Global megachurch Hillsong announced that Brian Houston had resigned following complaints that he behaved inappropriately towards two women.
“We have sadly been dealing with two complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10 years. These matters – like all such matters under our code of conduct – were dealt with confidentially. In both of these cases we respected the confidentiality of both Pastor Brian and those involved, and we also must abide by local employment law,” the church board said.
According to a statement, Houston reportedly sent a woman “inappropriate text messages” which resulted in her resignation, and at the time, he “was under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence.” Houston is said to have apologised to the woman during that time.
The second issue involved a complaint received in 2019, and following an in-depth investigation, it was found that Houston became disoriented after a session at the Hillsong Conference, following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol. “This resulted in him knocking on the door of a hotel room that was not his, entering this room and spending time with the female occupant,” the church board explained.
Investigations into these complaints were treated seriously, and each of these were conducted by either board members or a body appointed by the global board to hear and resolve the complaints.
The statement continued: “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.”
Following that investigation, Houston agreed to take specific action including stepping down from leadership for a period. However, he failed to take all of the agreed steps which resulted in further action being taken by the board in late 2021.
“We apologise unreservedly to the people affected by Pastor Brian’s actions and commit to being available for any further assistance we can provide,” Hillsong said.
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