Australian Mega-Church Founder Brian Houston Quits

brian houston
brian houston

The founder and senior pastor of an evangelical megachurch, Hillsong, Brian Houston resigned after evidence of misconduct. A spokesperson for Hillsong Church stated that it has accepted Houston’s resignation and said it would evaluate its processes during what is termed a ‘time for humble reflection.’

This announcement by the church came after the church board met last week. They said that investigation into the allegation against Brian Houston exposed that several of his conducts were serious enough to warrant the move. The church has not provided any added comment beyond this brief statement. Brian Houston remained unavailable to make any comments.

The resignation of Brian Houston follows his decision a year ago to stay away. The Hillsong Church said that he was accused of concealing information that involved the prosecution of Frank Houston, his late father.

Hillsong Church was founded in 1983 by Brian Houston and Bobbie Houston, his wife. The Church has a weekly global attendance in 6 continents and 30 countries. It has several celebrities in its fold including Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber.

Multiple Complaints Against Brian Houston Going Back A Decade

The Church admitted that the initial complaint against Houston was received 10 years back. It referred to unsuitable text messages sent by Brian Houston to a member of the Church staff. The staff member later resigned. Hillsong Church said that Houston was then addicted to sleeping pills, suggesting that he had committed the act under its influence.

The second complaint was in 2019 and an internal investigation revealed that Houston lost control under the influence of alcohol and an overdose of prescription drugs following a Church conference.

Houston had entered the room of another occupant in the hotel and spent time with her in her room. Hillsong Church said that it viewed the incident seriously, adding that Brian Houston had broken the church’s rules.

The Hillsong Church said it remained grateful for the contribution of Houston and his wife and said that they all continued to pray for the family during such challenging times.