HILLSONG CHURCH GLOBAL SENIOR PASTOR BRIAN HOUSTON ON WOMEN, DRUGS & ALCOHOL
The statement issued by Hillsong Global church Board on Friday 18th March 2022 that uses the word sabbatical reveals more than what we were informed as to the reason why Pastor Brian stepped down.
The statement yesterday reveals there are two other reasons he stepped down which include indiscretions and the abuse of prescription medication and alcohol.
Sometimes when we deal with our religious leader's moral failures in Africa, we tend to think the structure of the churches in the West or western initiated churches holds their Pastors accountable, it is not true. White churches are covering up the moral failures of their leaders with words like Sabbatical leave.
Forgive my ignorance, but Hillsong Board placed Pastor Houston on sabbatical leave instead of putting him on discipline.
Sabbatical leave which comes from the sabbath which means rest is a technical word they use to protect their spiritual leaders. A sabbatical leave allows a minister of the gospel chance to rest, reflect on his/her faith or take a long period to travel or study. I don't understand how it's the appropriate term for a Christian leader caught on moral failure.
Is Pastor Brian Houston a liar? Others will argue that the reason he gave about taking time off the pulpit to deal with the legal battle that involves him concealing information about his father's child sex offenses is true. But that wasn't the only reason as we are told now. He omitted or concealed information that the sabbatical was a disciplinary action related to his inappropriate behavior towards women and alcohol. The 800 plus Hillsong church Staff members knew about the other two cases but remained mute on Houston's omission of truth.
Church Boards should not be PR or DC (damage control). If we have to learn something from the Board of the late Christian apologists Ravi Zacharias is that no matter how much you try to clean and hide the celebrity preacher's mess, the truth eventually comes out, and it's embarrassing. PASTOR BRIAN HOUSTON DOESN'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY BUT BLAMES DRUGS & ALCOHOL. The 800 Hillsong church staff members heard that in 2019 after the conference at Qudos Bank Arena in Homebush, New South Wales, Pastor Brian had drinks at the hotel where Hillsong leaders lodged with a group that included an unnamed woman who wasn't Hillsong's staff. At the time Pastor, Brian Houston was taking anxiety medication and had overdosed while getting drunk on alcohol.
What I fail to understand is a Global leader of that status, is how can he be so irresponsible? For those of us battling depression, the medication instructions are very clear; avoid alcohol. Anxiety tablets can't be taken with alcohol.
While our celebrity preachers are battling with anxieties, adhering to Doctors' orders is important unless you want to kill yourself. But what I don't understand again is that Pastor Brian Houston is willing to be vulnerable to his Board as far as depression, drug & alcohol abuse which he blames for his indiscretions. I don't know if abusing drugs and drinking alcohol is not problematic enough?
Pastor Houston further revealed that he was too high and drunk that his mind was not working well that he failed to unlock his hotel room forcing him to knock on the door of this unnamed woman whom he had been drinking with and entered her room. "The truth is we don't know exactly what happened next. This woman has not said if there was any sexual activity Brian has said there was no sexual activity" Dooley told Hillsong staff members.
But Brian was in this room while intoxicated for 40 minutes. He doesn't remember much of that 40 minutes because of the mixture of anxiety pills and alcohol.
Though the Hillsong Global investigation concluded that Brian had breached Hillsong's code of conduct, and ruled that he should take three months off Ministry and alcohol, Brian didn't abide instead he conducted some ministry and did consume alcohol. The other reason for Brian's"sabbatical" happened 10 years ago. Again in this case Brian blames drugs & alcohol.
He said he was under the influence of alcohol and sleeping pills, he sent an inappropriate text message to a female Hillsong staff member which was romantic in nature.
The female staff member felt uncomfortable and decided to resign from her work at Hillsong Church. But unfortunately for her, she never got employed for many months until she decided to go back to work for the church.
Pastor Brian admitted and decided to personally pay her the amount of wages she lost when she resigned.
There is a power play here. Powerful Pastors have connections to employers in many cities and it's easy to make sure you don't work for anyone else so that you are near enough where they can pay you a salary & control you. Most leaders were never aware of this incident until the end of 2021.
While Papas in Africa will deny and attack the victims, Houston is hiding his indiscretions behind prescription drugs & alcohol. If alcohol is a problem why not stop it altogether? Anxieties or mental health shouldn't be an excuse for moral failure. The unnamed woman was in the same hotel not by chance, it was premeditated.
Often celebrity preachers would have their 'girlfriends' attend conferences they are running. If the conference is in New York City, the girlfriend will register and pay for the conference, book in the exact hotel the celebrity preacher will lodge & that's how sexual indiscretions happen at that level.
If Brian's use of drugs & alcohol gets him that useless to even unlock his hotel room, how can he unlock spiritual truths to the rest. The alcohol party after the conference seems like a usual Hillsong after the 'conference' party. Why was the unnamed woman paid back her conference fee and the donation she gave to Hillsong?
Is this some kind of bribe? She attended the conference, had drinks with Pastor Brian, and they spent 40 minutes together in her hotel room, why is she being refunded for exactly?
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