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Brian Houston, child sex abuse, Hillsong, Hillsong Church, houston, paedophilia, pastor brian houston, pedophilia, Royal Commission
Hillsong published a statement from Brian Houston today about the Royal Commission. We have decided to publish his latest statement (12 October 2014) and his earlier statement (7 October 2014).
Statement from Brian Houston, Senior Pastor, Hillsong Church
Re: Royal Commission – Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
12 October 2014
This past week was a challenging time for me personally and for our church. I’m sure you have seen media coverage around my appearance at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
I wanted to take a moment today to help you understand what this is about, because it’s difficult to get a true picture from media reports. The media only have a few minutes or a few lines to report so they can’t give you the full story and sometimes the headlines can be misleading.
First let me make the most important point – We fully support the commission. As we’ve seen over many years, parts of the Christian church have failed our children by turning a blind eye to abuse and even covering it up. In my eyes, attempting to cover up child abuse is pure evil. This commission allows survivors to share their traumatic experiences, and my prayer is that this will help them to heal.
Hillsong was asked to appear not because of anything that happened here but because of the abuse suffered by children at the hands of my father around 40 years ago when he was based in New Zealand – many years before Hillsong Church existed and when I was a teenager myself.
This was a Royal Commission to examine the way institutions – like the church – handle complaints of sexual abuse. There was no allegation of abuse against anyone at Hillsong Church and no one was on trial. This was a hearing, not a trial. It’s important this point is clarified.
As most of you know, I have spoken about the crimes of my father many times over many years. I have shared that when I first found out about this, I immediately confronted my father and ensured he never preached or served in any ministry capacity again. There was no delay in action – from the moment we knew and he confessed, his ministry stopped. I then consulted the elders of what was then Sydney Christian Life Centre and we referred the matter to the national executive of the Assembly of God.
The investigation and subsequent actions were then handled by the AOG without my interference.
There have been reports of money being paid to the victim. Again for clarification, this was between my father and the victim. It had nothing to do with me or Hillsong Church.
Be assured that we did not tolerate sexual abuse when we heard of these allegation in 1999 – and we don’t now. Hillsong Church has zero tolerance for abuse. We do not allow any person with convictions or findings against them of child sexual abuse to attend any Hillsong activity and we are continually reviewing and updating our procedures so that children across our campuses are protected.
While I wanted to explain these events, I also wanted to thank you for being such a wonderful and supportive church. Talking publicly about such personal details involving my father is draining, yet throughout the week Bobbie and I have felt your love and encouragement and that’s lifted us and helped us through. And though we value your prayers for us, the truth is there are many people who’s lives have been devastated by sexual abuse and specifically by my fathers actions and need our thoughts and prayers.
Please keep praying for those affected by sexual abuse and for the victims in the cases involving my father. I believe that unconditional love and total restoration is possible for anyone through Jesus Christ – and that there is no other name that can bring hope and healing to those that are hurting.
7 October 2014
Hillsong Church welcomes this Royal Commission and fully supports its objectives. We believe that exposing child sexual abuse and the response of institutions to that abuse, and allowing survivors to share their traumatic experiences, is a powerful step in the healing process.
While our involvement in this commission does not involve abuse that happened at our church, and there are no allegations against me or Hillsong, I have been touched by the horrific act of child sexual abuse in a very personal way. Having to face the fact that my father engaged in such repulsive acts was – and still is – agonising.
However as painful as this is for me, I can only imagine how much more pain these events caused to the victims, and my prayer is that they find peace and wholeness.
Hillsong Church has zero tolerance for sexual abuse and has comprehensive child protection policies that are continually reviewed. We also welcome any recommendation of the commission that would assist us to improve on these policies even further.
This Royal Commission reminds us of the vulnerability of our children and should compel every organisation responsible for the oversight of children – churches, schools or other institutions – to ensure that the abhorrent acts of the past will never happen again.
Source: http://hillsong.com/media/statement-regarding-the-royal-commission-into-institutional-responses-to-child-sexual-abuse. (Accessed 12/10/2014.)
Hillsong Church Watch 
Brian continues to say it’s not about Hillsong.
Perhaps Hillsong would not exist if Frank Houston was exposed as a Paedophile before it got off the ground.
The ” Team Houston ” brand was significant and appealed to many but really the brand-name ” Team Houston ” was seriously flawed and would not have been so influential if the truth of Frank’s misconduct was known earlier.
Hillsong also paid money to Frank at the end which appears to be unethical given Frank damaged so many children and lived a lie as a Pastor who are to be above reproach.
As a Christian male who works with children I have to walk through the mud that Frank and others have left behind. It’s not easy I can assure you.
If Frank was a man he would have gone to the police and confessed and then pleaded guilty as charged. Someone out of the victims would have given evidence.
It could have prevented others from being abused and sent a strong message to the church and community.
Frank did not man up .
Even after his ” suspension ” which should have been a sacking by the AoG manual, Frank still preached in churches !
Pastors preach constantly about laws, immorality, accountability , humility, courage and yet Frank kept his fingers crossed hoping nobody would go to the police.
He knew what he had to do but in the end a mother had to speak out to a brave Pastor Taylor.
I hope NZ can give an account as to why Frank was not exposed earlier.
I am now hearing Brian was well aware of trouble much earlier than he is admitting.
People quite often say leave it in the Lord’s hands which is not untrue, however in this case God would say Pastoral sin of this nature needs Christians to speak up earlier and with courage .
Hope this helps !
“First let me make the most important point – We fully support the commission.”
What about the most important point of fully supporting the victims? Not just praying that sharing their stories to the commission will help them heal!
“Hillsong was asked to appear not because of anything that happened here but because of the abuse suffered by children at the hands of my father around 40 years ago”
Actually Hillsong was asked to appear because of their direct dealing with the matter and their mishandling of the matter. But this is Brian’s way of taking focus off Hillsong and himself.
“This was a Royal Commission to examine the way institutions – like the church – handle complaints of sexual abuse. There was no allegation of abuse against anyone at Hillsong Church and no one was on trial.”
It is a Royal Commission to examine how church’s like Hillsong and their leaders like Brian Houston handled a several complaints, conflicts of interest, lack of transparency, lack of direct action etc etc… The allegation of abuse is against Frank Houston the founder of a church that became Hillsong so tomato/tamato, same thing really.
“I first found out about this, I immediately confronted my father and ensured he never preached or served in any ministry capacity again.”
As part of Franks ‘restoration process’ he was placed at a smaller church is western Syd and the congregation had no idea what Frank had confessed too. They were kept in the dark! They were told to treat him like royalty and they welcomed him into their lives. He was ‘placed in a seat of honour (lord of the visitors lounge)’. Brian really ‘ensured’ he never served in any ministry capacity!
On refection, can you imagine if they had told the congregation what Frank had just confessed to? ‘We want to welcome Frank Houston into our church, oh by the way he has just confessed to being a paedophile, but don’t let that worry you!’
Brian can say what he likes with his ” Positive spin media release ”
But as we heard in the Commission hearing, Brian had a conflict of interest that any third reasonable party would identify .
Nepotism is an awful thing in Churches !
In relation to the statement published today, after he read it at Hillsong Church today, Brian Houston commented about why they didn’t go to the police. He repeated what he had said at the commission about the victim being in his 30s and other people knowing before he did, etc. Brian Houston also said:
“And so it now seems that we were duty bound to go to the police. And in that we failed, we erred. And I don’t mind admitting it. I did what I believe was right at the time.”
Thank you newtaste.
Wow! Brian Houston continues to defy logic with his shameless ability to rewrite history!!!
This latest speech is so peppered with inconsistencies, distortions and omissions that I wouldn’t know where to begin.
If you’re from Hillsong and you do want to know however, I’ll be happy to do so.
Hillsong’s Brian Houston: My father, the child sex criminal
http://m.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/hillsongs-brian-houston-my-father-the-child-sex-criminal/story-e6frg8h6-1227406180043
The link doesn’t open unless you’re a subscriber.