‘Mockumentaries’: Hillsong founder Brian Houston hits out

Former Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston has broken his silence after the release of a new documentary series about the megachurch. See what he had to say.

Controversial former Hillsong Church founder and pastor Brian Houston has made good on his promise to “talk through” some of the issues brought up by what he has branded “mockumentaries” about the megachurch.

He did not name the documentaries, but the pledge came on the eve of the release of a four-part FX documentary series on May 19 called The Secrets of Hillsong.

The series follows the rise and fall of the megachurch and includes former pastor Carl Lentz, speaking publicly for the first time since being fired from Hillsong Church in New York in 2020 amid a cheating scandal.

“I’m going to do an Instagram live and just talk through some of these things,” Mr Houston said on Instagram on May 18.

“Documentaries, and my perspective on them, and of course the leaked documents and all of the fallout from that.”

Brian Houston speaks on stage during the Hillsong Atlanta grand opening at Hillsong Atlanta in 2021, Picture: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images

Multiple scandals connected to Hillsong have surfaced in recent years, including the resignation of Mr Houston, who is currently awaiting trial for allegedly concealing his late father’s history of child sex abuse.

Mr Houston founded Hillsong, originally under the name the Hills Christian Life Centre, in 1983 in Sydney, inspired by his father, Frank Houston, a former pastor who founded Sydney Christian Life Centre, which would later merge with Hillsong.

Hillsong has also been accused of discrimination, misconduct and mismanagement of funds. A News Corp Australia podcast, Faith On Trial, has also accused Hillsong of interrogating women about their sex lives, teaching women to physically submit to their husbands and mistreatment of abuse victims.

Mr Houston, who quit in 2022 after two women complained about his alleged behaviour, has been trying to rebuild his profile in America.

In a 15-minute Instagram post released on Saturday, Mr Houston was calmly defiant, declaring “if I had my chance over I would change very little”. And he promised he had more to say.

“I will be talking very soon. About these mockumentaries Yes, that’s what you heard, M.O.C.K. – mockumentaries,” he said.

Mr Houston told his followers he and his wife, Hillsong co-founder Bobbie Houston were “doing okay – still fighting hard, pushing forward and believing for good days ahead”.

“But they’re interesting times, crazy slanderous documentaries – and the only reason for that is because Hillsong is newsworthy,” he said.

LISTEN TO THE FAITH ON TRIAL: HILLSONG PODCAST BELOW

He also took aim at the Hillsong Church itself as it stands today, which he said had been quick to release statements saying it was a “different church now”.

“They’re quick to try to separate themselves from the past, but there’s irony in that, because the church as we knew it, Hillsong Church, for 39 years was a beautiful church, a fantastic church, the hand of God was on it, its growth, its influence its impact on people was nothing short of supernatural,” Mr Houston said. “For all those many years, we knew overwhelmingly great unity.”

He revealed he and Bobbie missed the church desperately.

“And if other people want to use Hillsong and its past as a scapegoat, well that’s the way it is. It’s human nature,” he said.

He was scathing about the leaking of information about the church, branding it “stolen documents under the guise of a whistleblower that have been made very public with no context, and no sense of balance”.

“We always knew what we’re about. I never took a vow of poverty, because I don’t believe in vows of poverty. We’re a different church,” he said.

“And I refuse to accept that we were excessive. I can’t answer for every transaction that was ever made, because that wasn’t my direct responsibility, that came under the general manager and the chief financial officer of Hillsong Church.

“So maybe there are transactions I’m unaware of that were inappropriate. But I will say this, the big spirit of who Hillsong has always been, and the church that we led and the church that we pastored I’m extremely proud of.”

Brian and Bobbie Houston. Picture: Instagram

Wrapping up his post, Mr Houston asked his followers to keep perspective.

“Don’t listen to the noise, I would ask you to judge Hillsong by your own experience,” he said.

“Of course there’s going to be a minority of people who say, ‘well, my parents were bad’. But the great overwhelming majority of you know your life was blessed because of your involvement in Hillsong Church.

“And I’ll say it one more time, I have very few regrets about the way we led our church. It was a wonderful church.”