Brian Houston has finally commented on the Naked Cowboy (NC) that made an appearance at their Hillsong US Color Conference. Did Mr Houston apologise or repent of this stunt?
Not at all.
WATCH THE CAREFUL WORDING & OMISSIONS
Instead Brian Houston decided to protect the Hillsong brand, his Hillsong leader’s reputations and avoid legal proceedings by the Naked Cowboy (who took offense that Hillsong used his character without his permission). His method?
Brian Houston’s main method is to use very careful wording to imply what he wants you to think. You also need to take note of what he doesn’t say.
For example, Brian states, “Carl and Laura Lentz were also not part of the decision.” What Brian doesn’t say is what they knew about it and what part they played. And who did make that decision?
Houston omitted that other pastors were onstage. Joel Houston and Ben Houston, .. weren’t mentioned in this statement. Why?
Who did know about this and to what extent? Did Brian? (He never said he didn’t.)
Joel Houston was on the production team as a creative director for Hillsong’s Mr Sparkle dancing to the “To Move It” debacle. So what was Joel’s role, especially as he is a Hillsong NY pastor?
Even Steven Kozar commented on Brian’s response on the Hillsong website, observing what Houston omitted from his statement:
Surprised? Hillsong decided to delete this comment.
BRIAN HOUSTON’S OVERALL CLAIM
So that is what Brian Houston essentially did:
Feign ignorance on behalf of all the Hillsong leaders gathered.
No joke.
Hillsong performers and pastors “taken back” at the ‘Naked Cowboy’ gate-crashing their performance…
Brian Houston implies that Hillsong leadership had no idea how the NC ended up in the production. Does Brian Houston want us to believe him?
Brian wants people to:
- Believe, “that some one thought it would be funny and sent [the NC] out there without thinking about the ramifications”.
- Note that those “who perpetuate the story, do so mainly with the help of a video, no context, and a good dose of what the bible describes as hearsay and rumour.”
- Believe that this “silly decision… is unlikely to happen again.”
So let’s put it in context for Brian Houston.
- Hillsong’s women Color Conference UK put on a performance celebrating UK Culture, parading the popular sleazy pervert Austin Powers on the platform, causing the women to go crazy. The person dressing up as Austin Powers was Hillsong London’s Senior Pastor, Gary Clarke.
- This “silly decision” was then repeated at Hillsong US.
- Hillsong’s women’s Color Conference US put on a performance celebrating American Culture, putting the NC on the platform, causing the women to go crazy. The person dressing up as the NC was Hillsong New York’s Youth Pastor, Diego Simila.
- The “New York” song was playing when the iconic “New York” Naked Cowboy eventually rose to come to the front of the stage, nicely choreographed among other “New York” icons.
Brian Houston seems to think that the Hillsong NC was a cheeky prankster. This is not true.
The Hillsong NC was Hillsong NY’s Youth Pastor, Diego Simila. What Hillsong pastor in their right mind would put their ministry in jeapordy by pulling an outrageous stunt like this? A prank in front of Hillsong’s Senior, Pastor Bobbie Houston and “Apostle of Cool” Carl Lentz, if he didn’t it was OK?
Does this mean Bobbie Houston and Gary Clarke had no idea that Austin Powers was going to make an appearance in their women’s conference at Hillsong London, too?
Hillsong Parading Their Fleshly Principalities and Powers
Video of Pastor Austin Powers performing at Goatsong
And do you think Bobbie Houston, Joel Houston, Ben Houston, Terry Crist and Carl Lentz and other performers look “taken aback” by the NC’s appearance in these videos? Why does Brian Houston imply that all these pastors had no idea that the NC Youth Pastor was waiting in the wings just to play a pastoral prank? At a major conference in front of thousands of women?
Family friendly Hillsong Includes the Dancing Naked Cowboy?
Bobbie Houston’s guilty conscience covers up Naked Cowboy
In the video linked below, Hillsong pastors Carl Lentz, Ben Houston, Joel Houston and Terry Crist come out together on stage halfway through the ‘item’. This means all of them knew it was going to happen before the NC went on stage. If this was a prank, at any time, these senior pastors could have prevented the NC from coming on.
We will critique this statement further at a later date.
Brian Houston wrote,
Have You Heard the one about the Naked Cowboy?
Brian Houston
1 June 2016
So how did someone come on stage imitating Times Square’s famous Naked Cowboy, (during a fun moment involving lots of other people), at the Colour Conference in NYC? It’s a good question, I’ve been trying to work that out myself.
I do know that Bobbie – my wife – who was convener of the conference was clearly unaware that this was going to happen and was taken aback by it. She was at the dress rehearsal and there was no sign of a naked cowboy lookalike there. Carl and Laura Lentz were also not part of the decision. I can only guess at this point, that some one thought it would be funny and sent him out there without thinking about the ramifications.
What I do know is that those who perpetuate the story, do so mainly with the help of a video, no context, and a good dose of what the bible describes as hearsay and rumour. He was wearing proper shorts, not underwear, and he had a flag draped over him.
What I also know is that talk of apostates etc., is nonsense. Some well-meaning person just made a silly decision. It is unlikely to happen again.
Brian
Source: Brian Houston, Have You Heard the one about the Naked Cowboy?, Published 01/06/2016. (Accessed 01/06/2016.)
Hillsong Church Watch 
what nobody has discussed so far, especially Bible prankster himself brian houston, is the ROOT CAUSE of this whole NC debacle. namely, HOW THIS CULTURE HILLSONG can exist, with an environment where an NC debacle could ever happen in the first place.
THAT is the really BIGGEST question.
it is THE WHOLE HILLSONG ENVIRONMENT where junk like this germinates.
HOW can a hillsong culture THRIVE within “churchdom”, where these NC debacles & paedophile coverups & sleazebag austin powers parades are being done for “fun”?
did the REAL NT apostles ever employ such a bag of world-imitating tricks to draw a crowd? name ONE verse where worldly performances were staged by the TRUE apostles. which “bible” is hillsong following?
scripture & verse please to back up this hillsong madness. anybody at hillsong got ONE? hillsong apologists dont all rush up to the microphone at once……
This whole thing is sick and perverted. Nothing about God…nothing about Christ. This joke of a concert was glorifying NYC and various super “heroes”
And if the naked cowboy wasn’t planned then why did the lady call him out and bring him forward and have the audience, I dare not call them Christian, applaud for him? She sure seemed to enjoy it.
Come on Hellsong, the sheep aren’t buying into the goat parade. God’s people better wake up and smell the garbage surrounding this so-called Christian organization. It’s NOT Christian. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing entertaining the goats and it’s starting to smell.
@ Rebecca, the ‘lady’ that called him out and had the audience applaud him, was none other than Bobbie Houston herself!
Rebecca, that “lady” is Brian Houston’s wife. Brian Houston is the one that released that media statement.
“was none other than Bobbie Houston herself!
that “lady” is Brian Houston’s wife. Brian Houston is the one that released that media statement.”
She’s the same sacrosanct ‘lady’ that arranged this ungodly worldly shindig.
I saw BH’s statement and couldn’t believe it. That has to be the most pathetic “nothing to do with me!” type statement I’ve ever seen from an adult. It’s something I would expect from a young child. Brian could have very easily written the facts (i.e. “such and such decided to to this and this happened” but to write along the lines of “I’m still trying to figure out myself how this happened” is just unbelievable.
Are we really meant to believe that Brian and Bobby who hold a very tight leash on all things Hillsong really didn’t know? And besides, why doesn’t anyone look surprised when the NC is on stage?
“Have You Heard the one about the Naked Cowboy?”
Yes, Brian. Have YOU heard the one about the disrespected, uncompensated Child Molestation Victims?
My understanding is that they were compensated – if you have evidence to the contrary I’d like to see it.
People give it a rest. None of you are perfect!!!
There you go folks, Lisa pretty much sums up the mindset of modern evangelical Christianity today.
#welcometothedowngrade
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
“People give it a rest. None of you are perfect!!!”
Maybe you should go tell Jesus to give Matthew 7:15 a rest.
Hey you aren’t one of the dancing girls in the video… are you?
“People give it a rest. None of you are perfect!!!
True. But none of us are telling people to hand over significant sums of money to us for miracles, blessings, whatever, lest we be cursed, either. Unlike Hill$ong who are literally scamming people from the pulpit day in, day out, by twisting and misrepresenting God’s word.
Yes the old judge not rubbish.If Hillsong members actually read the bible they would understand Christians judging other Christians using scripture is not only permissible but mandated.But since Brian and his crew love this thoughts and feelings being the final arbiter of truth, then this site is just down right mean.
“But since Brian and his crew love this thoughts and feelings being the final arbiter of truth”
and brian and his crew have to roll around in the stanky mud of their thoughts and feelings, because they cant explain the bible. when you enter the hillsong front gates its an emotions-only zone, dont argue with the bible or youll be perceived as a smart quack & quickly ejected shamed and excommunicated
the judge not group has always ran it in the ground with 3 things: dont judge you pharisee, take the plank out of your own eye, and no throwing stones. they say these over & over like broken records
What a disgrace!
I like to think of myself as a modern Christian woman – but I see nothing Christian here . I would probably find nothing wrong with this concert if I was actually at a concert about famous NY people and institutions – but if I was at a convention with my supposed sisters in Christ to grow more in him and learn more about the bible I wouldn’t be impressed – in fact I would walk out in disgust – and since when is it ok to encourage Christian woman to lust over a man that isn’t their husband ??
This is exactly why I don’t do conventions – rarely do I see any thing particularly Godly about any of them .
This kind of bull **** doesn’t draw people to God or church – it makes people shake their heads in disgust at the hypocrites Christians are .
Way to give us a bad name Hillsong – you are a disgrace and you do NOT represent me or my house .
To all the Christians swallowing this Hillsong crap – open your bibles – open your bibles and READ them , if you can’t go back to the word and have it confirm everything your pastor says – then he shouldn’t be up there .
Unbelievable!! Hillsong have now just proven that they are worldly and nowhere near biblical as they claim to be!! This is a true example of apostasy!!
we are now reconsidering using Hillsongs list of songs and any other forms coming from them. this is becoming so worldly. do they think Jesus will return and take a bride (referring to real Church) like this. (i remember also one of there stage production has lots of occult symbols stepped in illuminati and new age symbolism)