Frank Houston

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Frank Houston (born William Francis Houston; 1925 – 8 November 2004), was a Pentecostal Christian pastor in the Assemblies of God in New Zealand and Australia.

He commenced ministry training as a Salvation Army officer shortly after turning 18. He married Hazel and they had five children. They transferred to the Baptist church, and later to the Assemblies of God in New Zealand. Houston founded his first Assemblies of God ministry at Lower Hutt in 1960, and served as the superintendent of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand from 1965 to 1971.

In 1977 he and his family moved to Sydney, and founded the Sydney Christian Life Centre in "Sherbrooke Hall" in Double Bay, which was not affiliated with any denomination in its first decade, but then became an Assemblies of God church. With further growth it moved to Darlinghurst, and then warehouse premises in the inner Sydney suburb of Waterloo, which housed a 2,000 seat auditorium, a Bible and Creative Arts College, and many other ministry arms. Known in the church as "the Bishop"[1] he was also involved in over twenty CLCs being opened throughout New South Wales, Australia and overseas. Houston served as pastor there for more than two decades and in senior positions within the Assemblies of God in Australia.

In 2000 he was advised to resign his ministerial credentials by his own son,[2] Brian Houston the National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia, after Houston confessed gross mistakes of his past.[2][3]

After consultation amongst senior pastoral staff of the church and Brian Houston, a pastor of a daughter church, Hillsong Church, the churches were merged and Sydney CLC became its second campus.


[edit] References

  1. ^ Danny Nalliah / Philip Powell. "PENTECOSTAL DISGRACE - Catch the Fire Honouring the Late Frank Houston", Christian Witness Ministries, 2007-07-13. Retrieved on 2007-08-05. 
  2. ^ a b Stephen Gibbs. "Hillsong farewells a lost sheep pioneer", Sydney Morning Herald, John Fairfax Holdings, 2004-11-13. Retrieved on 2006-06-21. 
  3. ^ Peter Fowler writes to Philip Powell. Christian Witness Ministries. Vanguard Magazine.