“On the steps of the court house I expressed to the large media throng, my deep sadness for all of the victims of my fathers evil crimes. But I am not my father,” Brian said.
Brian concluded by thanking those who have stood with him throughout the ordeal, saying, “Better days ahead, and all gratitude to God who sustains us in our darkest hours.”
Brian Houston’s Interview With Andrew Bolt
On the same day Brian posted on Instagram, he was interviewed by Sky News’ Andrew Bolt.
Brian reiterated to Bolt his belief that he was targeted by those who dislike the church because he is a well-known pastor. Brian specifically referred to certain media outlets, saying, “I think that there is a hostility that comes towards especially prominent pastors, people who are doing something a little different than the norm.”
Brian also made it clear that once he heard of his father’s abuse, he suspended his father’s credentials and went to church board members and the national executive of the Assemblies of God to inform them of what his father had done.
Brian admitted that since becoming aware of his father’s abuse in 1999, he hasn’t handled everything well. Some of his actions caused some narratives to be written that are “false,” he said.
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Referencing the time during a Hillsong Conference when he opened the wrong hotel door, which led him into the room of a woman who wasn’t his wife, Brian clarified, “I never had a sexual issue. I had a substance issue, and one of those was sleeping tablets, which I’ve overcame in 2012, and [I’ve] never taken a single sleeping tablet since.”
“I’m strong. My wife and I are doing well,” Brian told Bolt after being asked, “Where are you now in your life?”
The 69-year-old added, “Today is a huge burden off of our shoulders,” going on to share that he feels “upbeat” about the next decade. “I’m not exactly sure what that’s going to look like yet, but I do know I’m too young to retire. And so I hope to make a solid contribution.”
“I love the Lord Jesus Christ. I love serving him. I love people,” Brian said. “I love the congregation at Hillsong. We still miss them desperately, and so I am full of expectation that we’ll forge out something for the future.”
Brian said that he and his wife love Australia, but Australia in “many ways hasn’t loved” them, which makes him “very sad.” Therefore, he believes they will be spending more time overseas, where there is “potentially more opportunity” for them.
