This is a visual presentation and a general timeline of key events for the handling of the AHA child sexual abuse allegations against Frank Houston.
We would not have known about Brian Houston’s unethical leadership as the President of the AOG and Head of Hillsong church unless the Royal Commission intervened and managed to get documentation exposing the below timeline.
The Royal Commision is a commission of inquiry appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of the government. It has considerable powers, generally greater even than those of a judge but restricted to the terms of reference of the Commission. In Australia—and particularly New South Wales—Royal Commissions have had investigations into police and government corruption and organised crime using the very broad coercive powers of the Royal Commissioner to defeat the protective systems that powerful, but corrupt, public officials had used to shield themselves from conventional investigation. [Source]
- How Brian Houston has positioned himself to be the main player in control of the matter by July, 2000.
- How the AHA matter has been covered over.
This is an example of how the AOGA and Brian Houston conflate (merge) and obfuscate (make unclear) both abuse cases, in order to hide the AHA case:
Email from John Lewis AOGA executive, Vice President, 24/12/2002
[AHA matter determined Dec,1999 in blue]
[NZ matter determined Nov, 2000 in green]
To all Ordained and Probationary Ministers of the Assemblies of God in Australia
Issue: Sexual Failure of Ministers
…
FRANK HOUSTON
Several months after taking on the oversight of Sydney Christian Life Centre in 1999 our National President, Pastor Brian Houston received a serious accusation against his father, Frank Houston. The allegation was some thirty years previous and it should be clearly noted this was the first time Brian had received any such allegations against his father.
Brian suspended his father’s credential in line with our policy and immediately contacted the National Executive. Brian offered to allow me as Vice President to oversee an investigation in co-operation with the New Zealand Executive (where Frank was pastoring at the time of these allegations). As a result of these investigations, clear evidence was forthcoming and Frank Houston was permanently removed from all forms of ministry by the Australian National Executive in 2000 and the following statement of prepared for those who made inquiries.
….
[Note: there is no mention of a Sydney victim nor that the victims were young boys, children. The bungled 1999 AOGA executive determination of the Sydney AHA matter is missing. It hides the fact that Frank’s credentials were not removed permanently in the AHA case and Brian was the inappropriate investigator of the AHA case, ignoring his conflict of interest and disregarding AOGA procedure. Since it appears it all happened in NZ, people would not be alarmed that Brian or the AOGA did not report Frank to the police. And since it seems to have all happened in NZ, there is no connection to Hillsong or its parent church, CLC, the church Frank Houston started.]
For a more detailed analysis of this email to AOGA ministers, see:
Royal Commission 3: Review of Letter from AOG to All Ministers – Damage Control
Categories: Hillsong
AHA has launched civil action against the Assemblies of God in NZ Incorporated and Australian Christian Churches (formerly known as Assemblies of God in Australia) in the NSW Supreme Court. The next court dates in early May.