Hillsong Church has allegedly chosen to cut ties with the wife of its founder, who has been embroiled in numerous scandals in the last years.
Bobbie Houston, the co-founder of Hillsong Church alongside her husband, Brian, who also serves as co-Global Senior Pastor for the megachurch, is reportedly being let go amidst much controversy. The news comes just two weeks after Brian Houston, who co-founded the Australian megachurch, resigned as go-Global Senior Pastor.
News.com.au reported that according to a screenshot of a text conversation that appears to be between Bobbie and a Hillsong leader, the co-Global Senior Pastor was sent a message informing her that she would soon receive an email about her employment status with the megachurch.
"Dear Bobbie, I wanted to text you to let you know I will be sending an email shortly regarding your employment," the text message from an unidentified Hillsong leader read. "Please let me know if you would like to talk about it or if you have questions."
Bobbie responded, "...I don't even have words to express how cold and callous this has all become..."
The Christian Headlines reported that Brian posted the exchange on Facebook, claiming that it was the initial communication Bobbie received from the megachurch with regards to the termination of her employment. He wrote, "After 39 years of exemplary service and extraordinary faithfulness and fruitfulness, this is the communication Bobbie received from the Hillsong Church board as she is made redundant (effective immediately) through no choice of her own."
Brian complained that this happened just three weeks after Bobbie hosted her 26th year of Colour Conferences, garnering a total of 188 global conferences for Hillsong Church. He claims that his wife "relentlessly served God and served people as she stood side by side with me for four decades leading Hillsong Church, faithful in the good times and the tough times alike."
Brian argued, "And we are supposed to act like this is all ok. It's not! Our beautiful church is losing its soul."
Hillsong Church's decision to let go of Bobbie comes just weeks after Brian resigned amidst reports of his "inappropriate" behavior towards two women. Fox News reported in March that Brian was accused of "inappropriate behavior" after he was accused by a former staffer of the megachurch of sending him an inappropriate text message almost a decade ago. Most recently, Brian was also involved in a scandal in which he spent time in a woman's hotel room inebriated and influenced by anti-anxiety medication following a Hillsong conference.
Despite the numerous scandals the Hillsong founder is facing, he promised in early April via an email sent out to Hillsong followers that he and his wife do not intend to retire, Eternity News reported. In the email, Brian acknowledged the "many years of constant pressure, opposition, challenges, and attacks, accompanied by my personal turmoil over my father's evil" and that he has not "oped very well at all" because "alcohol has been no friend."
Despite all of this, Brian promised, "I still have a sense of bright hope for the future and I know God is not finished with me yet. We have no intention of retiring."
