Brian Houston and the management team of Hillsong are in the headlines again. According to the Guardian, when asked about why the abuse committed by Frank Houston was not reported by the church, the Hillsong general manager said that it was because it was not a 'current matter.'
He added that the church management was only required to report on things that could present an 'imminent danger.' Also, the abuse itself came before the establishment of Hillsong which came from the merger of the congregations of the two Houstons.
George Aghajanian, the general manager, said that it was his job to ensure that the church follows the laws of New South Wales. But, he added that he did not inform the authorities about the disciplinary action that then-Senior Pastor Frank Houston was facing at the time.
The Case Against Brian Houston and Hillsong
The article said that Brian Houston pleaded not guilty to the charge of concealing a serious indictable offence of another person.
The case took a turn further against Houston as Aghajanian told the court that he personally told Brian Houston about the abuse committed by his father against Brett Sengstock in 1970. Apparently, It was only in 1990 that Brian confronted his father, five years before the latter's death, and Frank confessed to his wrongdoings.
Phillip Boulten SC, the barrister for Brian Houston, said that his client's action had a reasonable excuse. He said that Sengstock expressed that he did not want the matters reported to the police and his client wanted to respect these wishes. However, Sengstock himself disputed the claims of Houston.
As of writing, the hearing against Brian Houston continues.
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Phone Call Between Houston and Sengstock
In a different article, it was also reported that allegedly, Houston blamed the man repeatedly raped as a little child that it was his fault. He added that it was his father who was tempted by the then seven-year-old boy.
According to Sengstock, the child was pressured by the church to not report the matter to actual courts as he would be abandoned by the church. He added that a church leader wrote to him that the 'secular courts' are not the proper forum and that he would get a fair hearing by the church led by the Houstons. Additionally, it was said that Frank Houston wanted to meet again with his minor victim to 'apologize' so he could face God.
The two would meet in 1999 in a fast food chain wherein Houston asked Sengstock to sign a blank napkin in exchange for $10,000. Sengstock obliged but he never received the money so he called Brian Houston. It was during the phone call when Brian berated the victim for 'tempting' the senior Houston as a seven-year-old boy. During the exchange, Brian Houston angrily answered Sengstock, saying that he will send the check. After several weeks, Sengstock received a check for $10,000.
With all that, the prosecution said that the fact that Houston knew the perpetrator, the identity of the complainant, that the complainant was a child at the time of the offense just proves that Houston is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
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