A FOUNDER of the Hillsong Church will give evidence to a royal commission hearing investigating the abuse of children committed by his father.
Brian Houston, a senior pastor with the multi-million-dollar Pentecostal church, forced his father to stand down as a preacher after evidence of abuse emerged in 2000.
His father, William Francis “Frank” Houston, is one of three alleged abusers at the centre of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse’s investigation, starting today. Several alleged victims are expected to give evidence.
After his father’s death in 2004, Brian Houston told mourners at a Hillsong service: “He was a man who perhaps made some big mistakes a long time ago. But everyone here knows that he was a man who stood for what he believed in.”
As a preacher, Brian Houston told the service, “in my biased opinion, he was in a class of his own”.
The commission will also investigate the response of the larger Assemblies of God in Australia movement, now known as Australian Christian Churches, of which Brian Houston was national president when the allegations against his father came to light.
It is expected to seek evidence of whether allegations against Frank Houston, and unrelated allegations against two men, Kenneth Sandilands and Jonathan Baldwin, were reported to police.
The initial allegations against Frank Houston were made during 2000, decades after he began preaching at the Sydney Christian Life Centre in the inner-city suburb of Waterloo.
At the time, his son ordered the Assemblies of God to investigate and subsequently forced his father to stand down after he admitted the claims.
Other allegations later came to light, including from one junior pastor who said Frank Houston abused him while offering to “cure” his homosexuality.
Some of the allegations were accepted by the church.
At least one of the alleged victims has said he attempted years before to tell another member of the Sydney Christian Life College of his treatment, but believed no action was taken as a result. Brian Houston and wife Bobbie took over the Sydney Christian Life Centre from his father in 1999, later merging it with their Hills Christian Life Centre in the northwest to form Hillsong Church.
The church, named after the music featured prominently during services, now operates in 11 countries and generates millions of dollars in revenue each year.
Brian and Bobbie Houston remain central to its work.
The royal commission would also investigate “the systems, policies, practices and procedures for the reporting of and responding to allegations of child sexual abuse” at both Hillsong and the Australian Christian Churches, it said in a statement.
A Hillsong spokesman said it “will co-operate fully with the royal commission”.
Australian Christian Churches, a Pentecostal movement with more than 1000 churches and 270,000 followers, did not respond to calls yesterday but had previously released a statement saying it was “fully supportive” of the commission.
“We strongly stand against abuse in any form, particularly when it comes to the sexual abuse of children.
“One case is one too many,” the statement said.
Brian Houston stood down as the organisation’s national president in 2009.
Replies
I have a question like what came first, the chicken or the egg. Does Priesthood create this problem or those people already that way join the Priesthood cause there is easy access to young people?
The chicken and the egg conundrum has actually been solved. It should really be the dinosaur and the egg. Chickens evolved from dinosaurs ergo, the egg was around millions of years before the chicken. I know that my previous three sentences have nothing to do with your question but there's a little trivia for you.
I wouldn't say priesthood causes the problem, I would say it was sick fecks looking for easy access to kids.
Apart from that, these sick bastards prey on the insecurities of people for financial gain.
The only reason Brian Houston failed to report his Fathers actions to the relevant authorities at the time was to protect his financial interests. There was no thought for the victims of his Fathers actions, only for the $$$$.
Much like his father, Brian continues to build his wealth based on preying on the insecurities of naive people.
I can't believe there are so many stupid people willing to invest so much into a cult based on promises that will be delivered in the after life. This is the best and most successful business plan in the history of the world. Get people to invest their time and money into a product that you never have to deliver. The best part is you make money while other dumb fecks market & sell your product for you.
Yeah that's good super, but just answer the question!! LOL
Given he has actually admitted and they have enough evidence to get a warrant then yes. I have no problem with the government or police gaining permission to access a person's online footprint. What I have a problem with is being able to do so without a warrant.
A more important question, are these people born this way or can people develop this sickness?
For some it's ingrained in them. You could liken it to a wire being loose in their genetic make-up. Somewhere along the line they see no problem with what they are doing. For others it's a result of childhood trauma.
I dont for one minute condone this, but you dont have to look too far back in history to see 13 yr old girls being married off. Therefore it was a socially acceptable thing in certain groups.
I cant understand it, but then again, I cant understand raping and pillaging, but they too were acceptable at one time in history.
I have always thought that a lot of those who are so pre occupied in what happens in the after life seem to think that this exonerates them from acting disgracefully in their actual lives.
Worst thing that ever happened to the world was organized religion.
The position does not make the problem, the people with this problem seek out positions that give them access to children. ie Scout, Priests, Teachers.
Its unforgivable and we as a society should look after our children better. Most get away with it, because others cover up, which makes those people just as guilty.
I feel sorry for the children firstly and secondly to those who work in the same positions but are honestly trying to make kids lives better. They get tarred with the same brush.
It has made it almost impossible for males to become teachers and teachers who are good male role models are what my sons need and many other boys.
Re you last sentence; are you happy as a taxpayer to be paying other Pedo's to carry out their evil? Because there are a lot out there who still haven't been caught. They are in every walk of life and could be someone you know but dont for one minute suspect.
Be vigilant, but dont presume.
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