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Alan Cadman, Andrew Scipione, Brian Houston, Cadman, Frank Houston, funeral, Hazel Houston, Hillsong, Hillsong Church, houston, Scipione
Some people have asked us when Frank and Hazel Houston passed away. We hope you find this article informative.
Hillsong farewells a lost sheep pioneer
Frank Houston, considered the father of Sydney’s Pentecostal churches, began preaching to nine adults and five children and built a congregation of thousands that is still growing.
Mr Houston, who died on Monday aged 82, founded the Sydney Christian Life Centre in 1977 at Waterloo and spent 22 years building a movement that became the Hillsong church.
He was the most senior Assemblies of God figure in NSW before was sacked by his own son after he admitted having sexually abused a boy in New Zealand more than 30 years ago.
Yesterday, Hillsong and Mr Houston’s son, Brian, the national president of Assemblies of God, welcomed him back to the fold to send him out properly.
“He was a man who perhaps made some big mistakes a long time ago,” Brian Houston told more than 1000 mourners in Waterloo’s Hillsong assembly hall. “But everyone here knows that he was a man who stood for what he believed in.”
Mr Houston was credited with helping to convert the jockey Darren Beadman.
Mourners yesterday included were the federal MP for Greenway, Louise Markus – a member of Brian Houston’s Baulkham Hills Hillsong church – and the federal MP for Mitchell, Alan Cadman.
The Deputy Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, also attended.
A friend, Jonathon Wilson, said one of Mr Houston’s favourite sayings was “To hell with the devil”. “I don’t believe the church would be where it is today if it wasn’t for his life and for his ministry,” Mr Wilson said.
William Francis Houston was born in Wanganui, New Zealand, and began training to become a Salvation Army officer shortly after turning 18.
He founded his first Assemblies of God ministry at Lower Hutt in 1960, later became the superintendent of the New Zealand Assemblies of God, and set out for Sydney in 1977.
The church he built at Waterloo merged with his son’s church at Baulkham Hills to become Hillsong after he exposed himself as a pedophile.
Brian Houston told mourners his father was the greatest evangelical preacher he had ever seen. “In my biased opinion, he was in a class of his own.”
Frank Houston, whose wife, Hazel, died six months ago, suffered a massive stroke last Sunday night and died about 8am on Monday.
Source: By Stephen Gibbs, Hillsong farewells a lost sheep pioneer, Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Hillsong-farewells-a-lost-sheep-pioneer/2004/11/12/1100227581958.html, 13/12/2004. (Accessed 20/11/2014.)
Hillsong Church Watch 
There’s the source of Brian’s inner conflict, expressed in the RC, right there. “Class of his own” alright. What class is that? When you call yourself the Bishop, “final earthly authority”, head of the AOG, Apostle of Christ with an Elijah anointing, go to an elder’s house for a Bible study then when going to the bathroom you duck into an innocent prepubescent, child of the host’s, bedroom and do filthy things with him in his bed. Not just once or twice but serially for many years with many children.
Brian needs to clear up his inner conflict by very publicly and emphatically, declaring that as far as he is concerned his father, the founder of Hillsong, was a liar, with a seared conscience, operating in an antichrist spirit. Also who misled millions and from all observations it appears the man had never known Jesus and everything he ever did was a counterfeit Pentecost and a heresy. It’s incomprehensible inhuman behavior which is beyond belief.
“He was a man who perhaps made some big mistakes a long time ago,”
Perhaps? The Royal commission proved there was no ‘perhaps’.
I wonder how ‘perhaps’ sounds to frank houston’s victims and their families.
‘A long time ago’ …so what? Hitler was in the 1940’s…do we forget that?
I can only shake my head at the cowardice of brian houston..WHY couldn’t he have helped these victims? Is money SO important?
He would have actually looked like a genuine, concerned Christian.
Sadly, the time has gone for him to redeem himself and his familie’s reputation.
I wonder if any of brian houston’s children will one day have the Christian courage to try and right these wrongs….that brian and ‘brave’ sisterhood bobbie houston ignore with their ‘no moral responsibility’ mentality.
I pray that one day, one of the houston children will do what their parents refuse to do…and bring some kind of peace to those who were hurt, are still hurting.. and their families.
I also pray that these victims do not blame Christ or Christianity for the absolutely disgraceful UNCHRISTIAN conduct of the houstons and hillsong.
“perhaps”??? I cannot even begin to imagine what kind of life every person this animal molested is leading. It makes me sick to my stomach. If that was my father I certainly wouldn’t be standing there saying “but he was a great guy, really” which is what Brian is in a round about way trying to say. If I was in control of a $multi-million mega church I would be making very sure that those victims are the priority, not the molester.
Brian Houston as the son of a child molester is in a far better place to help his father’s victims than most people on this Earth in a similar situation are, he has such a vast amount of resources under his direct control. And what does he do? Nothing. Buries his head in the sand and hopes it all goes away without tarnishing his father’s reputation too much.
If Brian ever lurks around on this website reads this my message to him is you should feel ashamed and embarrassed by your deeds. You are a coward.
Icarus – how many children did Frank Houston molest, and is their proof of this?
Annett, do you really not know or are you just one of his apologists who like to pretend he really was a great guy who was seduced by some kids?
Icarus, No I don’t know, that’s why I asked.
Annette is not one of Houston’s “apologists”.
Ok, in that case I misread the tone of the reply, my apologies.
There is one person who has testified they were assaulted by Frank (AHA who, according to Brian Houston “tempted” his father as a 7 year old child). Frank himself has admitted to it although it’s not clear how many. Brian has said he doesn’t know how deep it runs. There are various reports from 7 to 14+ people having made allegations but as you can appreciate this type of crime is very difficult for people to come out and talk about let alone prove. In addition there is the the fact that the perpetrator was a very senior & powerful religious figure which will have prevented people reporting from it at the time in the first place.
Given what we do know it is extremely likely there were others, although even one is too many. I suspect Brian knows much more than he says he does, but uses his power and resources to keep the truth buried rather than what he should be doing – helping the victims in every way he can.
Check out the Royal Commission, Case 18. You can go through the evidence and transcripts yourself. It’s the best way to do it. You may also want to check out Christian Witness Ministries who also reported on some minors who were sexually abuse by Frank.
Up to eleven victims, and maybe more. The church leaders covered it up! There is something really wrong with church leaders if they can trivialise such crimes to protect their “powerful and influential” leaders whom they worship – above God even!!
Just seeing the photo at the top of this post gives me terrible déjà vu moments…………
What would you say at the funeral of your father who molested children ? Yes there is proof that frank molested children. The incidents happened in the 1960s and up to the mid 1970s mostly but not limited to New Zealand. After that the victims were young adult men . A number of the victims have come forward recently
KiwiPirate – are you saying that Frank Hoiston abused you also?
Annette, would I say so in a Forum such as this? No, I would be front and centre at the Royal Commission.
I am not going to repeat it all again sorry Annette, a little research on previous posts over the last few months will give you all the details pertaining to me story.
Just seeing this photo brings all the bad memorys rushing back though.
What bad memories