In our first article, we demonstrated that Brian Houston (above) fulfilled his own definition of cover-up when dealing with the crimes of his pedophile father.
Brian Houston confesses he covered up his father’s pedophilia (Part 1) – Witnesses testify
However, we had another witness write into us last year who gave valuable insight to the Hawkesbury Christian Center (HCC) leadership and how they wanted their congregation to perceive Frank Houston.
It is important to note a few things in this testimony:
How HCC leadership perceived Frank’s divine status
Most importantly, they called Frank Houston “great general.” This is code for “Apostle,” a title for an infallible Apostle in the New Apostolic Reformation cult. This means that HCC presented a serial pedophile as an Apostle greater than Jesus’ Twelve Apostles. While Jesus’ Apostles considered Christians noble for scrutinising the authenticity of their message (Acts 17:11-12), NAR apostles like Frank Houston do not tolerate scrutiny and instead demonize Christians. As with Apostle Frank Houston, he even threatened AOG minister Philip Powell with death when Powell started investigating Frank’s pedophilia in New Zealand. [Source]- HCC leadership called Frank Houston “Pastor”
The AOG Executive agreed to send Frank Houston to HCC for “discipline” and “restoration purposes.” Although Brian Houston said he stripped his father of his credentials, this witness stated that Ian Woods kept calling Frank Houston a pastor and that Frank “was just taking a ‘sabbatical’ until he knew what he wanted to do in the future.”The fact that this witness remembers Frank Houston sitting “on stage during the announcement, seated with the other Pastors and leaders” was significant back in the day. In Pentecostal/Charismatic/NAR churches, only men of God could sit on stage. This witness observed that Mr Houston sat “in the front row when attending services with the other Pastors,” further proving that Mr Houston was treated and respected as a current pastor in ministry, only resting. - Frank’s health
Considering Woods’ above statement on Frank’s sabbatical, this suggests that Frank Houston was healthy enough to go back into pastoral ministry, (which explains Zerna’s letter). In our last article, no witnesses at Hawkesbury Christian Center seemed to recall Frank Houston suffering from serious dementia, advanced Alzheimer’s or other health issues. In fact, this witness stated that Woods made it “clear that [Frank Houston] did not resign for sickness reasons.” This witness also did not notice any physical or mental problem with Frank Houston while at HCC. His observations back evidence to suggest that the AOG, Houston and Ainge fabricated Frank Houston’s sickness. - Frank only retired from CLC Waterloo – not from the pastoral office
The witness stated that Ian Woods told HCC that “‘Pastor’ Frank Houston had resigned from Waterloo” and was having a sabbatical “until he knew what he wanted to do in the future.” This is not true. - Church culture of cover-up
This witness stated, “the church behaviour did not reflect anything to indicate Frank was under church discipline of any kind, other than we were told during the announcement not to bother ‘Pastor’ Frank with any problems or issues as he was there for “rest”. This observation indicates that Mr Houston was moved to HCC not to be disciplined by Ian Woods but to remain quiet and out of the way while Brian Houston, Hillsong leaders and the AOG attempted to deal with the crimes. - No congregant at HCC in 2000 knew Frank Houston was a pedophile
The witness below stated that at Ian Woods announcement that there was no “indication that anything was wrong” with Frank.”We all just let it go as we trusted our Pastor and friend, Ian Woods.”When the witness in 2005 talked to “people who were still members of Hawkesbury about Frank Houston and the revelation that he was a Pedophile and that he had been put in our church without anyone being told why he was really there,” they stated HCC congregants “were completely shocked and also disgusted that Frank was allowed to come amongst [them] and [their] children as an ‘honoured guest’.”The witness spoke to people “in other local churches” about Frank Houston and claimed that churchgoers “all said that they only found out that Frank Houston was a pedophile via ‘the grape vine’.” This further proves that Brian Houston, the local CLC/Hillsong gatherings and the AOG hid Frank’s crimes from their followers.
The facts and eyewitness testimonies indicate that Brian Houston is guilty (by his own definition) of cover-up.
INSIDER AT HAWKESBURY CHRISTIAN CENTER REVEALS ALL
Here is the statement from the insider when they attended Hawkesbury Christian Center:
“I wish to remain anonymous as I have friends that still go to Hawkesbury Church and/or other churches in surrounding areas, as do I, and I don’t want to be seen as a ‘trouble maker’.
I was a member (in good standing) of the Hawkesbury CLC (AOG) Church from mid-1998 to mid-2000. I also attended a home group regularly on a weekly basis. After July 2000, I only attended the home group. As I recall, the announcement regarding Frank Houston joining our congregation was made either very late 1999 or early 2000.
Our Senior Pastor, Ian Woods, made the announcement on a Sunday morning. The tone of the announcement was a ‘joyous’ one. Ian Woods made it sound like we had ‘royalty’ among us. The announcement was fairly long and in hindsight, carefully worded, making sure there was no way anyone could read anything bad into it.
We were told that ‘Pastor’ Frank Houston had resigned from Waterloo and was going to have some well-deserved/earned rest time with us. We were led to believe that Frank had left Waterloo in good standing and was just taking a ‘sabbatical’ until he knew what he wanted to do in the future. We were not given any time frame as to how long Frank would be with us. Frank was publicly told that it was a ‘great honour’ to have him in our church. And it was made clear that he did not resign for sickness reasons.
Frank Houston was on stage during the announcement, seated with the other Pastors and leaders for the whole service up till the sermon. When I saw Frank on the stage that morning, I assumed he was going to be the ‘unannounced’ guest preacher that week. Why else would he be there? I was surprised to see Frank on the stage ‘unannounced’ for some time.
Ian Woods referred to Frank as ‘Pastor Frank Houston’, ‘Pastor Frank’ and a ‘great general in God’s church’. Ian Woods made the announcement without the aid of any notes. All the other Pastors and leaders were present that day including, youth Pastors, children’s ministry, assistant Pastors and music team, it was a normal Sunday morning service.
I can’t remember if the children were present during the announcement or if they had been dismissed to ‘children’s church’. The announcement was made just before the sermon by Ian Woods, I don’t recall anyone else speaking. There had been no prior announcement about Frank coming, it was very sudden.
The statement/ announcement was at least 10 mins long, “Special welcome” to Pastor Frank Houston this morning…. To my knowledge nothing was mentioned regarding Frank’s dementia and Frank never gave the impression he was sick.
During Frank Houston’s time at Hawkesbury AOG, I recall he sat in the front row when attending services with the other Pastors, I now assume this was to give the appearance of nothing being wrong.
The church behaviour did not reflect anything to indicate Frank was under church discipline of any kind, other than we were told during the announcement not to bother ‘Pastor’ Frank with any problems or issues as he was there for rest. We had all been given the impression that Frank had retired from CLC Waterloo before he came to Hawkesbury.
As Frank Houston’s arrival was sudden, it was discussed in our home group and we tried to reason it out, but because Frank was announced without any indication that anything was wrong, we all just let it go as we trusted our Pastor and friend, Ian Woods. When I left the church around July 2000, Frank Houston was still in attendance.
From memory Ian Woods was President of The AOG Church Assembly when he agreed to Frank being let into our church. For the record, it was no secret at Hawkesbury at the time that Ian Woods was Hillsong’s greatest ally. Ian Woods was very close friends with both Brian Houston and Frank Houston and regularly spoke at both the Baulkham Hills and Waterloo churches.
I know this because I used to go to the Saturday night meetings at Hillsong Baulkham Hills and Ian Woods was a regular guest preacher and he also attended when he was not preaching.
Categories: Hillsong