Hillsong megachurch founder charged with allegedly covering up child sex abuse



Authorities have arrested Brian Houston, founder of Hillsong Church, on charges of covering up child sex abuse, BuzzFeed News reported.

What's a brief history here?

Houston has for years denied that he withheld information regarding child sex abuse allegations against his father, late former pastor Frank Houston, which stemmed from purported assaults that were said to have taken place in the 1970s.

Houston's father reportedly confessed to the abuse before his death in 2004 and was accused of abusing up to nine underage boys.

What are the details?

New South Wales, Australia, police arrested 67-year-old Brian Houston on Thursday and charged him with concealing a serious indictable offense.

According to Fox News, a government inquiry into "institutional responses to allegations of child sex abuse" in 2015 found that Houston did not tell authorities that his father was a child sex abuser.

The inquiry, the outlet noted, found that Houston "became aware of allegations against his father in 1999" and simply "allowed him to retire quietly than report him to police."

Houston told BuzzFeed News that he is innocent.

"These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I've always been about this matter," he told the outlet. "I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight."

The outlet reported that Hillsong Church has responded to past related media reports by "defending its founder while distancing him and the church from the actions of his father, who was also a pastor."

A previous Hillsong statement obtained by BuzzFeed News said, "The abuse by Frank Houston occurred many years before Hillsong church existed. It is an indisputable fact that Pastor Brian is not a perpetrator of abuse, has never been accused of abuse, and took immediate action to expose and stop a child abuser."

Back in 2014, Houston said that he confronted his father over the abuse allegations in 1992 and "ensured he never preached or served in any ministry capacity again."

The Daily Beast reported that if convicted on the charge, Houston face a maximum charge of five years in prison.

Fox News reported that a spokesperson for Hillsong Church said that it was "disappointed" about the charge.

"We ask that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process as is his right," the statement read. "He has advised us that he will defend this and looks forward to clearing his name. We thank all who are a part of our church for their support and prayers at this time."

The Sydney-based megachurch founder is due in court in October.

Leaked audio reportedly shows Hillsong Church founder accusing disgraced ex-pastor of serial infidelity



Disgraced former pastor Carl Lentz — who was fired from Hillsong Church in November after reportedly engaging in immoral behaviors — is reportedly a serial cheater as well as a lying manipulator and abuser.

Following the firing, Lentz admitted that he'd cheated on his wife and asked for forgiveness and understanding as the story unfolded.

What are the details?

According to a Friday report in the Daily Mail, Lentz was reportedly guilty of having more than just one extramarital affair.

The outlet cited audio purporting to feature Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston who can be heard saying that Lentz was also guilty of exhibiting "general narcissistic behavior, manipulating, and mistreating people."

According to the audio, Lentz was also "constantly lying."

On the audio, Houston says that Lentz was found out after staff discovered "compromising" messages on the ex-pastor's computer.

"It was more than one affair," Houston says. "They were significant. And at least some bad moral behavior had gone back historically."

"I can honestly say before God the first time I heard any moral complaint against Carl was when [Hillsong East Coast Chief Operating Officer Tolu Badders] contacted me," Houston said. "'Tolu had a conversation with one of the staff members, and that staff member had found a very compromising chain of text messages on Carl's laptop or computer. And so that person went straight to Tolu. And Tolu, to her credit, the first thing she did was call me."

In the audio, Houston also says that Lentz was also a "difficult man to have any kind of direct conversation with, because it was always defensive. It would always be put back on the other person, as though they're the ones with the problem."

Lentz's alleged behaviors were reportedly fairly well known.

"Other [anonymous] Hillsong members," the Daily Mail reports, said that "Lentz used women he met backstage at church for affairs." Other members reported that Lentz had been sleeping with other women "for at least seven years."

What else?

The outlet also reported that the church may give Lentz a "golden parachute" despite his alleged behaviors.

"'We're working on a severance package which we're negotiating with them on," George Aghajanian, general manager and a director of Hillsong Church Australia said in the meeting," the outlet reported. "'We are trying to care for them as far as they are letting us care for them. And certainly our heart is to look after the children, to look after [Lentz's wife] Laura, and even Carl who needs a lot of help.'"

Hillsong founder shreds nation's 'discriminatory' COVID-19 restrictions — which permit 40,000 for rugby games, but only 100 for church services



Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston is hitting out at New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian over the COVID-19 regulations.

What are the details?

According to "Today," Houston criticized Berejiklian for allowing 40,000 fans to attend rugby's NRL grand final but refusing to open up churches to congregations of more than 100.

In new remarks on the disparity between rugby games and church, Houston said the restrictions are discriminatory at best.

Houston spoke out on Monday after the nation announced further relaxed COVID-19 restrictions — which excluded the church.

According to the Daily Mail, "Weddings can have up to 300 guests from December 1, while up to 40,000 footy fans will attend the NRL grand final between Penrinth Panthers and Melbourne Storm in Sydney on Sunday night."

"Strict limits," however, "remain in place for church services with attendances capped at 100."

The outlet pointed out that some of Sydney's megachurches have the capability of holding upward of 4,000 attendees.

Houston told NSW's "Today" Wednesday that the continued restrictions on church services are unacceptable.

"Of course watching the football and people are cheering and hugging and spitting and high-fiving, community event numbers are growing, but there has been absolutely no change to churches," he complained. "You can have 300 people indoors for a wedding. But you can't have anything like that, 100 people indoors obviously socially distanced, no matter how big the building."

Houston warned that people need church more than ever amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Some people wouldn't feel ready to come back yet, wouldn't feel safe," he said. "Other people are dying to get back here. ... Mental health, as we know, and health generally, well-being, is a big, big thing. Isolation doesn't help that at all. Church, part of what we do, is community and connection. I know a lot of people just longing for that sense of community and connection."

On Monday, Houston also tweeted, "So interesting that the NSW govt are about to allow 300 people to attend an indoor wedding, and things are being relaxed for the hospitality industry, but still no changes for churches."

He continued, "We have a building with space for 4000 people yet can only have 100 in there. Reason given is 'church ppl know each other (are to [sic] friendly). Do you think people are not friendly at weddings? It's getting to the point where it is discrimination."

On Instagram, he shared a screenshot of his Twitter remarks and added, "It's time church leaders unite to take a stand. We are all committed to keeping people safe, but it seems churches are not even being considered for a steady easing of restrictions."