Inquiry told of NZ pastor abusing young boy

By Annette Blackwell
3 News
October 7, 2014

http://www.3news.co.nz/world/inquiry-told-of-nz-pastor-abusing-young-boy-2014100722

Brian Houston, the senior pastor at Australia's popular Hillsong Church, accused a child sex abuse victim of tempting his father Frank Houston, an inquiry has heard.

The royal commission into the response of Pentecostal churches to claims of child sexual abuse is hearing evidence of allegations made against the late Pastor Frank Houston, the man attributed with driving the evangelical movement in Australia from the 1970s when he and his son moved from New Zealand.

Today, a man known for legal reasons as AHA told the commission Frank Houston would stay with his family when he came to Sydney from New Zealand in the 1970s.

AHA was seven when Frank Houston would come to his room and sexually abuse him, he told the commission.

"I would wake up petrified and I would stay very still," he said.

He said the abuse left him feeling ashamed, and he now suffered depression.

AHA said when he eventually told his mother in 1978 she told him he did not "want to be responsible for turning people from the church and sending them to hell".

He said the Houstons "were considered to be almost like royalty" in the circles in which his parents moved.

The witness said when, in 1998, his mother told another church pastor of the abuse, Frank Houston apologised.

Houston later offered AU$10,000 as compensation and AHA was told if there were any problems to contact Frank or Brian Houston.

He said after two months he rang Brian and said: "What is happening with the money I was promised? I agreed to forgive your father."

AHA said Brian Houston said "'Yes, OK, I'll get the money for you. There's no problem. You know it's your fault all of this happened. You tempted my father'."

AHA said he replied, "Why, did he molest you also?"

He said Brian got very angry after that.

"He slammed the phone down with words to the effect 'You'll be getting money'."

While acknowledging AHA's courage in appearing at the commission, Brian Houston rejected the claims he accused him of tempting his father.

"I disagree with his perception of the phone call with me and I strongly refute that I - at any time - accused him of tempting my father. I would never say this and I do not believe this," he said in a statement made outside the commission.

"At no stage did I attempt to hide or cover up the allegations against my father."

Counsel advising the commission, Simeon Beckett, said the hearing would explore Brian Houston's role in resolving AHA's allegations.

He was national president of the Assemblies of God - an affiliation of Pentecostal churches which since 2007 has been known as Australian Christian Churches. It deals with complaints against pastors.

The hearing continues.