Ex-Hillsong leader Brian Houston vows to fight abuse cover-up charge in livestream as lawyer fronts court

As his lawyer fronted court, former Hillsong leader Brian Houston took to social media to deny that he allegedly concealed his father’s paedophilia from police.

Brian Houston broadcasts “an important message" live on Facebook as his lawyer appears in court on Thursday. Picture: Supplied

Hillsong founder Brian Houston has gone live on social media vowing to fight allegations he covered up his father‘s child abuse and claiming he was “squeezed out” of his church minutes after his case returned to a Sydney court.

Houston, 67, was charged, in October 2021, with concealing a serious indictable offence of another person.

NSW Police allege Houston had information that his father, Frank Houston, allegedly abused an adolescent boy in the 1970s – but did not alert authorities.

He denies the charge.

Brian Houston’s case is set down for a three week hearing in December 2022 in Sydney’s Downing Centre — on Thursday his lawyer appeared in court to confirm they were ready to proceed.

Brian Houston speaks on stage during the Hillsong Atlanta grand opening at Hillsong Atlanta on June 6, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Picture: Getty Images

Minutes later Houston, who was not in court, appeared on a live streamed video across his social media channels telling his hundreds of thousands of followers he wanted to explain the “context” about his departure from Hillsong.

Houston began by denying reports he resigned because he breached Hillsong’s code of conduct.

Pastor Brian Houston, alongside wife Bobbie, announcing he was stepping down from mega-church Hillsong. Picture: Supplied

“I didn‘t resign because of my mistakes,” Houston said in the video, wearing a grey suit, lapel microphone and appearing in front of a royal blue curtain.

“I resigned because of the announcements and statements that had been made, which Bobbie and I thought made my position untenable.”

Houston explained he had offered up his resignation in 2021 and was disappointed Hillsong’s board accepted it — he wanted them to “fight” for him.

“Sadly, in the statements and announcements made, there was enough detail to pour ultimate shame and humiliation on me, but enough ambiguity to leave people to make their own conclusions about what did or did not happen,” he said.

Houston’s father, Frank Houston, faced multiple allegations of child abuse in his later years, Picture: Supplied

His wife, Bobbie, was “terminated” by the church they built, he said.

Houston’s father, Frank Houston, was a prominent Pentecostal church leader in the 1970s and 80s and faced multiple allegations of child abuse in his later years.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse concluded that Brian Houston confronted his father about child abuse allegations in 1999.

“Pastor Brian Houston gave evidence that Mr Frank Houston confessed to him that he had fondled AHA’s genitals on one occasion and that he had been in contact with AHA and paid him a sum of money,” the 2015 report notes.

“In 1999 and 2000, Pastor Brian Houston and the National Executive of the Assemblies of God in Australia did not refer the allegations of child sexual abuse against Mr Frank Houston to the police.”

The Royal Commission report notes AHA met with Frank Houston in a Sydney McDonalds in 2000.

“AHA stated that he was offered a dirty napkin to sign in exchange for $10,000. AHA said that he signed the dirty napkin and was told by Mr Frank Houston that a cheque would be sent to him.”

‘I WAS SQUEEZED OUT’

Houston, on Thursday, said he was “yet to defend” and “will fight” the allegation against him.

Houston told his followers the Hillsong board had ordered him to step back from various positions in the lead up to his departure.

“I was told I needed to step back from all ministry for 12 months until my court case had been settled. And then eventually, I believe I was squeezed out altogether,” he said.

Hillsong, in March 2022, released a statement confirming they had dealt with two complaints against Brian Houston.

The first, according to Hillsong, was “approximately a decade ago and involved inappropriate text messages from Pastor Brian to a member of staff, which subsequently resulted in the staff member resigning”.

Hillsong said Houston was dependent on sleeping tablets at the time and the church had apologised to the staffer.

Brian Houston said, in his livestream, he no longer took sleeping tablets.

The second allegation, according to the Hillsong statement, is that Houston entered a woman’s hotel room after mixing alcohol and anxiety medication.

Houston, in his statement on Thursday, said the comments “built a narrative out there that I‘m an alcoholic” but the stories were the result of “gossip and whispering and innuendo”.

He told his followers he is not an alcoholic.

“I don‘t have an ongoing problem with anti-anxiety tablets or any other prescription medication. And I respectfully ask you to please not label me that way or blindly accept that narrative,” he said.

Houston, in the video, said he did not preach between his final sermon at Hillsong in December 2021 and late August 2022 when he returned to preaching in the USA.

He described it as a “rich tonic for my soul”.

Houston has used his social media channels to plug a speaking tour, next week, with Bobbie around Sydney.