, according to the statement, which also said Houston apologized to the staff member.
“We have also worked closely with Pastor Brian to ensure that he receives professional help to eliminate his dependence on this drug, and this has been successfully achieved,” the statement reads.
Following the incident in the hotel room, the board of directors said that there had been an investigation “of the integrity unit”, and that “although all parts of the complaint could not be complied with, important elements of the complaint were sustained and the conduct was of serious concern. “
The board statement also said they agreed to return the money the woman had donated to the church, “to bring the resolution in a spirit of love and care”, and “their request for confidentiality” they get it. ” The statement said Houston had returned the money to the church.
At the time, Houston agreed to separate a period from management and “take specific action,” but ultimately, according to the statement, he did not take all agreed steps, “which led the board to take further action in the end. 2021. “
The statement did not say whether Houston would return to his position in the church.
The incident is the latest controversy to halt Hillsong, a Pentecostal powerhouse Houston founded with his wife, Bobbie, in 1983. The church, which has reportedly raised $ 150,000 in services in 30 locations, also has some of the most popular God songs produced. evangelical churches around the world, including “Oceans,” “What a Beautiful Name,” and “Shout to the Lord.”
In January, Houston announced that he would take a leave of absence from his pastoral duties in 2022 to prepare for his trial in Australia on charges that he had not reported sexual abuse.
“The result is that the Hillsong Global Board feels it’s best for me and the church to make this happen, so I have agreed to separate from all ministry responsibilities by the end of the year,” Houston said at the 30th. January video announcement.
Houston was prosecuted in August 2021 for concealing a seriously indictable insult from another person. Police say his late father, Frank Houston, also a preacher, innocently attacked a young man in 1970. Court documents allege that Houston knew of his father’s abuse as early as 1999 and “without reasonable apology”, this information has not disclosed to the police.
His son has long denied to cover up his father’s abuse.
“I think I’m pretty much a tolerant person, but one thing I really never had tolerance for is sexual abuse, and especially child abuse,” Brian Houston said in a 2005 interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “So, I do not think you would have beaten me in some way with a bigger blow to the gut.”
According to Australian news sources, Brian Houston’s trial will be held at the end of 2022.
Add Comment