Home Christian News Bobbie Houston’s Role at Hillsong Church ‘Made Redundant’; Brian Houston Airs Grievances...

Bobbie Houston’s Role at Hillsong Church ‘Made Redundant’; Brian Houston Airs Grievances Online

“We are saddened by Brian’s public response and hope that he and Bobbie will understand the heart behind the decisions that are being made,” the email said, going on to encourage church members to pray for the couple. 

Hillsong Church has continued to grapple with controversy and scandal, a large portion of which directly relating to its founding pastor. In August 2021, Houston was hit with criminal charges for his alleged role in covering up the child sex abuse of his late father, Frank Houston. The next month, it was announced that Houston would be stepping down from all Hillsong boards in order to focus on his legal defense.

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In January 2022, Houston announced that he would be stepping aside from his duties as global senior pastor for the same reason. However, it was later revealed in March that his yearlong sabbatical was also part of disciplinary action taken against him by the board for breaching Hillsong’s “Pastor’s Code of Conduct” by acting inappropriately toward two women in separate instances within the last ten years.

Houston’s resignation was announced shortly thereafter. 

The same week Houston’s resignation was announced, Discovery+ made its docuseries entitled “Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed” available for streaming. A story told in three parts, the series painted Houston as a man with nefarious intent and bent on amassing wealth and power in the name of the church. 

Since Houston’s resignation, Hillsong Phoenix and Hillsong Atlanta have announced they will disassociate from the global Hillsong Church, the latter of which dissolving entirely in favor of launching a new church.