Royal Commission finds Hillsong Church leader Brian Houston confronted his father over child sex claims but failed to report them to police amid a serious conflict of interest

By Liam Quinn
Daily Mail
November 23, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/nbrxbls

Founder of the Hillsong Church, Pastor Brian Houston speaks to the media after giving evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearings in 2014

Brian Houston, leader of Hillsong Church in Australia, should have reported his father to police for child sex abuse offences, a royal commission has found

Findings released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse said Pastor Houston was influenced by a conflict of interest when dealing with the allegations against his father in 2014

Brian Houston co-founded the Sydney-based church with his father, Frank, who allegedly confessed to abusing young boys before he died

The commission earlier heard that Frank Houston who started his ministry in New Zealand, often came to Australia to preach and would stay with the victim's family

Brian Houston, leader of Hillsong Church in Australia, should have reported his father to police for child sex abuse offences, a royal commission has found.

Findings released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse on Monday said Pastor Houston, who is the national president of the Assemblies of God in Australia, was also influenced by a conflict of interest when dealing with the allegations against his father.

The royal commission said when allegations surfaced in 1999 against Frank Houston, his son should have stepped aside.

Frank Houston reportedly abused up to eight boys in Australia and New Zealand, according to the commission's findings.

The report comes after a public hearing was held in October last year, and examined the response of the Hillsong Church in New South Wales as well as Assemblies of God churches and centres in Victoria and Queensland to allegations of child sexual abuse.

The 97-page report said Pastor Houston and the national executive of the Assemblies of God did not refer the allegations against Frank Houston to police after claims emerged.

'Pastor Brian Houston told the Royal Commission that he did not think he had a conflict of interest because he never attempted to defend his father from the allegations and he acted swiftly to suspend his credential,' the commission found.

'We do not accept the views expressed by pastor Brian Houston.'

The commission pointed to a $10,000 payment made by Frank Houston - who died in 2004 - to a victim, which Mr Houston helped organise by acting as a 'go-between', according to the ABC.  

In October, the commission heard that Frank Houston who started his ministry in New Zealand, often came to Australia to preach and would stay with the victim's family.

The victim was seven-years-old in 1969 when the abuse started.

He told the commission Frank Houston would come into his room 'early every night of the week' and touch him, lie on top of him, fondle his genitals and put his finger in the boy's anus.

The commissioners said although his son relinquished the position of chair at a national executive discussing disciplinary action against his father, he stayed for that meeting.

It was found the NSW and national executive failed to follow the church's own complaint procedures in handling the victim's allegations.

The royal commission said a contact person should have been appointed for the victim, Frank Houston should have been interviewed in relation to the allegations, and a record of what actions took place should have been kept.

In 2000, neither Hillsong Church nor its predecessors reported the suspension and subsequent withdrawal of Frank Houston's credential as a minister to the NSW Commission for Children and Young People, as required by law, the report said.

'The abuse in my home and at the different church meetings continued over a period of years until I reached puberty. Pastor Frank wanted nothing to do with me after I reached puberty', AHA said.

Brian Houston, founded the Hills Christian Life Centre in 1983. Both churches affiliated in 2000 and became the Assemblies of God in Australia.