In an Instagram post over the weekend, Bobbie Houston told her followers that she and her husband, Brian Houston, are “pressing on” and trusting the “righteous courts of heaven.” Brian and Bobbie Houston are former co-pastors of Hillsong, a global megachurch that has seen considerable controversy over the past few years.
“For those interested we are still here,” wrote Bobbie Houston. “Pressing on with trust in the Living God & the righteous Courts of Heaven. Enemies of the Cross (& maybe others who should know better) forget that everything that concerns His Son & His Bride plays out ultimately before the Courts of Heaven.” She continued:
I don’t speak of these things often or lightly —but there IS a holy Heavenly Father who is very engaged & watchful of our every move, thought, word, intent, action. Ultimately because He loves us & is redemptive. If the Word says He counts the sands on the seashore; the hairs on our head; that He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground; & is mindful of the flowers of the field (here one day and gone the next) — then trust me, He is more present & watchful of those human hearts than we realize.
Brian and Bobbie Houston at Hillsong
Brian and Bobbie Houston founded Hillsong in Sydney, Australia, in 1983. The church has since grown into a worldwide megachurch with congregations in 30 countries. Hillsong has experienced several scandals in recent years, including those involving former Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz and former Hillsong Dallas pastors, Reed and Jess Bogard.
In August 2021, the New South Wales Police Force charged Brian Houston with allegedly concealing child sex offenses committed by his father, Frank Houston. In September 2021, Brian Houston announced he was stepping aside from his roles on Hillsong Church’s boards “so that these boards can function to their fullest capacity during this season.”
On Jan. 30, 2022, Houston announced during a church service that he would be stepping away from his role as Hillsong’s pastor for all of 2022 to focus on the charges against him. On March 18, 2022, Hillsong’s board revealed that the pastor’s sabbatical was also the result of disciplinary action taken due to Houston’s inappropriate behavior toward two women.
Less than a week later on March 21, Brian Houston resigned from all of his roles and responsibilities at Hillsong Church. Since then, several of Hillsong’s U.S. congregations, including Hillsong Boston, Hillsong Atlanta and Hillsong Phoenix, have disassociated from the global megachurch.
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Brian Houston’s resignation impacted his wife’s position at Hillsong, although he and the church have differing accounts of how events transpired. On April 8, Brian Houston criticized Hillsong on Instagram for a text that was sent to his wife that Houston said made her “redundant (effective immediately) through no choice of her own.” Houston said the church was disparaging Bobbie’s four decades of faithful work, adding, “Our beautiful church is losing its soul.”
Hillsong responded with a statement on April 9 explaining the context for Bobbie “departing from her role at Hillsong Church” and denying Brian Houston’s version of events. Said the church, “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 goal was to work together with them and keep the church safe in the process, not to hurt anyone.”
