SYDNEY, Australia – Hillsong, the global megacity that has built a cool, urban Christian image for years, has apologized “unnecessarily” to two women who accused the Australian church founder, Brian Houston, about inappropriate behavior.
Mr. Houston, 67 years old, step from all ministry assignments in January. He claimed at the time that he needed time to fight the charge of concealing child molestation that Australian police allege his late father, who was also a pastor, committed a crime decades ago.
But in one declare Announced late Friday, Hillsong’s board said Mr Houston had been investigated by the church for his own actions and that he had violated the church’s code of conduct at least twice in the past decade. past century.
The revelation further tarnishes the reputation of a church that has lured celebrities like Justin Bieber with its catchy music and upbeat message that many describe as if it were a brand: Christian consolation Catholic, embellished with pop music and chic fashion.
At its peak two years ago, Hillsong had congregations on six continents and said it averaged 150,000 weekly attendees. But it started in Australia with Mr Houston, a charismatic leader now accused of the kinds of recklessness that have toppled wealthy, powerful men in other fields.
The first incident the church investigated, from 2013, involved “inappropriate text messages” that Mr. Houston sent to an employee, which “resulted in the employee’s resignation,” according to the statement. Hillsong.
The statement does not describe the content of the text. But in a video leaked to the Australian media, another Hillsong pastor, Phil Dooley, tell church members that they included comments along the lines, “” If I were with you, I’d kiss and cuddle you, “words of that nature.”
The second incident occurred in 2019, during the church’s annual assembly in Sydney. In the video, Mr. Dooley said Mr. Houston met a woman there who was not a member of the church and that after “he was drinking with a group,” Mr. Houston knocked on her door.
“The truth is we don’t know what happens next,” Mr Dooley said. “The woman did not say there was any sexual activity. Brian has said there was no sexual activity, but he was in the room for 40 minutes. “
In a sign of the influence of Hillsong and Mr. Houston’s connections, the 2019 conference was opened by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a Pentecostal Christian.
In a statement on Friday, Hillsong’s board said that at the time of the 2013 episode, Mr Houston was under the influence of sleeping pills, from which he developed the dependence the church has helped him with. recuperate. In the 2019 incident, he was “disoriented” after mixing alcohol with a higher dose of anti-anxiety medication, the council said.
The council apologized to both women. It said Mr Houston apologized to the employee he immediately messaged in 2013 and that their investigation into the 2019 incident found that “significant elements of the complaint were upheld and acted upon”. vi is worrisome”.
“We also acknowledge that this person did not deserve to be placed in the situation she is in by Pastor Brian,” the statement read, adding: “Ultimately, the panel found that Brian had violated the Code of Conduct. the trial of Pastor Hillsong.”
In both cases, Hillsong said, Houston personally paid the women. He gave the employee the equivalent of two months’ salary, and he compensated the woman he met at the Sydney conference for her conference fees and an amount she had donated to Cathedral.
“Pastor Brian was deeply remorseful,” the council said.
