Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston found not guilty of concealing his father’s child sex crimes
Updated: 3pm (AEST)Canberra, Australia AP Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston was ruled not guilty Thursday of an Australian charge of concealing his father’s child sex crimes. Houston, 69, was the Sydney-based church’s senior global pastor when police charged him two years ago with concealing a serious indictable offense. He resigned from his church roles months […]
Former Hillsong pastor Brian Houston says he was “squeezed out” of the church in new video
Hillsong founder Brian Houston has hit out at the Australian megachurch’s leadership, saying he was “squeezed out” of the church after he felt his position had been made “untenable”. In a video posted to his social media accounts this week, Houston said he wanted to be clear that while “the media and others incorrectly say […]
Hillsong founder quits over inappropriate behaviour with women
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia’s biggest evangelical church said on Wednesday its founder had resigned after acting inappropriately towards two women, another blow to an influential organisation already reeling from charges the leader had covered up sex abuse. Hillsong Church said an internal investigation into complaints from two women had found that its global senior pastor, Brian […]
Hillsong Church founder steps down to prepare defence against Australian charges
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston said on Sunday he is stepping down from all ministry responsibilities to prepare to “vigorously defend” against Australian police charges that he concealed sex abuse of a young man in the 1970s. In August, the 67-year-old Houston was charged with concealing child sex abuse by his late father, […]
Lawyer: Hillsong founder to deny concealing abuse in court
Sydney, AustraliaAP Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston will plead not guilty to illegally concealing alleged child abuse by his father, his lawyer told a court on Tuesday. Houston did not appear at Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court when his charge was mentioned before a registrar for the first time. His lawyer told the court Houston […]
Hillsong co-founder Brian Houston charged over alleged concealment of child sex offences
Last updated: 7am, 6th August, 2021 (AEST) Hillsong co-founder Brian Houston has been charged over the alleged concealment of information about child sexual abuse offences. Police in the Australian state of New South Wales said in a statement that officers attached to The Hills Police Area Command in Sydney commenced an investigation in 2019 into […]
A pair of Hillsong docuseries planned, examining the megachurch’s culture, the fall of Carl Lentz
New York City, USRNS The streaming channel Discovery+ has announced plans for a documentary series on Hillsong Church and its disgraced former pastor, Carl Lentz, according to a report this week from the entertainment news website Deadline. But Discovery+ is not the only production company with an eye on the controversy-laden megachurch and its trendily tattooed […]
Hillsong to “pause” operations at Dallas campus, citing leadership failures
RNS Brian Houston, co-founder of the global megachurch Hillsong, announced in an email on Saturday that the church’s leadership had decided to “pause all operations” at its Dallas, Texas, location. “Many factors, all amplified by the pandemic have resulted in the difficult decision,” Houston wrote in the email sent to Hillsong Dallas members and obtained […]
Brian Houston apologises for Hillsong NYC’s “failings”, promises whistleblower policy
RNS Brian Houston, the founder of Hillsong, apologised on Thursday for the leadership crisis at the global evangelical church’s New York outpost resulting from an adulterous affair carried on by its now former pastor, Carl Lentz. In a document that accompanied his letter of apology, Hillsong promised to institute sexual harassment training and a mechanism […]
New pastors announced to replace Carl Lentz at Hillsong East Coast in US
RNS A new couple have been named to lead Hillsong East Coast, replacing the ousted former pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura, according to an announcement by Hillsong founder, Brian Houston, during his sermon on Sunday. Chrishan and Danielle Jeyaratnam, currently pastors at the Hillsong campus in Perth, Australia, have been named to the top spots […]