Frank Houston

Frank Houston (born William Francis Houston; in Wanganui, New Zealand 1926 (sometimes stated to be 1922) - died Sydney, Australia, 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.

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.

In 2000 he was advised to resign his ministerial credentials by his own son, Brian Houston the National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia, after Houston confessed to the sexual abuse of young (under-age) male members of his New Zealand congregation 30 years earlier.[2]

Contrary to the requirements of New South Wales child protection legislation neither Brian Houston nor the AOG administration reported the matters to the police and Frank Houston was never charged or convicted. However, Houston did resign, living in Hillsong-owned accommodation until his death in 2004.[2][3]

In August 2007 further allegations emerged that Houston had sexually abused a trainee pastor during counseling sessions in the early 1980s.[4]

Preceded by
R Read		 General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand
1967–1977		 Succeeded by
Jim Williams

References

  1. ^ Danny Nalliah / Philip Powell (2007-07-13). "PENTECOSTAL DISGRACE - Catch the Fire Honouring the Late Frank Houston". Christian Witness Ministries. http://www.christian-witness.org/blog/?p=6. Retrieved 2007-08-05. 
  2. ^ a b Stephen Gibbs (2004-11-13). "Hillsong farewells a lost sheep pioneer". Sydney Morning Herald (John Fairfax Holdings). http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Hillsong-farewells-a-lost-sheep-pioneer/2004/11/12/1100227581958.html. Retrieved 2006-06-21. 
  3. ^ "Peter Fowler writes to Philip Powell". Christian Witness Ministries. Vanguard Magazine. http://www.christian-witness.org/aog/pf_plp.html. 
  4. ^ David Marr (2007-08-03). "Hillsong - the church with no answers". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/03/1185648145760.html?page=4. Retrieved 2007-08-03.