Hillsong founder Brian Houston resigns as Global Senior Pastor over alleged misconduct

Pastor Brian Houston

 
After an internal investigation of alleged misconduct, founder and Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong church has tendered his resignation from the church.

The church said in a statement that it has accepted his resignation and that it would review its governance structure and processes.

The statement reads below:

Dear Church,

We would like to advise you that Pastor Brian Houston has resigned as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church and the board has accepted his resignation.

We understand there will be much emotion at this news, and we all share these feelings. Irrespective of the circumstances around this, we can all agree that Brian and Bobbie have served God faithfully over many decades and that their ministry has resulted in millions of people across the world being impacted by the power, grace, and love of Jesus Christ.

Hillsong Church was birthed out of Brian and Bobbie’s obedience and commitment to the call of God and we are extremely grateful for all that Brian and Bobbie have given to build His house. We ask that you continue to pray for them, and the entire Houston family, during this challenging time.

As you can appreciate, there is still much to be done and our church leadership continues seeking God for His wisdom as we set the course for the future. We acknowledge that change is needed. We have committed to an independent review of our governance structure and processes, understanding that this is a time of humble reflection and we are committed to doing what is necessary to ensure God is honoured, and our eyes are fixed on Jesus.

We value your ongoing support and prayers. We are also praying for our entire church family at this time.

Hillsong Church Global and Australian Boards.

Pastor Brian Houston resigned from the church after an internal investigation found evidence that he engaged in inappropriate misconduct of "serious concern" with two women, one from 10 years ago and another in 2019.

In a statement from the church, the first incident involved sending inappropriate text messages sent to a female member of staff. The woman subsequently resigned. The other episode involved Houston entering the room of another female member of the church apparently disoriented after a session at the Hillsong conference following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose along with alcohol.  He spent time with the member but there was no allegation of sexual misconduct.

According to the board, “The investigation by the integrity unit appointed by the global board found that although all parts of the complaint were unable to be sustained, important elements of the complaint were sustained and the conduct was of serious concern.” 

“Ultimately, the board found that Brian had breached the Hillsong Pastor’s Code of Conduct. We apologise unreservedly to the people affected by Pastor Brian’s actions and commit to being available for any further assistance we can provide,” he added.

In January 2022, he stepped down as the leader of the church following accusations that he was silent in the sexual abuse offense committed by his father about a decade ago

Over two decades, Hillsong has grown from a small church in Sydney, Australia to a mega church with over 150,000 weekly attendees at its churches in 25 countries.