Tobias Sylvester
Brian Houston, the co-founder of the popular Australian worship centre, Hillsong Church, has resigned claims that he behaved inappropriately with two women.
Brian Houston Resigns From Hillsong Church
in a statement on its website on Wednesday, the church’s board said it has accepted the resignation of the embattled clergyman as the global senior pastor of the church.
It also said regardless of the circumstances surrounding his resignation, he and Bobbie, his wife, “served God faithfully over many decades” and impacted millions of people globally.
The board said a change in the church’s leadership has become imperative. It added that the church is “committed to an independent review of our governance structure and processes.”
The statement reads, “We would like to advise you that Pastor Brian Houston has resigned as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church and the board has accepted his resignation.
“As you can appreciate, there is still much to be done and our church leadership continues seeking God for His wisdom as we set the course for the future. We acknowledge that change is needed.
“We have committed to an independent review of our governance structure and processes, understanding that this is a time of humble reflection and we are committed to doing what is necessary to ensure God is honoured, and our eyes are fixed on Jesus.”
The board called on members of the church to continue praying for the cleric and his family “during this challenging time.”
The church’s board first revealed that Houston had breached its code of conduct late last week, when it told its members in a letter that it had “sadly been dealing with two complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10 years”, and that each was being investigated by a board member.
The earliest incident stretches back to 2013, when Houston allegedly sent “inappropriate text messages” to a woman he worked with at the church. Representatives of the church suggested Houston was struggling with a sleeping pill dependency at the time, and “immediately apologised”.
The second incident is reported to have occurred at an annual Hillsong conference in Sydney’s Olympic Park in 2019, where Prime Minister Scott Morrison gave an opening address.
According to earlier reports, Hillsong said a woman submitted a complaint after Houston stumbled into her hotel room after a night of drinking.
The church said he had been locked out of his hotel room, and knocked on the woman’s door after meeting her earlier, before spending 40 minutes there.
Pastor Dooley said “no sexual activity” was reported, but the board found Houston “became disorientated…following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication [consumed] beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol”.
Houston’s resignation comes just two months after he stepped down from his role as director of all Hillsong boards in January, to defend a criminal charge laid against him for allegedly concealing child sexual abuse by his father, Frank, in August last year.
Hillsong has grown to become an unstoppable global brand over the last 38 years. The church has numerous celebrity worshippers, including Justin Bieber, Chris Pratt, Kourtney Kardashian, and Kylie and Kendall Jenner. It currently has at least 80 branches in 28 countries.
KanyiDaily had also reported how an Anglican priest, Rev Canon Lumenkriti Ebo was sacked forimpregnating a lady who went to his adoration ministry by telling her she had to sleep with him to get healing.
