Pastor's Son Sought Legal Advice over Abuse Allegations
By Annette Blackwell
Hillsong church senior pastor Brian Houston consulted a lawyer about his father's position when abuse allegations were raised but omitted mentioning his meeting with the lawyer in his statement to the royal commission into the matter. The Auckland-born man who is a leading light in the evangelical movement in Australia was in the witness box for a second day at a hearing of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney today. The commission is examining how Pentecostal churches responded to child sex abuse complaints by its pastors. It has heard that Frank Houston admitted in 1999 to abusing children in Australia and New Zealand, when his son was national president of the Assemblies of God in Australia - the umbrella organisation for more than 1000 churches. Whanganui-born Frank Houston died in 2004 at the age of 82. It has emerged in evidence that Brian Houston consulted a lawyer at prominent law firm Mallesons about his father's position. "Where I went as my father's son to go to see a lawyer about my father - this commission is about institutional child abuse so in that sense, I don't see that it was particularly relevant that I went so see a lawyer. It was something that was between a father and son," said Mr Houston. He also said his statement had not mentioned a AU$10,000 payment to a victim known as AHA because he only remembered it when he read AHA's own statement to the commission. The commission has heard that Frank Houston had met with AHA in a McDonald's and offered him the money. In his evidence on Tuesday, AHA said when he did not get the cheque he rang Brian Houston. Mr Houston repeated today that he remembered feeling frustrated that his father had not followed up on his promise and spoke to family members about it; one of them arranged the payment. He denied deliberately omitting it from his statement saying if that had been so he would not have brought it up in evidence over the past few days. During cross examination today Mr Houston was again asked about a perceived conflict of interest that he, as national president of the body representing Pentecostal churches and as senior pastor at the church where his father preached, dealt with the allegations. He said: "No, because I acted professionally. I followed it through." Mr Houston said that after his conversation with his father Frank Houston never preached again. The hearing continues.
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