Hillsong megachurch founder resigns following misconduct investigation

The founder of Hillsong megachurch has resigned following an internal misconduct investigation, the church announced Wednesday.

Brian Houston resigned as senior pastor of the Australia-based megachurch after previously stepping aside from his ministry duties in January.

“We have sadly been dealing with two complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10 years,” the church wrote in a release published on Friday.

The first complaint alleged that Houston sent “inappropriate text messages” to a member of the church’s staff a decade ago. Shortly afterward, the staff member resigned. 

“At the time, Pastor Brian was under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence,” the church said. “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.”

In a 2019 incident, Houston allegedly entered a hotel room that belonged to a female occupant and spent time with her.

“Following an in-depth investigation, it was found that Pastor Brian became disoriented after a session at the Hillsong Conference, following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol,” the church said of incident. 

“Ultimately, the board found that Brian had breached the Hillsong Pastor’s Code of Conduct,” the church’s statement said. 

The church also acknowledged that “change is needed.”

Houston was placed on leave prior to his resignation after he failed to adhere to all of the steps outlined by the church amid the probe. 

Last year, Australian authorities charged Houston with concealing information about child sex abuse.