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Money Grubbin’ Brian Houston is Pleading For a New Church Production Studio, and Wants YOU to Pay for It

Disgraced money-grubbing’ heretics Brian and Bobbie Houston are pleading for a new production studio to support their new ministry and church ‘Jesus Followers TV.’

Sharing on a recent video broadcast, Houston made his pitch:

“This is going to be a faith ministry, and I’m really believing God will give us a big powerful group of partners who will stand with us in the building of Jesus Followers. Because, like anything, we’re building a new ministry, we’re building a new church, and frankly we’re starting with nothing, and we’ve got desperate needs.”

Jesus Followers TV, is an online church crafted in collaboration with Revival City Church in Adelaide, Australia, which currently supports them and is providing the production infrastructure, something Houston says he wants ease away from. He added in another video

Right now, because of the blessing of a friend, we have several cameras here, several camera people, we got a production person, we got someone telling us to go this way, go that way, and so on…

We’re blessed because a friend is helping us and a church is making this available, but we can’t expect that every single week so I’m really believing God that he’s going to enable us, it’s a faith Vision, to have a studio where we can have the equipment, have everything that involves production including a crew of people, faithful people who believe in the ministry and believe in what we do, and I’m praying there’ll be people who will partner with us and believe that God has called you to contribute to be a part of our brand new church Jesus followers.

We previously reported about a post-production malfunction that revealed behind-the-scenes audio at his filming location. Houston was heard preparing his pitch for volunteers and rehearsing his messages, which heavily featured requests for monetary support and “provision for the vision.”  At one point Brian was overheard asking when they should ask for the offering, before or after, and Bobbie says it should be done at the end and that he needs to make sure to “hook them” so that “people don’t leave” or tune out beforehand.”

The launch of the church and new ministry comes two years after Brian Houston was terminated from his role as head of Hillsong. At the time, it was revealed by church leadership that Houston was accused of committing indiscretions with two women and having a drinking problem, including getting drunk and spending nearly an hour in a woman’s hotel room in 2019, along with being viewed as power hungry and out of control by the church board.

After his termination, it was also revealed that Brian and Bobbie Houston were some of the most irresponsible spendthrifts in the world, with the two frequently spending thousands of dollars on single meals at the exclusive Nobu restaurant, which we covered in Top 10 Most Expensive Meals Brian and Bobbie Houston Expensed to the Church (Number 4 is $2433.38) and would routinely stay in luxury hotels that cost upwards of $13,000 a night. (See other scandals in the endnotes) All these funds come from the sacrificial tithes and offerings of the congregants.

Of course, Brian and Bobbie are filthy wealthy multi-millionaires who can easily afford any studio they want. But like all flock-fleecers and false teachers, they want others to support their deviant and heretical habits, and they’ll never stop their abuse until they get saved or pass away.


For more on Houston and Hillsong, see below:

Hillsong Leader Expenses $40,086.05 in ONE MONTH (One Meal Was $6156.64)
Top 10 Luxury Hotels Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Spoiler: The Cheapest is $8457.42)
Hillsong Church Gives T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer $150K for One Sermon
Top 10 Weirdest Things Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Number 7 is $1467.28 for a Single Uber Ride)
Hillsong Church ‘Clarifies’ Charging Compassion $1,000,000.00… In the Worst Way Possible
Hillsong Gives Ann Voskamp $107,000 in Honorariums for One Appearance
Report: Hillsong Foundation Raised $21M For Charities, But only Gave Them 1% of the Money
What is ‘Hillsong Family’, and Why Do Some Churches Pay $100K a Year to Join It? Ft. Judah Smith
Hillsong’s Compassion Contract Details Revealed: What $1,000,000 Really Gets You
Hillsong Church Salaries, Royalties, Benefits Revealed. $1.9M, $ 1.7M, $1.5M, $876K, $540K

Sha

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Brian Houston Claims He Was ‘Hacked’ After Posting Lesbian ‘Kissing’ Post, But Is He Just A Pervert?

Former Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong claims he was “hacked” shortly before midnight, Australian time, after his personal Twitter page threw up a post with the caption “Ladies and girls kissing.”

It’s an interesting phrase, reading like something a boomer would enter into the social media’s search bar looking for porn or trying to follow an account.

Sixteen minutes later, he somehow got access back, miraculously, astonishingly quick. He deleted the tweet, claiming he was “hacked.”

The vast majority of online observers do not seem to be buying his story, however, suggesting that Houston, who has a long history of alcohol abuse, almost certainly did this accidentally in a search for adult content.

Notably, Houston was terminated from his role as head of Hillsong after church leadership accused him of committing indiscretions with two women and having a drinking problem, including sexting with one and getting drunk and spending nearly an hour in another woman’s hotel room in 2019.

Of the few people he was following, one account stood out to some.

Furthermore, following the initial post, his assistant Yolanda later posted an update from Houston’s account, saying he was hacked and offering proof of the breach.

However, the linked account wasn’t Houston’s, suggesting they just made the whole thing up to find a scapegoat.

This post was also deleted.

Finally, after deleting that post, they settled on this one, which is the last word from them.

https://twitter.com/yolandamariee23/status/1760200549293850725

It’s bad timing for Houston, who is in the process of launching a brand new church. We would hope this new revelation of his smutty searching would derail those plans, but sadly we highly doubt it.


BONUS!
After his termination, it was also revealed that Brian and Bobbie Houston were some of the most irresponsible spendthrifts in the world, with the two frequently spending thousands of dollars on single meals at the exclusive Nobu restaurant, which we covered in Top 10 Most Expensive Meals Brian and Bobbie Houston Expensed to the Church (Number 4 is $2433.38) and would routinely stay in luxury hotels that cost upwards of $13,000 a night. (See other scandals in the endnotes) All these funds come from the sacrificial tithes and offerings of the congregation.

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Breaking! Brian Houston To Announce New Church Plant in Leaked Audio

Disgraced money-grubbing’ heretics Brian and Bobbie Houston are on the brink of announcing the launch of their new church, according to leaked audio obtained by Church Watch Central.

The move comes less than two years after Brian Houston was terminated from his role as head of Hillsong. At the time, it was revealed by church leadership that Houston was accused of committing indiscretions with two women and having a drinking problem, including getting drunk and spending nearly an hour in a woman’s hotel room in 2019, along with being viewed as power hungry and out of control by the church board.

After his termination, it was also revealed that Brian and Bobbie Houston were some of the most irresponsible spendthrifts in the world, with the two frequently spending thousands of dollars on single meals at the exclusive Nobu restaurant, which we covered in Top 10 Most Expensive Meals Brian and Bobbie Houston Expensed to the Church (Number 4 is $2433.38) and would routinely stay in luxury hotels that cost upwards of $13,000 a night. (See other scandals in the endnotes) All these funds come from the sacrificial tithes and offerings of the congregants.

After a malfunction revealed behind-the-scenes audio at his filming location, Houston can be heard rehearsing for their upcoming announcement: the launch of Jesus Followers TV, an online church in collaboration with Revival City Church in Adelaide, Australia.

David Hall of Revival City is providing the technology and infrastructure to build Houston’s online ministry, and in the audio Houston can be heard preparing his pitch for volunteers, as well as rehearsing his messages, which heavily feature requests for monetary support and “provision for the vision.” CWC writes:

“This unintended peek behind the curtain exposed the less-than-authentic strategies employed by the Houston duo, including discussions on when to “hook people” to insert the ‘giving message’ and engineer or edit situations to create a more genuine appearance. What is more disturbing is how they scheduled to film a number of Sunday services in advance to give the illusion that they were genuinely interacting with their audiences, including praying into people’s lives and current situations so God could intervene supernaturally.”

At one point Brian can be overheard asking when they should ask for the offering, before or after, and Bobbie says it should be done at the end and that he needs to make sure to “hook them” so that “people don’t leave” or tune out beforehand. Explaining more of the concept, Brian can be heard saying:

We’re not wanting to just put things on TV, we’re trying to build a community…there are many different ways we can gather and connect as a church.. and so that’s how we see this, this is an online church.

Houston explains that as the church grows, and online watch parties get bigger, he and Bobbie will fly out to visit people in London, New York or Syndey, because “we see that as our congregation, we see that as our church.”


For more on Houston and Hillsong, see below:

Hillsong Leader Expenses $40,086.05 in ONE MONTH (One Meal Was $6156.64)
Top 10 Luxury Hotels Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Spoiler: The Cheapest is $8457.42)
Hillsong Church Gives T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer $150K for One Sermon
Top 10 Weirdest Things Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Number 7 is $1467.28 for a Single Uber Ride)
Hillsong Church ‘Clarifies’ Charging Compassion $1,000,000.00… In the Worst Way Possible
Hillsong Gives Ann Voskamp $107,000 in Honorariums for One Appearance
Report: Hillsong Foundation Raised $21M For Charities, But only Gave Them 1% of the Money
What is ‘Hillsong Family’, and Why Do Some Churches Pay $100K a Year to Join It? Ft. Judah Smith
Hillsong’s Compassion Contract Details Revealed: What $1,000,000 Really Gets You
Hillsong Church Salaries, Royalties, Benefits Revealed. $1.9M, $ 1.7M, $1.5M, $876K, $540K

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Coming to America? Brian Houston Announces He’s Starting New Church

Former Hillsong global senior pastor Brian Houston announced that he and his wife Bobbi are starting a new online ministry and forming a new church in 2024, according to a post on X, and that he’s “excited about building this new community.’

The move comes less than two years after Houston was terminated from his role as head of Hillsong. At the time, it was revealed by church leadership that Houston was accused of committing indiscretions with two women and having a drinking problem, including getting drunk and spending nearly an hour in a woman’s hotel room in 2019. Houston would say he mixed alcohol with sleeping tablets and had no memory of the hotel room encounter, but that he just fell asleep and didn’t do anything improper. 

Many disagreed. Days before his firing, John Mays, Hillsong’s head of People and Development, sent a scathing internal memo to the church’s senior board, writing that Houston “considered himself beyond disciplinary boundaries” and that “We have been led by a leader who considers himself above normal societal expectations in a range of areas, including many which might be considered mandatory in nature.”

After his termination, it was also revealed that Brian and Bobbie Houston were some of the most irresponsible, money-grubbing spendthrifts in the world, with the two frequently spending thousands of dollars on meals at the exclusive Nobu restaurant, which we covered in Top 10 Most Expensive Meals Brian and Bobbie Houston Expensed to the Church (Number 4 is $2433.38). (See other scandals in the endnotes) All these funds come from the sacrificial tithes and offerings of the congregants.

Since his dismissal from Hillsong, Houston has been traveling the world preaching, mostly in American churches, where he’s received a warm welcome. Houston previously revealed that he no longer feels welcome in Australia due to his and Hillson’s notoriety, and he has been selling off their luxury furniture and properties. When he hosted an event six months back in his home country inviting friends and supporters to come and hear about the future with him, a little more than a hundred showed up, with the venue empty and cavernous. 

For this reason, it’s almost a certainty that his church plant will be in the United States. 


For more on Houston and Hillsong, see below:

Hillsong Leader Expenses $40,086.05 in ONE MONTH (One Meal Was $6156.64)
Top 10 Luxury Hotels Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Spoiler: The Cheapest is $8457.42)
Hillsong Church Gives T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer $150K for One Sermon
Top 10 Weirdest Things Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Number 7 is $1467.28 for a Single Uber Ride)
Hillsong Church ‘Clarifies’ Charging Compassion $1,000,000.00… In the Worst Way Possible
Hillsong Gives Ann Voskamp $107,000 in Honorariums for One Appearance
Report: Hillsong Foundation Raised $21M For Charities, But only Gave Them 1% of the Money
What is ‘Hillsong Family’, and Why Do Some Churches Pay $100K a Year to Join It? Ft. Judah Smith
Hillsong’s Compassion Contract Details Revealed: What $1,000,000 Really Gets You
Hillsong Church Salaries, Royalties, Benefits Revealed. $1.9M, $ 1.7M, $1.5M, $876K, $540K


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Brian Houston’s Shocking Description of Father’s Crimes: A Pretty Exhaustive History

Days ago, a short video on Instagram has caused outrage on social media concerning the current scandal surrounding Brian Houston managing his father’s pedophile crimes. In the disturbing footage, Brian Houston is heard talking casually and dismissively about his father’s offenses in an attempt to talk about his childhood in his father’s ministry in a positive light.

Brian’s father, Frank Houston, a former apostle and senior pastor in the Australian church, was accused of sexually abusing a minor in the 1970s. As the scandal was handled by Brian Houston, CLC/Hillsong, and the AOG/ACC, more revelations emerged that Frank Houston sexually abused more than six children. 

However, at the 2014 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse,’ new revelations emerged that not all Frank’s victims were in New Zealand. The first allegation to emerge in 1998-1999 was an Australian victim, Brett Sengstock. 

The timing of the leaked Conference 2010 footage could not be worse. The controversial snippet was leaked by The Framework, a watchdog organization currently focusing on exposing the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) cult, describing Hillsong as part of this “globalist, dominionist” network. 

The Bigger Picture

The Framework host, Jake Elliot, has repeatedly observed in other Instagram live streams and YouTube videos that it was C. Peter Wagner who articulated the distinguishing beliefs that set the NAR cult apart from Christianity. That is the belief in what Wagner coined the “New Apostolic Paradigm.” Elliot states: “This is what they say you must believe to be part of the New Apostolic Reformation. ‘Do you believe in something called the New Apostolic Paradigm?’

Let me explain. What’s the New Apostolic Paradigm? Well, do you believe in something called the five-fold ministry? Do you believe in the restoration of apostles and prophets existing in the church today alongside the offices of evangelists, shepherds, and teachers? 

If you believe that apostles and prophets have returned today, if you accept the five-fold ministry and this New Apostolic Paradigm, then yes, you are part of the NAR.

In past resources, The Framework presented persuasive arguments and controversial pieces of evidence that demonstrate that Hillsong and the Australian AOG/ACC have been key players within the NAR scene in the southern hemisphere over the decades, capturing their involvement through pieces of literature (Churchquake!, 1999) (The Apostolic Revolution, 2000).

Elliot has quoted extensively from C. Peter’s Wagner’s ‘Churchquake!’ pointing out that even the late C. Peter Wagner (a leading apostle of the NAR) could not answer the question of how his NAR apostles could be or can be held accountable, Wagner concluding, “On this one, the jury is still out.” 

The Investigative Report from the Royal Commission

Not only did the Royal Commission come to a similar summary on the issue of leadership accountability in their final report on the state of the Australian AOG’ leadership’, but Dr. Shane Clifton, (Dean of Theology at Alphacrucis College) also came to a troubling conclusion of the apostolic model within the Australian AOG:

“The problem for the [Australian AOG] is that its new structures contain neither “bottom-up” nor “top-down” accountability. The apostolic model leaves the senior pastor, especially the mega-church pastor, accountable to almost no one except “God.” [Pragmatic ecclesiology: The Apostolic Revolution and the Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God in Australia] 

On a more controversial note, The Framework further exposed in ‘The Apostolic Revolution’ that Apostle David Cartledge observed that many regarded Frank Houston as a ‘proven apostle.’ The book was published a few months after ‘apostle’ Cartledge knew of Frank’s crimes. Cartledge was in the AOG National Executive on December 22, 1999, meeting with other apostolic leaders to determine the outcome of Frank’s crimes and his victim.

Background

The disturbing saga began in late 1998 when allegations emerged that Frank Houston, a prominent pastor, and father of Brian Houston, had sexually abused a young boy named Brett Sengstock in New Zealand. Eventually, in 1999, Brian Houston (then head of the Australian Assemblies of God) was made aware of Frank Houston’s crimes. Despite being informed of the abuse, the leaders of the Sydney/Hillsong Christian Life Centre (later renamed Hillsong Church) and Assemblies of God in Australia and New Zealand chose to keep the matter hidden from the public.

Frank was aware of Sengstock’s allegation and successfully handed his Sydney CLC church in May 1999 to his son, Brian Houston, with the younger Houston insisting he was unaware of the full extent of his father’s crimes. However, in a recent report on NewsNations, former Hillsong founder Geoff Bullock revealed that Brian Houston knew of Frank Houston sexually abusing a young man in his 20s, claiming Brian Houston told him personally of Frank’s sexual abuse in 1995. 

Frank was to step down from leading the church and take on an itinerant pastoral role, even preaching the circuit abroad. Surprised that his father gave him the reigns but grateful for the opportunity, Brian became SCLC’s new senior pastor, later named Hillsong.

In late 1999, Brian was told of his father’s sexual abuse. The recent trial revealed that on November 19, Frank Houston confessed to his son to a “one-off” offense. Although Brian ‘removed’ Frank’s ‘credentials,’ Frank Houston remained on CLC/Hillsong staff until late November 2000. When New Zealand allegations surfaced in late 2000, Australian AOG and CLC leaders investigated the claims, confronted Frank, and removed Frank permanently, providing him and his wife with a generous severance package. 

Royal Commission evidence suggested that both CLC and Hillsong church leaders kept silent about Frank’s crimes until 2002. Anticipating that news that Frank’s credentials being pulled would eventually get out, AOGNZ prepared a statement in case anyone inquired amount, reiterating the language of ‘serious moral failure’ as the cause of his departure.

Brian Houston ‘drip-feeding’ the truth about Frank’s crimes

The host of The Framework also claimed to work with a man named Philip Powell of Christian Witness Ministries (CWM). Elliot claimed that Powell was the first one to force the hands of the Australian and New Zealand AOG to admit to Frank Houston’s “moral failure” in Dec 2001. Powell alerted readers to an upcoming article in the CWM ‘Contending Earnestly for the Faith’ publication regarding Frank Houston and other disgraced AOG ministers in Australia and New Zealand. 

Just before publication, he managed to intercept one of the AOG emails regarding Frank Houston and published a ‘Stop Press’ segment in his 2001 article ‘Australian Christian Churches Head: guilty of immorality,’ alerting readers to Brian Houston suspending Frank Houston for a “serious moral failure” in 1999.

Mr. Elliot also claimed that Powell played a pivotal role in getting Hillsong involved in the Royal Commission. However, Powell only knew of the New Zealand victims, not Brett Sengstock. “He was the only one putting out information on the internet about the true nature of Frank’s crimes and was dialoguing with victims on his website in 2002,” Elliot insists.

In 2002, evidence from the Royal Commission and the current trial revealed that Houston was not forthcoming to the media and his church about the true nature of Frank’s crimes. 

In March 2002, Brian Houston misled a reporter, Kelly Burke, into believing that Frank’s abuses were all in New Zealand and his abuses were similar to Jim Williams, another disgraced minister. Although a New Zealand victim contacted the media outlet, Burke’s correspondence with Brian led her to believe and erroneously publish in her article ‘Disgraced evangelist in hiding after being stripped of license’ that Frank’s crimes were female affairs. 

Shortly thereafter, Houston announced in a sermon in 2002 that his father had a “moral failing” thirty years ago and would no longer be an AOG pastor. This sermon snippet was played at Brian Houston’s recent trial. 

Leading up to the annual Hillsong Conference in 2002, Burke still could not extract any more information from Hillsong and published an article, ‘The Lord Will Provide’ on July 12, 2002, where she reported Frank’s sacking ‘was described by the church simply as a “moral failure.”’ 

Burke mentioned Powell’s CWM website. Powell reported that “a big debate has been raging among Christians in Sydney, with the secular media getting involved” and that “Ray Hadley Radio of radio 2GB radio ran a forum on Hillsong during the week of their big international Conference concentrating on the Pat Mesiti scandal.” 

“One of CWM’s readers was the first on the line. During the program, someone quoted the CWM website for more information. Later, Brian Houston admitted on the show that his father had been stood down, as he was guilty of sexual abuse.”

At the trial, people heard footage from Brian Houston speak in more detail regarding Frank’s sins.

However, the first Australian news article that publicly explicitly stated the pedophile crimes of Frank Houston was on January 05, 2003, titled ‘The Lord’s Profits’ by Greg Bearup. The report in the national paper resulted in Brian Houston releasing a letter to Hillsong congregants insisting “that the issues relating to my father, Frank Houston, happened over thirty years ago while he was a pastor in New Zealand.”

In an older livestream, The Framework also publicized later pieces of literature of Brian Houston (You Can Change the Future, 2000) and Bobbie (Heaven Is In This Place, 2001, 2002), honoring Frank Houston. 

The Framework also included alternative publications from other apostolic figures that Brian Houston knew personally, such as Phil Pringle of the C3 movement and Apostle David Cartledge. Both NAR apostles honored Frank Houston in their works (The Apostolic Revolution, 2000; You The Leader, 2003-2005).

Furthermore, they revealed how popular evangelical leaders, including then Australian Prime Minister John Howard, were part of a ‘foot-washing’ ceremony to honor the late Frank Houston and other apostles. The Houston family was invited to participate in the ceremony to honor Frank.

Through damning publications, photos, and audio in 2007, Mr Elliot allowed the materials to speak for themselves. Brian’s older brother, Graeme Houston, replaced Frank to have his feet washed. In the audio, Brian Houston acknowledged his father’s contribution.

2010 footage fuelling critics

Critics argue that Brian’s attempts to downplay his father’s actions to his congregation and the general public make him complicit in the cover-up. In the newly unearthed video by Framework, during a 2010 Hillsong conference, Brian Houston can be heard describing his father’s actions: 

“My parents were church pastors, and you know, it’s well-known that my dad made some pretty serious mistakes.”

Brian’s casual commentary about Frank’s ‘pretty serious mistakes’ worked in his favor to then talk positively about how he grew up under his father’s ministry.

“A mistake is pressing ‘Send’ before finishing a text. That’s a mistake. A “pretty serious mistake” is emailing everyone across your business. Ongoing repeatedly (serially) raping kids is not a ‘mistake’ or a ‘pretty serious mistake.’ It’s a crime,” The Framework posted.

At Hillsong Conference 2010, all the public knew at this point was that all the sexual abuse happened in New Zealand. That was until the Royal Commission summoned Brian Houston, Hillsong leaders, and the Australian in October 2014. 

Hillsong made global headlines due to new revelations: no one knew about the Australian victim, Brett Sengstock. 

They do now, but it’s to no avail. On August 16, Brian Houston, was found not guilty of covering up sexual abuses committed by his late father over 30 years ago, with Magistrate Gareth Christofi handing down the decision in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court. Christofi said that Brian Houston had a “reasonable excuse” for not reporting the abuse to law enforcement and said he believed Houston’s silence was keeping in line with Sengstock’s wishes that it not be reported. 





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Brian Houston Verdict in Sex Abuse Scandal To Be Announced Tomorrow

Tomorrow marks a pivotal day for Brian Houston, the disgraced former Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, as the verdict of his high-profile case will be announced. The charges against him? Allegedly covering up sexual abuse committed by his late father over 30 years ago. The punishment if found guilty? Up to five years in prison. 

According to court transcripts and multiple depositions, Houston was informed about allegations against his father in 1999, five years before his father’s death. However, he kept the matter under wraps instead of turning to the authorities, citing the victim’s wish for confidentiality. 

During his trial, Crown Prosecutor Gareth Harrison presented a different perspective on Houston’s decision. He argued that Houston’s primary motive for not reporting his father was not to protect the victim but rather to safeguard the church’s reputation. 

To bolster their point, Harrison raised the issue of a $10,000 payment made to the victim, facilitated by Houston himself, calling this an apparent attempt at buying the victim’s silence and labeling it “hush money.” 

However, Houston’s lawyer, Phillip Boulten, firmly maintained that Houston respected the victim’s request for privacy. According to Houston, the victim explicitly expressed his wish to refrain from civil or criminal action against Frank Houston. He further clarified that the $10,000 was not intended as hush money but as a means to aid the victim’s healing process.

While Houston awaits the verdict, he was recently seen on Instagram noting that Hillsong was celebrating their 40th anniversary, lamenting that he was not invited to participate.



For more on Hillsong and Houston:

Hillsong Leader Expenses $40,086.05 in ONE MONTH (One Meal Was $6156.64)
Hillsong Church Gives T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer $150K for One Sermon
Internal Hillsong Memo Released Days Before Brian Houston’s Firing Claims He ‘Considered Himself Beyond Disciplinary Boundaries’
Countdown: Top 10 Weirdest Things Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Number 7 is $1467.28 for a Single Uber Ride)
Report: Hillsong Foundation Raised $21M For Charities, But only Gave Them 1% of the Money
Countdown: Top 10 Luxury Hotels Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Spoiler: The Cheapest is $8457.42)
What is ‘Hillsong Family’, and Why Do Some Churches Pay $100K a Year to Join It? Ft. Judah Smith
Hillsong’s Compassion Contract Details Revealed: What $1,000,000 Really Gets You
Hillsong Church Salaries, Royalties, Benefits Revealed. $1.9M, $ 1.7M, $1.5M, $876K, $540K

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Hillsong’s Brian Houston Pleads Guilty to DUI, Given 6 Sentences by Judge

A month before Brian Houston resigned from his position as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church after being accused by the leadership of committing indiscretions with two women and having a drinking problem, including getting drunk and spending nearly an hour in a woman’s hotel room in 2019, he visited the United States where he was arrested for drunk driving. 

According to arrest records, following a meal at an expensive restaurant, ( Countdown: Top 10 Most Expensive Meals Brian and Bobbie Houston Expensed to the Church (Number 4 is $2433.38) police stopped him after noticing he was driving erratically. Given a field sobriety test, he was discovered to have a blood alcohol level of .20%, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08%, and what experts say would constitute the “blackout drunk” stage.

Despite initially pleading ‘Not Guilty’ to driving while intoxicated and having a blood alcohol content of .08%, Houston changed his plea to ‘guilty.’ 

He was given a $140 fine and sentenced to three years of probation. Furthermore, Houston will also have to complete several DUI-related courses, including receiving victim impact counseling, attending a year of self-help meetings, and completing a three-month first-offender alcohol program. 

His legal troubles are not over, however. Those consequences resulted from having a BAA over 0.08%, but there are enhanced charges for having it over 0.20%, given the severity of the intoxication.

Sentencing for that charge has momentarily stayed at the request of Houston’s legal team, who likely will appeal it, given that courts typically impose harsher sentences if found guilty. Some of the penalties might be having to attend court-mandated weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings or wear an alcohol monitoring device for a time.

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Internal Hillsong Memo Released Days Before Brian Houston’s Firing Claims He ‘Considered Himself Beyond Disciplinary Boundaries’

Four days before Brian Houston resigned from Hillsong church, John Mays, the church’s Head of People and Development, sent a scathing internal memo to the church’s senior board, blasting Houston’s leadership and insisting he must be fired, writing that Houston “considered himself beyond disciplinary boundaries.”

Mays also wrote “We have been led by a leader who considers himself above normal societal expectations in a range of areas including many which might be considered mandatory in nature,” according to a report from the Guardian. 

In the internal documents, Mays pointed out that Houston defied them “without further recourse from those responsible for his discipline” and that “unfortunately, I believe this typifies the leadership that is foundational to many unhealthy people practices employed within our Church based on my observations over many years.”

At the time, it was revealed by Hillsong leadership that Houston was accused of committing indiscretions with two women and having a drinking problem, including getting drunk and spending nearly an hour in a woman’s hotel room in 2019. Houston would say he mixed alcohol with sleeping tablets and had no memory of the hotel room encounter, but that he just fell asleep and didn’t do anything improper.

Following this incident, Hillsong leaders commented “It was decided Brian should take three months off from ministry but unfortunately, he didn’t abide by that. He did conduct some ministry, I believe on three separate occasions… and he also did, as he would say, consume some alcohol.” 

Mays considered the story of what happened in the hotel improbable at best, saying that his behavior was heaping stresses upon the board that were becoming more and more difficult to deal with, and that “these challenges would have been intensified on account of Brian’s strong, immovable, leadership disposition together with a distinct lack of personal accountability which has been allowed over many years”.

Mays recognized that their explanation to staff members of happened in that hotel room contained “obvious information gaps and anomalies.” He noted their story to staff was greeted with “skepticism and mistrust despite urgings to avoid gossip and talk to leadership about any concerns.”

I do not believe our employees have bought the narrative within the statement made in the staff meeting.

…One insulting example (of many) is that Brian lost his room key so knocked on the lady’s door, a detail he no doubt recalls despite memory loss during the following 40 minutes. Are we really asking our staff to accept such dribble and defend our Church with such?”

Mays also took aim at wife Bobbie Houston, who many felt was mistreated by the whole situation, saying that she was not innocent in this.

“I believe Bobbie in her capacity as Global Senior Pastor, paid accordingly, should also be accountable for her willingness to tolerate such behaviour and defiance on the part of her co-leader. I do not see her as a victim in this situation, she has a biblical, professional and corporate responsibility to ensure accountability.”

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Countdown: Top 10 Most Expensive Meals Brian and Bobbie Houston Expensed to the Church (Number 4 is $2433.38)

According to released documents from the Hillsong trove, senior leaders within Hillsong church had corporate church credit cards that they regularly used to buy luxury goods and high ticket items on the church’s dime, with former Global Senior Pastors Brian Houston having an affinity for multi-thousand-dollar meals and hotels.

These were all paid church tithes and offerings, making new Global Senior Leader Phil Dooley’s recent insistence that “stewardship of church resources is something we take very seriously” all the more laughable.

Per their internal policy, if you had a Hillsong church corporate card, it was “only be used for work/ ministry-related expenses properly incurred in the performance of your duties.”

If it wasn’t clear enough, their policy included a reminder for cardholders to ask themselves:

Am I spending this money with the same care that I would show if I was spending my own money? Am I being mindful to steward the church’s money? Is the expense really needed?

To that end, here are the top 10 meals Brian and Bobbie Houston expensed: (For our previous post Top 10 Most Expensive Hotels they expensed, click here)

1. $1570.08 Spent at Catch Restaurant

2. $1657.79 spent at Nobu Newport Restaurant

3. $1679.20 spent at Nobu Newport Restaurant

4. $2,433.38 Spent at Nobu Newport Restaurant

5. $3160.20 spent on Sails Restaurant

7 & 6. $3591.07 and $2948.08 at the Catalina Restaurant

8. $3607.36 spent at 6 Head Restaurant

9. $9431.80 spent at Catalina Restaurant

10. $10,200 spent at Catalina Restuarant

Bonus. $14,672.50 Spent on Gourmet Gift Baskets


For more on Hillsong, see here:

What is ‘Hillsong Family’, and Why Do Some Churches Pay $100K a Year to Join It? Ft. Judah Smith
A Step-by-Step Account of How The Hillsong Money-Making Scam Works
Hillsong’s Compassion Contract Details Revealed: What $1,000,000 Really Gets You
Hillsong Church Salaries, Royalties, Benefits Revealed. $1.9M, $ 1.7M, $1.5M, $876K, $540K

Categories
News

Hillsong Paid Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to T.D Jakes, Joyce Meyer for ‘Honorariums’

With the blockbuster news that Hillsong Church, under the leadership of Brian and Bobbi Houston and also Phil and Lucinda Dooley, has been spending millions of dollars on luxury items and flights, treating their private jet like Ubers, and buying luxury clothing with church resources, some people are accusing the embattled church of money laundering and tax fraud over ‘honorariums’ they both give and receive.

In Christian circles, “An honorarium is a payment made to a person that does not represent full compensation for the time and effort expended. It may also be a payment for which a fee is not traditionally or normally charged. According to Clergy Financial, “This would include payments made for things like weddings, baptisms, funerals, pulpit supply, or speaking engagements. In most situations, it would be rude to ask for a price, so any payment is totally up to the person who asked for the service.”

Most churches pay a couple of hundred dollars if the guest preacher is local. If not, they’d pay more to cover hotel, meals, transportation, and speaking fees for their time.

Not Hillsong.

According to reports: 171. TAB 110 explains in detail how this Celebrity Preacher’s Scam works. Hillsong pastors such as Brian and Bobbie Houston and Christine Caine were some of the ‘OGs’ of this abuse of  church funds. In essence, one mega-church pastor who is the founder and Chair from their own church (the host church), invites a founding celebrity pastor of another mega-church to speak at their church or event. For this, the host church pays for business or first-class flights for the guest pastor, along with luxury accommodation, restaurant meals, gifts and green room  comfort. The icing on the cake is the payment of a generous honorarium (around $10k to $20k  or more) to the visiting celebrity pastor to preach a couple of 30 minute sermons.

In addition, the visiting pastor receives royalties from the sale of his or her resources at the church service or event. This arrangement is then reciprocated. That is, the original celebrity preacher guest  subsequently invites the celebrity pastor from the host church to come to their church or event to preach and offers all of the same benefits they had received. 

The problem with this arrangement is that it is church money which pays for the honorarium, flights, accommodation etc, yet the pastor receives the honorarium into their personal pocket. This scam means that Australian tax-exempt church income is being used to make celebrity pastors personally wealthy. The mega-wealthy pastors of the world’s largest mega-churches are all ‘in on it’ by continually inviting each other to speak at their church services and events. 

They are effectively lining each other’s personal pockets and enabling luxurious lifestyles – all with church money sacrificially donated by the general public who are not wealthy. TABS 110A to 118 detail this scam in extensive detail using Hillsong as a case study. 

TAB 111 details the amount of money Brian and Bobbie Houston received in tax-free honorariums over the past 10 years from speaking at the churches of their friends. Many of these honorariums have even been paid to Brian or Bobbie from Hillsong’s own global churches such as those in Europe. They are already being paid a combined salary of circa $1 million by Hillsong to work full time jobs, yet also receive honorariums from their own churches in addition to their full-time salary – simply for performing the duties you would reasonably expect them to perform in return for their generous salaries. 

TAB 112 demonstrates that the celebrity pastors who participate in this speaker circuit scam fly business class around the world – paid for by the host church congregation. At Hillsong Australia, it’s not only the Houston family – other participants in this scam include Steve Dixon, Robert Fergusson, Donna Crouch, Laura and Peter Toginavalu and Joel and Julia A’Bell. 

This is where things get interesting.

TAB 113 demonstrates how pastors can use their church’s money to ‘buy’ their way into this exclusive reciprocal speaker’s circuit so they too can become wealthy from honorariums. 

That is, churches around the world pay up to $100k per year to be a member of the Hillsong Family ‘Club’. This entitles the senior pastors of the member church to go on retreat with the Global Senior Pastors of Hillsong a couple of times per year – usually at a luxurious overseas resort. At this retreat, they can solidify their relationship with Hillsong so they will continue to be invited to speak at Hillsong church services or events. Thus, the senior pastors of the member churches are buying their way into, or consolidating their spot in, celebrity preacher’s circuit scam.

This also works in reverse. For example, the likes of Laura and Peter Toginavalu, and Ben and Lucille Houston, attend the retreats so they can solidify their relationships with the senior pastors of other mega-churches to shore up their future speaking engagement on the preacher circuit. TAB 115 outlines in great detail those pastors around the world who have benefited from this honorarium scam over the years – many of whom are part of the Hillsong Family ‘Club’, Brian and Bobbie’s BFF gang or Hillsong’s own pastors such as Phil Dooley, Mark Wilkerson, Carl Lentz, Ben Houston and Chris Mendez. 

TAB 118 provides evidence that the host church pays for these celebrity speakers to fly business class both internationally and domestically to travel to speak at the church service or event. TAB 119 shows the enormous amount of money these pastors are receiving in royalties from the sales of their book and other resource royalties when they speak at a church service or event – in addition to their generous honorarium. 

While we don’t (yet) have access to the whistleblower report tabs, Wilke did mention several people listed:

“US Pastor Joyce Meyer enjoyed honorariums of $160,000, $133,000 100,030, $2,000. And US. Pastor T. D. Jakes received $71,000 and $120,000 with a staggering $77,000 worth of airfares to and from Australia thrown in.