The daughter of embattled Hillsong founder Brian Houston has paid tribute to her dad, after he announced his bombshell departure from the church.
Hillsong founder Brian Houston’s daughter has made an emotional tribute to him in the wake of his bombshell departure from the church.
Mr Houston announced on Sunday he had stepped down from the mega-church as he fights allegations he concealed his father’s child sexual abuse.
The pastor for the powerful evangelical church was last year charged with one count of concealing a serious indictable offence and has indicated he will plead not guilty and fight the allegations.
His matter was briefly heard in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court last week and proceedings are expected to drag on well into 2022.
Police allege Mr Houston knew from September 1999 that his father Frank Houston had indecently assaulted a male in 1970.
In court documents, police allege Mr Houston failed to tell the authorities, despite believing his father had committed the assault, and knowing he had information that might help a prosecution.
Mr Houston, 67, said in a statement that he would be stepping down from his ministerial duties with the church while he defends the action.
“These allegations came as a shock to me, and it is my intention to vigorously defend them,” Mr Houston said in a statement.
“In September last year, I learned it was necessary for me to step aside as a director of all Hillsong boards during this season, enabling me to give attention to these charges.”
Mr Houston’s daughter, Laura Toggs, has leapt to her father’s defence, paying tribute to him, her mother and her church in a series of emotional social media posts.
In one, she shared an old photograph of her father preaching in Hillsong’s early days, describing him as “a great one” and weighing into his decision to resign.
She said she supported his decision to take a “sabbatical” and that she was confident 2022 would be “a year of grace and favour”.
“I pray he gets some rest and an opportunity to heal from much adversity he has faced,” Ms Toggs posted.
“His greatest joy is to build the church … and I know that although today’s announcement comes with a mix of emotions for him – his best days are still ahead.
“Jesus is a kind, kind shepherd and he has us. I’m looking forward to 2022.”
In another, she praised her “beautiful and courageous” mother, Bobbie Houston, while in a third she insisted her “beautiful church” has “got this”.
It comes just days after Ms Toggs attacked the media in a scathing Instagram post after news of Hillsong’s wild youth party made headlines for breaching Covid rules.
The youth camp in Newcastle, NSW, made headlines after a viral video showed hundreds of attendees singing and dancing without masks in violation of public health orders.
But Ms Toggs, a pastor of Hillsong’s youth ministry along with her husband, Peter, lashed out at reporters for covering the story, branding the coverage “disgusting”, “horrible”, “immoral” and “low”.
Ms Toggs said the NSW government had changed the rules on the organisation due to “media pressure”.
“There is a clear agenda to drag Hillsong through the mud and to destroy our name,” Ms Toggs claimed at the time.
– with NCA NewsWire
Originally published as ‘A great one’: Daughter’s gushing tribute to embattled Hillsong founder Brian Houston
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