https://www.smh.com.au/national/we-...n-houston-conduct-breach-20220320-p5a68m.html ‘We are sorry’: Hillsong apologises for Brian Houston conduct breach By Megan Gorrey March 20, 2022 The interim global leader of Hillsong Church has apologised to two complainants after the church’s Australian founder, Brian Houston, was found to have engaged in behaviour that breached its moral code of conduct for pastors. Hillsong’s global board said in a public statement released on Saturday that leaders at the pentecostal Christian church had “sadly been dealing with two complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10 years”. Pastor Brian Houston founded Hillsong in 1983.Credit:Getty One of the complaints referred to Mr Houston sending “inappropriate” text messages to a staff member a decade ago, while the second incident related to Mr Houston going into a woman’s hotel room after a conference in 2019. In an emotional address to the church during an online service on Sunday, Hillsong’s interim global pastor Phil Dooley said: “We as a leadership of Hillsong church have repentant hearts in this season. “I want to say we are sorry for anyone who has been a victim of any form of harassment. “Some of us here ... understand the pain because you have experienced it yourselves, and others of us are doing our best to empathise with you. “Where you’ve been hurt, we pray for healing, strength and courage to move forward in your life.” Mr Dooley said church members had likely received an email that “relates to two incidents involving Pastor Brian where there was a breach of our moral code of conduct and the requirements of leadership for a pastor”. Hillsong’s board said in its statement the complaints had been treated “extremely seriously”. The statement said the first complaint was about “inappropriate text messages from Pastor Brian to a member of staff, which subsequently resulted in the staff member resigning” about 10 years ago. Mr Houston stepped down as leader in January and remains on leave.Credit:Janie Barrett “At the time, Pastor Brian was under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence. He immediately apologised to the person. We also worked closely with Pastor Brian to ensure he received professional help to eliminate his dependency on this medication, and this was achieved successfully. “To this former staff member, we again apologise and would welcome the opportunity to provide further assistance if this is needed.” The board said the second incident related to a complaint received in 2019. An investigation found Mr Houston had become “disoriented” after a session at a Hillsong Conference, following “the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol”. “This resulted in him knocking on the door of a hotel room that was not his, entering this room and spending time with the female occupant,” the statement said. The investigators said although some aspects of the complaint were “unable to be sustained”, Mr Houston’s conduct was of “serious concern” and the board found he had breached the Hillsong pastor’s code of conduct. “Whatever the circumstances at this time, this person did not deserve to be placed in the situation she found herself in by Pastor Brian,” the board said. The board said it had agreed to a request from the complainant to refund money she had donated to the church. “Pastor Brian was extremely remorseful and insisted on repaying the church for this.” Following the most recent investigation, Mr Houston had agreed to take “specific action, including stepping down from leadership for a period. “However unfortunately he failed to take all of the agreed steps which resulted in further action being taken by the board in late 2021.” Hillsong said Mr Houston “remains on a period of leave”. “We apologise unreservedly to the people affected by Pastor Brian’s actions and commit to being available for any further assistance we can provide,” the board said. The board said there had been “a significant breach of trust” and members were “reviewing governance structure and measures to ensure higher levels of accountability across Hillsong Church globally”. In his address on Sunday, Mr Dooley said the church would “continue to pray for Pastor Brian, and [his wife] Bobbie and the entire Houston family at this time”. “As a church community, we are having to deal with a whole lot of pain, sorrow and hurt, and I know that this is not easy for any of us ... But I pray that we can and we will get through this together.” Hillsong Church was founded in 1983 in Sydney’s Baulkham Hills and claims a global weekly attendance of more than 150,000 worshippers, with nearly 50,000 in Australia. The church has been asked to comment on the findings.
Anyone else feel the need to maybe message those legume purple things eggplants? and peaches on sleeping tablets? "Total bollocks" is what a psychiatrist friend of mine said about Roseanne Barr and her "sleeping tablet" faux pa, he had never seen it in 30 years of practice. I have seen guys get psychotic on them though.
PM ‘shocked and disappointed’ by Houston resignation, not been a Hillsong member for 15 years By Harriet Alexander March 24, 2022 Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was “shocked and disappointed” that Hillsong global senior pastor Brian Houston had resigned from the church after he was found to have breached its moral code, but said he had not been a member of the church for 15 years. “I think it’s entirely appropriate [that Mr Houston resigned], and I must admit that we were very disappointed and shocked to hear the news,” Mr Morrison told reporters on Thursday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on stage before a Hillsong congregation in 2019. “My first thoughts were with the victims, as they’ve been rightly described ... I mean, I haven’t been at Hillsong now for over about 15 years. I go to a local church in my own community, a Pentecostal church, I think everybody knows that. But, you know, I was quite shocked, and I’m sure, like many, very disappointed.” Mr Houston resigned on Wednesday following an internal investigation by the church that found he had breached its moral code in two separate incidents. One complaint involved sending inappropriate text messages to a member of staff and the other involved entering the hotel room of a woman at a Hillsong convention. According to the acting head of the church, Pastor Phil Dooley, the woman involved in the hotel room incident has not said it involved any sexual activity. In 2019, Mr Morrison gave the opening address at the Hillsong national conference, using the occasion to champion the government’s religious discrimination bill. “I want everyone in this place to feel comfortable talking about faith in this country,” he told the 21,000 worshippers at the time. “It’s not a political agenda, it’s just who we are. It’s who you are.” A spokesman for Mr Morrison said he had been a member of Hillsong until he left the church 15 years ago. More..... https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...song-member-for-15-years-20220324-p5a7o2.html
Those guys make me sick, more money grubbing crooks like RZiM Ministries was. It’s a cult and cognitive dissonance is the reaction you get when speaking to their blind followers. Edited: “In an unsigned letter, the board of RZIM placed the blame for the organization’s failings squarely on the shoulders of Zacharias, who died in 2020. Once a beloved preacher, author and Christian apologist, the now-disgraced Zacharias also had a long pattern of sexual misconduct and abuse, according to a report released https://religionnews.com/2022/02/23...-zacharias-spent-donor-money-to-sue-survivor/
The facts about humans: Humans have a weakness, we are suckers for marketeers, easily led by smooth talking. We are easily conned by Holywood, good looking people, swayed by impressions of wealth. We like to be entertained, swayed with emotions brought on by the likes of music, media, movies, etc. Religion no matter what creed, is a con job where humans are easily led by peer pressure, society, salesmen. Religion is entertainment for the mind, allows us to stretch our imaginations, to live in (false) hope. Some people are more zealous (cultist) than others and they often lean toward conspiracy theories. They are believers in predictions and prophecies The brain is a wonderful thing, it takes us on amazing journeys. The con job that is the church, rope in victims because their message which suck in the gullible is; "Here with us you have found a place where you experience the feeling of 'you belong' ".
The bible is a con job, nicely put together over many thousands of years. Should any author sit down and compose a book, any book, over thousands of years, that too would be a best seller.
The bible is riddled with errors, but lets for convenience shovel that shit under the carpet for a minute, "It's the word of God".
Can you show me an error or two? Don't throw a whole bunch at me, please, because even though I believe you are in error to think there are errors, I don't feel like spending the time to go through hundreds of errors that aren't really errors at all. And I'm not talking about minor scribal errors, like copying a number incorrectly, I know those exist, and they are very few and have little to do with discerning the intent of Scripture.
You got to give some credit too, orphanages, hospitals and universities were excellent products of the Church. I have read lots of books on historical Early Xians. I think they would not recognize the modern concept of money grubbing and destroying the weak. Edited “Book to books”