A leaked letter addressed to Hillsong megachurch members reveals that its founder Brian Houston was accused of inappropriate behavior by two women.
The Hillsong Global Board recently sent a letter to Hillsong members that revealed how two women filed complaints against Hillsong founder Brian Houston. The letter came after a video conference between interim Global Senior Pastor Phil Dooley and 800 global members during which they discussed Houston's "indiscretions" towards two women between 2013 and 2019.
"We have sadly been dealing with two complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10 years," the Hillsong board admitted, as reported by the Christian Headlines. "We apologize unreservedly to the people affected by Pastor Brian's actions and commit to being available for any further assistance we can provide."
The letter was leaked to ABC News Australia, which reported how Houston allegedly sent "inappropriate" text messages to a former female staffer of the megachurch. Dooley, who was visibly emotional during the board meeting, detailed Houston's text message to the woman, saying that it read, "'If I was with you, I would like to give you a kiss and a cuddle or a hug,' words of that nature."
Dooley reported further that the Hillsong founder had "developed a dependence" on "sleeping tablets," which he was often "under the influence" of. The female staffer resigned after receiving inappropriate messages from Houston and issued a complaint to Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian.
"[Houston] immediately apologized to the person," Dooley reported. "We also worked with Pastor Brian to ensure he received professional help to eliminate his dependency on this medication, and this was achieved successfully."
But the female staffer was unable to obtain employment after leaving Hillson, so Houston donated "a couple of months' salary" out of his own pocket.
A second incident involving Houston's inappropriate behavior occurred in 2019. This time, the Hillsong founder was intoxicated when he spent almost an hour with a woman in a hotel room. At the time, Houston had been drinking with other Hillsong leaders during its annual conference in Qudos Bank Arena in Homebush, New South Wales.
Dooley recounted how later in the evening, Houston "attempted to get into his room but didn't have his room key and ended up knocking on the door to the woman's room." The woman, who was not a member of Hillsong, let the pastor in. Both the woman and Houston denied any "sexual activity" between them, but the pastor was in the room "for 40 minutes," Dooley said.
An investigation into the incident revealed that Houston "became disorientated...following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol." This led the board to conclude that the church leader had "breached the Hillsong Pastor's Code of Conduct."
To compensate for his inappropriate behavior, Houston paid for the woman's conference fee and returned her "Kingdom Builder" donation. He also decided to spend three months away from the ministry and abstain from alcohol, which he failed to do, as per Dooley. He remarked, "[Houston] did conduct some ministry, I believe on three separate occasions...and he also did, as he would say, consume some alcohol."
Dooley denied allegations of any cover-up of the incidents, arguing that the board handled Hosuton's behavior "appropriately under the circumstances of the information given to them and with a desire to see Brian healthy."
During the meeting, Dooley highlighted the importance of showing grace in light of Jesus Christ instead of exposing sinners. He reassured Hillsong members that they should feel safe and not worry about facing "any form of abuse or harassment." He issued an apology for Houston's "victims" and acknowledged how the Hillsong founder "has made significant mistakes."
