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(gentle music)
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(somber music)
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(somber music continues)
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(somber music continues)
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- You can't live in
Australia and not hear
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about the Hillsong Church.
- Hillsong.
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- Hillsong.
- Hillsong.
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- Hillsong.
- Hillsong.
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(somber music continues)
- In terms of becoming aware
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of the failings of the church,
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the crimes of some of
its senior members,
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well, I think you go back
to this town hall meeting.
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(tense music)
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This was a time
when institutional
child sexual abuse,
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00:00:56,925 --> 00:01:00,035
in many ways, was considered
a kind of dark secret,
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a place for conspiracies.
(tense music continues)
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Victims were
damaged individuals,
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and the institutions were the
kind of privileged voices.
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(tense music continues)
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I spent 11 years in Parliament
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fighting for victims
of child sexual abuse
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from institutions,
especially the churches.
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When you're doing this kind
of work as a politician,
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you absolutely
need to find a way
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for the story to be told
and fix these broken laws.
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(tense music continues)
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We booked a big hall
for a Saturday morning.
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We put out a few fliers,
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and we weren't sure
who would turn up.
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And I remember getting there
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about 15 minutes before
the meeting started,
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and there was a crowd
of people outside
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waiting for the doors to open.
(melancholy music)
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And I thought to myself, well,
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this is going to be
bigger than I suspected.
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Within a few minutes,
those seats filled,
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and then we put out more
seats and more seats
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and more seats.
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And then this hall filled
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with hundreds,
hundreds of people.
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And there were people
standing on the side.
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(melancholy music continues)
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There was this emotion,
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raw emotion in the room.
(melancholy music continues)
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- [Victim] He was a monster.
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An absolute monster.
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- My son committed suicide.
(melancholy music continues)
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- Victims and families
were telling their stories.
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After we'd heard
from the victims,
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we had this police
officer step up.
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(melancholy music continues)
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- Do we need a royal
commission? By hell we do.
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(audience applauding)
(melancholy music continues)
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- A royal commission
looks a lot like a court,
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but it has powers that
go well beyond the court.
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It can force the truth
from institutions.
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It can force witnesses
to tell the truth.
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This was the first
and best chance
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that these victims had had.
(melancholy music continues)
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There was this growing
media coverage.
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It felt like the
moment had arrived.
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(gentle downbeat music)
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♪ I hope you find
some peace of mind ♪
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♪ In this lifetime ♪
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(gentle downbeat
music continues)
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♪ I hope you find
some paradise ♪
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(gentle downbeat
music continues)
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(gentle downbeat
music continues)
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(gentle downbeat
music continues)
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(no audio)
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(somber music)
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- I think it's incredibly
hard to report on Hillsong
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for a number of reasons.
(somber music continues)
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The church is not
transparent in any way.
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It's run by a board of directors
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that was ostensibly
handpicked by Brian Houston.
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- Amen! Amen!
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- They don't communicate
with the press,
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and the church forces
a lot of people
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to sign non-disclosure
agreements.
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(somber music continues)
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You know, if you say bad
things about Hillsong,
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Hillsong can then pursue
litigation against you,
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so that scares a
lot of people off.
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(somber music continues)
(traffic whooshing)
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So as a journalist,
sometimes you have to talk
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to other journalists who are
working on the same story.
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You share information, you
share leads, you share contacts,
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and together, you
advance the story.
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(somber music continues)
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- [Recorder] Mr.
Beckett, thank you.
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- [Beckett] Pastor Houston,
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I wonder if you could state your
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full name, please.
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- My full name is
Brian Charles Houston.
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- [Beckett] Thank you.
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If in our litigation
against any senior pastor,
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if that had come forward,
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you would want to know
about that, wouldn't you?
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- If I had been told
something like that,
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I would've been like
a dog with a bone
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going after what we're
talking about here.
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I was oblivious.
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Completely oblivious.
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- [Beckett] All right.
(tense music)
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I'll just take you through
some of the period before that.
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(upbeat rock music)
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- We moved here
in 1978, you know,
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roughly 12 months
after my parents.
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Initially, it was going to be
a one-year working holiday.
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(upbeat rock music continues)
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- Brian came over
to help his father
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when his father moved to
Sydney to start a church.
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(upbeat rock music continues)
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There were a number
of churches in Sydney
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that were like 50 to 100 people,
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and yet Frank had 1,000
in the space of a year.
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(upbeat rock music continues)
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- I was a window cleaner,
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and then eventually became
an assistant pastor.
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From there, planted
three different churches.
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The third one was what
now is Hillsong Church.
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Give someone a warm
hug or a handshake
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00:06:01,104 --> 00:06:03,214
and welcome people to church.
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Amen!
(congregation chattering)
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- Brian really
appreciated the role
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that music played in
his father's services,
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so really early in the process
of starting his own church,
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he teamed up with a very
talented professional musician
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named Geoff Bullock.
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- I spoke to the then worship
pastor in my dad's church
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and says, "Can you help us out
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with someone to play piano
and give us some music?"
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And he says, "Well, I can
only give you Geoff Bullock."
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(tense music)
(congregation laughing)
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- The early days of Hills
Christian Life Center.
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We started in August, '83
with an out-of-tune piano
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on the stage of Baulkham
Hills Public School.
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By summer '84, we had maybe
100, 150 people in the church.
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A lot of musicians'd
come from other churches.
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(tense music continues)
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Brian and I are floating around
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our above-ground swimming pools
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pretending to be millionaires.
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And that's when I said to Brian,
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"We should call the
music team Hillsong."
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He said, "Why would we do that?"
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00:07:01,084 --> 00:07:02,764
And I said, "Well,
it's better than saying
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00:07:02,789 --> 00:07:04,659
the Hills Christian
Life Centre Music Team."
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So that's when the
name Hillsong was born.
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The thing exploded.
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(tape clicks)
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The Brian I remember was
a bit of a goofy guy.
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(gentle orchestral music)
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- He was quite a Ned
Flanders-looking character.
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- And we just really
love to have you here
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and wanna encourage you
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just to be a part
of what God's doing.
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- I found him so average.
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I didn't really think he
was going to go anywhere.
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(gentle orchestral
music continues)
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Who knew?
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- When Brian started preaching,
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his eyes would blink flat out.
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(gentle orchestral
music continues)
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- He wasn't the world's
greatest preacher,
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but he was full of enthusiasm.
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He was very entrepreneurial.
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- You can see the potential.
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- God, I'm believing to see
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a mighty revival in
this part of the city.
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How many can believe for that?
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Hallelujah!
(congregation clapping)
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- And he was the type
of person that you,
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00:08:01,063 --> 00:08:02,403
not only wanted to like,
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00:08:02,434 --> 00:08:04,414
but you wanted him to like you.
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(gentle orchestral
music continues)
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I think Brian was always
trying to impress his father
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and follow in his
father's shoes,
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00:08:12,464 --> 00:08:14,744
but not to do it
like his father.
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00:08:14,772 --> 00:08:19,152
- So praise God!
(congregation applauding)
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- In 1989, six years after
starting Hills Christian Centre,
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Brian took a trip to
the United States.
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(gentle music)
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1989 America was like real
excess and very few apologies.
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Americans were just
doing it more and bigger.
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(gentle music continues)
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Brian hooked up with a
lot of American pastors
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who were teaching the
prosperity gospel.
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They teach that if you
give money to the church,
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God will give you money
and good health in return.
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- Someone had a growth.
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00:08:47,001 --> 00:08:48,341
I just saw a growth
being healed.
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- The message that's
being preached:
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power is good, and you
should ask God for power.
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00:08:54,858 --> 00:08:58,368
Money is good, and you should
absolutely ask God for money,
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00:08:58,402 --> 00:09:01,282
and the success that you have
is a sign of God's blessing.
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00:09:01,311 --> 00:09:02,381
- I like new money.
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00:09:02,414 --> 00:09:04,024
I don't know if you do.
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00:09:04,052 --> 00:09:05,322
But I hate old money
that's wrinkled and dirty
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00:09:05,357 --> 00:09:07,197
and got all the diseases on it.
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00:09:07,229 --> 00:09:09,939
- [Kristin] So it's an
incredibly effective way
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00:09:09,970 --> 00:09:12,410
to amass money and power
204
00:09:12,444 --> 00:09:14,484
if you're trying to
build a religious empire.
205
00:09:14,517 --> 00:09:16,187
(gentle music continues)
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00:09:16,223 --> 00:09:18,093
- When God speaks to you,
I know He'll bless you.
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00:09:18,128 --> 00:09:21,508
- It also is very
much prone to abuse,
208
00:09:21,538 --> 00:09:23,208
(gentle music continues)
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00:09:23,244 --> 00:09:26,194
because anybody who has power
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00:09:26,219 --> 00:09:29,029
to speak for God can
make demands of you.
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00:09:29,061 --> 00:09:30,501
- Then if you could
send a gift of $50.
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00:09:30,532 --> 00:09:32,142
(gentle music continues)
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00:09:32,170 --> 00:09:34,380
- And I want you to make
a $1,000 vow of faith.
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00:09:34,410 --> 00:09:38,920
Oh, I know you probably don't
have $1,000, but vow it.
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00:09:38,957 --> 00:09:42,327
- Prosperity preachers are
manipulating people to give,
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00:09:42,367 --> 00:09:45,477
not to bless people, but
to line their own pockets.
217
00:09:45,510 --> 00:09:47,380
(gentle music continues)
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00:09:47,416 --> 00:09:49,286
- It benefits the people who
are preaching the gospel.
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00:09:49,322 --> 00:09:50,692
It doesn't benefit the faithful.
220
00:09:50,725 --> 00:09:52,325
(congregation clapping)
221
00:09:52,364 --> 00:09:55,574
That was the culture that Brian
caught in the United States,
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00:09:55,607 --> 00:09:58,277
and so he came back
and really made a shift
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00:09:58,315 --> 00:10:01,085
from an Assemblies of
God Pentecostalism,
224
00:10:01,123 --> 00:10:04,103
which is pretty blue collar,
225
00:10:04,132 --> 00:10:07,012
and really money
became the center
226
00:10:07,041 --> 00:10:08,111
of what the church
was all about.
227
00:10:08,144 --> 00:10:10,624
(upbeat music)
228
00:10:14,730 --> 00:10:16,470
(upbeat music continues)
229
00:10:16,503 --> 00:10:18,983
- [Announcer] Brian
Houston presents "Money".
230
00:10:19,010 --> 00:10:20,320
- There's not one
person in this building
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00:10:20,348 --> 00:10:23,318
who doesn't need more money.
232
00:10:23,357 --> 00:10:24,557
♪ Wake up, wake up, wake up ♪
233
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- What an awesome thing it is
234
00:10:25,763 --> 00:10:27,443
to have you as
part of our world.
235
00:10:27,469 --> 00:10:29,169
- [Announcer] To purchase
any of the products
236
00:10:29,208 --> 00:10:31,548
you've just seen, write
to Hillsong Australia.
237
00:10:31,581 --> 00:10:33,091
- [Kristin] "You
Need More Money".
238
00:10:33,119 --> 00:10:34,259
- You'll say, I am rich!
239
00:10:35,727 --> 00:10:38,127
- Brian ended up writing that
book, "You Need More Money".
240
00:10:39,572 --> 00:10:42,482
I think what he meant
was he wanted more money.
241
00:10:42,514 --> 00:10:45,794
- All of a sudden, we're
talking about Ferragamo shoes
242
00:10:45,823 --> 00:10:48,063
and Armani suits.
(upbeat music continues)
243
00:10:48,097 --> 00:10:49,767
And every time we went anywhere,
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00:10:49,802 --> 00:10:51,812
we had to get a
Gianni Versace tie
245
00:10:51,841 --> 00:10:55,491
or we had to get
Gianni Versace socks.
246
00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,530
I remember laughing
one day and thinking,
247
00:10:58,562 --> 00:11:00,702
Gianni Versace's the
patron saint of Hillsong.
248
00:11:00,735 --> 00:11:04,205
(upbeat music continues)
249
00:11:04,247 --> 00:11:07,087
- Then you saw this
real deliberate attempt
250
00:11:07,121 --> 00:11:08,391
to reinvent himself in the image
251
00:11:08,425 --> 00:11:10,525
of what he thought
would be most attractive
252
00:11:10,565 --> 00:11:11,695
to potential followers,
253
00:11:11,735 --> 00:11:15,245
which was very
heavily fake tanned,
254
00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:16,650
he's got bleach-white teeth,
255
00:11:16,683 --> 00:11:18,393
he's got ripped arms.
256
00:11:18,422 --> 00:11:19,632
- That's 29!
257
00:11:19,659 --> 00:11:20,559
That's 30!
258
00:11:22,367 --> 00:11:23,167
- [David] He's
really the alpha male
259
00:11:23,203 --> 00:11:25,183
in the room, and
everyone knows it.
260
00:11:25,209 --> 00:11:27,519
- Would you all say it
with me? Spiritually alive?
261
00:11:27,549 --> 00:11:30,289
Spiritually alive!
262
00:11:30,325 --> 00:11:32,495
- They ended up
hiring a consultant.
263
00:11:32,531 --> 00:11:35,141
Brian said, "Look, I'm
gonna hire this guy.
264
00:11:35,172 --> 00:11:38,322
He costs $50,000, and
he's going to teach us
265
00:11:38,349 --> 00:11:40,889
how to raise funds so we
can spread the gospel."
266
00:11:40,923 --> 00:11:45,243
Recruitment and growth were
very strong focal points.
267
00:11:45,269 --> 00:11:47,739
There also seemed
to be an increase
268
00:11:47,776 --> 00:11:50,146
in opportunities to donate.
269
00:11:50,183 --> 00:11:52,663
- Are you serving Jesus tonight?
270
00:11:52,691 --> 00:11:53,931
- The church got bigger.
271
00:11:53,962 --> 00:11:55,932
We moved into the
warehouse next door,
272
00:11:55,968 --> 00:11:57,068
knocked the wall down.
273
00:11:57,104 --> 00:11:58,914
And then we moved into the
local entertainment center,
274
00:11:58,943 --> 00:12:00,383
1,500 people.
275
00:12:00,415 --> 00:12:02,185
Then we bought more
and more equipment.
276
00:12:02,220 --> 00:12:03,660
Then we started
recording albums.
277
00:12:03,691 --> 00:12:05,501
We formed a publishing company.
278
00:12:05,530 --> 00:12:08,210
We did all these music
books, and it was...
279
00:12:09,742 --> 00:12:10,752
Well, it was exhausting.
280
00:12:10,778 --> 00:12:13,148
(tense music)
281
00:12:14,423 --> 00:12:15,333
- [Alex] You're not
there for Jesus.
282
00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,600
You're there for Brian Houston.
283
00:12:17,632 --> 00:12:19,342
- Why don't we just stay
standing for a moment?
284
00:12:19,372 --> 00:12:21,782
- He shows up on Sunday
in a chauffeured car.
285
00:12:21,811 --> 00:12:23,251
He gets in an elevator
286
00:12:23,283 --> 00:12:25,663
that takes him to a
private green room.
287
00:12:25,690 --> 00:12:27,860
He loves to hobnob
with celebrities.
288
00:12:27,896 --> 00:12:30,566
He goes out into
the church space
289
00:12:30,605 --> 00:12:32,375
and he sits in a roped off area.
290
00:12:32,411 --> 00:12:34,421
(tense music continues)
291
00:12:34,450 --> 00:12:35,690
- Brian Houston acted
292
00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,830
as a sort of spiritual
father to Carl Lentz.
293
00:12:38,862 --> 00:12:40,002
Carl learned a lot from Brian
294
00:12:40,033 --> 00:12:41,643
in terms of how to run a church,
295
00:12:41,671 --> 00:12:43,281
how to operate in a green room
296
00:12:43,310 --> 00:12:44,980
with celebrities and athletes.
297
00:12:45,015 --> 00:12:46,985
Carl also brought
something to the table
298
00:12:47,021 --> 00:12:48,561
that Brian didn't have.
299
00:12:48,592 --> 00:12:49,862
Carl, by all accounts,
300
00:12:49,895 --> 00:12:52,595
is a great speaker and
a charismatic presence.
301
00:12:52,637 --> 00:12:54,507
Brian's never really
been praised for that.
302
00:12:54,543 --> 00:12:56,453
He's been known
more for brute force
303
00:12:56,483 --> 00:12:59,963
and for making things
happen by whichever means.
304
00:12:59,993 --> 00:13:01,833
- My faith, my strength.
305
00:13:01,865 --> 00:13:03,935
(congregation applauding)
306
00:13:09,455 --> 00:13:12,795
(congregation applauding)
307
00:13:17,879 --> 00:13:20,449
(tense music)
308
00:13:24,466 --> 00:13:27,736
- I met Brian when I
was 15 years of age.
309
00:13:27,776 --> 00:13:29,006
Our friendship grew.
310
00:13:29,047 --> 00:13:31,417
And when Brian started
Christian Life Centre,
311
00:13:31,454 --> 00:13:33,994
I was asked to go in
and pastor the church.
312
00:13:36,101 --> 00:13:37,771
- Back in the day,
Christian Life Centre
313
00:13:37,806 --> 00:13:40,776
had some pretty strict
boundaries for young people.
314
00:13:40,815 --> 00:13:44,085
(tense music continues)
315
00:13:44,125 --> 00:13:46,625
- Youth group was about
resisting the flesh,
316
00:13:46,666 --> 00:13:48,666
resisting those urges
317
00:13:48,705 --> 00:13:51,775
and keeping yourself
kind of for marriage.
318
00:13:51,814 --> 00:13:53,954
(tense music continues)
319
00:13:53,987 --> 00:13:56,127
And I actually became pregnant.
320
00:13:58,167 --> 00:14:00,707
My partner was 19 and I was 20.
321
00:14:00,741 --> 00:14:02,411
(tense music continues)
322
00:14:02,447 --> 00:14:03,717
We were really shocked.
323
00:14:05,590 --> 00:14:08,570
We didn't think it was
unreasonable to go to the church
324
00:14:08,599 --> 00:14:10,739
and say, "We need
help, we need support."
325
00:14:10,771 --> 00:14:12,441
(tense music continues)
326
00:14:12,477 --> 00:14:15,887
But unfortunately, we
couldn't have been more wrong.
327
00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,170
(tense music continues)
328
00:14:20,201 --> 00:14:23,111
The youth pastor approached
us and said to us,
329
00:14:23,142 --> 00:14:27,492
"The next step for you is to
stand up in front of your peers
330
00:14:27,522 --> 00:14:29,662
and apologize for
what you've done."
331
00:14:29,695 --> 00:14:32,065
(eerie music)
332
00:14:33,807 --> 00:14:37,917
I can't even begin to
describe the shock,
333
00:14:39,123 --> 00:14:42,973
the trauma, the
embarrassment, the shame
334
00:14:43,001 --> 00:14:44,611
that we went through
in that moment.
335
00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:46,140
(eerie music continues)
336
00:14:46,178 --> 00:14:51,058
The look on people's
faces, their shock,
337
00:14:52,731 --> 00:14:53,331
their sense of embarrassment.
(eerie music continues)
338
00:14:53,367 --> 00:14:54,997
Nobody knew where to look.
339
00:14:56,542 --> 00:14:57,952
They couldn't look
at us in the eye.
340
00:14:57,979 --> 00:15:01,119
(eerie music continues)
341
00:15:13,024 --> 00:15:15,774
(eerie music continues)
342
00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,110
- This is something that I've
only started thinking about
343
00:15:18,140 --> 00:15:19,650
in the last few years,
344
00:15:20,948 --> 00:15:24,228
is the cost of what
was taken from me
345
00:15:24,259 --> 00:15:28,939
in terms of this being
my very first pregnancy,
346
00:15:28,972 --> 00:15:32,122
my very first child.
(eerie music continues)
347
00:15:32,149 --> 00:15:33,889
I was ashamed to be pregnant.
348
00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:35,960
(eerie music continues)
349
00:15:35,993 --> 00:15:37,333
All the emotional stuff
350
00:15:37,365 --> 00:15:39,865
that we went through
made me physically sick.
351
00:15:39,905 --> 00:15:42,845
I was physically sick
throughout my whole pregnancy.
352
00:15:43,950 --> 00:15:47,090
(eerie music continues)
353
00:15:47,126 --> 00:15:50,636
Like, gravely ill.
354
00:15:50,671 --> 00:15:53,251
(eerie music continues)
355
00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,820
All we had was this
church environment,
356
00:15:55,853 --> 00:15:59,063
and here they were now
treating us like pariahs.
357
00:15:59,095 --> 00:16:02,265
(eerie music continues)
358
00:16:18,455 --> 00:16:19,785
- Wow.
359
00:16:19,825 --> 00:16:22,425
Well, to put a person
up on a platform
360
00:16:22,467 --> 00:16:25,207
and shame them, and
it was in our church?
361
00:16:25,242 --> 00:16:26,352
- Mm-hm.
- Wow.
362
00:16:26,379 --> 00:16:28,819
(eerie music continues)
363
00:16:28,852 --> 00:16:30,262
Blatantly wrong.
364
00:16:30,291 --> 00:16:32,931
And if I was
responsible for that,
365
00:16:32,964 --> 00:16:35,774
which as the senior
pastor, I am,
366
00:16:35,806 --> 00:16:37,876
then I was totally out
of order, totally wrong.
367
00:16:40,118 --> 00:16:42,928
Jesus said, leave the
99 and go after the one.
368
00:16:44,833 --> 00:16:48,043
But when I started our
church, I have to confess,
369
00:16:49,448 --> 00:16:52,088
I saw crowds, I didn't
see individuals.
370
00:16:52,121 --> 00:16:53,231
(eerie music continues)
371
00:16:53,260 --> 00:16:54,330
We have a lot to answer for.
372
00:16:56,535 --> 00:16:58,135
A lot to answer for.
373
00:16:58,172 --> 00:17:01,252
(eerie music continues)
374
00:17:01,284 --> 00:17:04,124
- As far as a sense of holiness,
375
00:17:04,157 --> 00:17:09,007
a sense of accountability
to people's internal life,
376
00:17:10,511 --> 00:17:14,021
it was about counting
numbers and counting money.
377
00:17:14,054 --> 00:17:15,264
(eerie music continues)
378
00:17:15,292 --> 00:17:19,172
I always felt that
Brian was out to prove
379
00:17:19,203 --> 00:17:22,453
that he could go one
further than his father.
380
00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:25,890
(eerie music continues)
381
00:17:25,923 --> 00:17:28,373
(car rumbling)
382
00:17:29,267 --> 00:17:32,167
(tense music)
383
00:17:32,209 --> 00:17:35,049
- Brian Houston's
father, Frank Houston,
384
00:17:35,083 --> 00:17:38,093
had this very mundane life.
385
00:17:38,126 --> 00:17:39,556
(tense music continues)
386
00:17:39,598 --> 00:17:41,838
It was hard for him
to make a living.
387
00:17:41,871 --> 00:17:43,841
There wasn't much
money coming in.
388
00:17:43,877 --> 00:17:47,087
And he meets this
Pentecostal preacher,
389
00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,429
a real fire-and-brimstone
charismatic-style preacher,
390
00:17:50,464 --> 00:17:52,004
and something just
clicked with him.
391
00:17:52,034 --> 00:17:53,374
(tense music continues)
392
00:17:53,406 --> 00:17:57,916
He could be the living
embodiment of God on the stage,
393
00:17:57,952 --> 00:17:59,422
the Holy Spirit
racing through him
394
00:17:59,458 --> 00:18:01,428
and impassion a crowd of people
395
00:18:01,464 --> 00:18:02,974
who would follow him anywhere,
396
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:04,440
who would do anything for him.
397
00:18:04,473 --> 00:18:06,353
(tense music continues)
398
00:18:06,378 --> 00:18:07,978
I think, for Frank,
399
00:18:08,015 --> 00:18:10,515
that was everything that
he ever wanted to be.
400
00:18:10,557 --> 00:18:13,097
(tense music continues)
401
00:18:13,131 --> 00:18:15,441
- So Frank started his
career as a minister
402
00:18:15,472 --> 00:18:18,352
at a Salvation Army boys'
home in New Zealand.
403
00:18:18,381 --> 00:18:20,291
(tense music continues)
404
00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:21,920
He left there
405
00:18:21,957 --> 00:18:23,157
and went to a small town
outside of Wellington
406
00:18:23,195 --> 00:18:24,325
called Lower Hutt.
407
00:18:24,366 --> 00:18:26,266
(tense music continues)
408
00:18:26,304 --> 00:18:28,484
Lower Hutt was working class,
409
00:18:28,511 --> 00:18:31,021
the people knew each other well,
410
00:18:31,051 --> 00:18:34,361
and he founded an Assemblies
of God Church there.
411
00:18:34,396 --> 00:18:36,126
(tense music continues)
412
00:18:36,166 --> 00:18:39,606
- My family attended Lower
Hutt Assembly of God Church
413
00:18:39,644 --> 00:18:42,154
for probably 15, 20 years.
(tense music continues)
414
00:18:42,184 --> 00:18:44,564
My father was an elder
at Lower Hutt AOG,
415
00:18:44,593 --> 00:18:47,403
so he was quite friendly
with the Houstons.
416
00:18:47,435 --> 00:18:50,105
(audience applauding)
417
00:18:50,142 --> 00:18:51,512
- Well, good morning, church.
418
00:18:51,547 --> 00:18:52,717
- [Congregation] Good morning.
419
00:18:52,750 --> 00:18:54,560
- How are you today?
Everybody happy?
420
00:18:54,589 --> 00:18:56,259
- [Congregation] Yes!
421
00:18:56,294 --> 00:18:57,534
- Assemblies of God at the
time that Frank Houston
422
00:18:57,565 --> 00:19:00,765
became involved was not
a large church movement
423
00:19:00,807 --> 00:19:05,247
in New Zealand, but
Frank Houston wanted
the church to grow,
424
00:19:05,288 --> 00:19:07,328
and he was really
good at this, too.
425
00:19:07,361 --> 00:19:09,731
(bright music)
426
00:19:09,768 --> 00:19:12,038
From that humble beginning
427
00:19:12,074 --> 00:19:15,184
of just a handful of
congregations across the country
428
00:19:15,218 --> 00:19:17,288
to there being about
700 congregations
429
00:19:17,324 --> 00:19:20,034
across the country, it grew.
430
00:19:20,065 --> 00:19:22,705
(congregants clapping)
(bright music continues)
431
00:19:22,740 --> 00:19:26,520
And so when it came
to appointing a leader
432
00:19:26,552 --> 00:19:28,362
of that church community,
433
00:19:28,391 --> 00:19:29,831
Frank Houston was
there and ready for it.
434
00:19:29,861 --> 00:19:31,701
(bright music continues)
435
00:19:31,734 --> 00:19:34,814
There were church elders
in Assemblies of God,
436
00:19:34,843 --> 00:19:37,853
and they had degrees of
influence themselves,
437
00:19:37,885 --> 00:19:41,295
but Frank Houston
didn't want that.
438
00:19:41,329 --> 00:19:44,099
- Instead of voting
for board members,
439
00:19:44,137 --> 00:19:46,847
he took that apart
and basically said,
440
00:19:46,879 --> 00:19:48,719
I'm gonna handpick
the board members.
441
00:19:48,751 --> 00:19:49,491
I am the leader.
(bright music continues)
442
00:19:49,521 --> 00:19:52,261
- Matthew 5:1-12.
443
00:19:53,332 --> 00:19:55,302
- He was a very forceful person,
444
00:19:55,338 --> 00:19:59,278
and someone who you never
ever wanted to argue with.
445
00:19:59,316 --> 00:20:03,626
- He would throw things at
people like cushions and water.
446
00:20:03,663 --> 00:20:07,173
I just remember being
very fearful in church.
447
00:20:08,778 --> 00:20:11,848
I think when we heard, oh,
don't be alone with Frank,
448
00:20:11,887 --> 00:20:14,527
it was always a bit of a
joke because it was like,
449
00:20:14,562 --> 00:20:16,202
well, why wouldn't
you be alone with him?
450
00:20:16,234 --> 00:20:19,184
You wanted to hang with God.
(bright music continues)
451
00:20:19,209 --> 00:20:20,579
- [Alex] Frank Houston practiced
452
00:20:20,614 --> 00:20:22,794
an oppressive style
of leadership.
453
00:20:22,820 --> 00:20:25,460
He shamed people,
he humiliated them.
454
00:20:25,495 --> 00:20:26,895
(bright music continues)
455
00:20:26,932 --> 00:20:29,712
- But it's not only Frank,
because Brian Houston,
456
00:20:29,741 --> 00:20:31,581
he goes out on his
own and he starts
457
00:20:31,613 --> 00:20:33,653
his own congregation up.
(bright music continues)
458
00:20:33,686 --> 00:20:35,956
- [Alex] What he
does is really mimic
459
00:20:35,992 --> 00:20:37,832
the leadership structure
460
00:20:37,865 --> 00:20:40,505
that Frank had installed
at his own church.
461
00:20:40,540 --> 00:20:41,510
(bright music continues)
462
00:20:41,543 --> 00:20:44,223
- There's really
interesting parallels there.
463
00:20:44,251 --> 00:20:47,261
All the power in the church
centers on its leader.
464
00:20:47,293 --> 00:20:49,503
Frank Houston had no one
465
00:20:49,534 --> 00:20:50,744
that would stop him
or question him.
466
00:20:50,771 --> 00:20:53,851
I can't see that at
Hillsong, either.
467
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:55,750
The accountabilities,
the safety nets,
468
00:20:55,786 --> 00:20:57,486
they seemed absent in both.
469
00:21:01,570 --> 00:21:02,970
(no audio)
470
00:21:03,007 --> 00:21:04,507
- [Director] Was there
ever any rumors about Frank
471
00:21:04,546 --> 00:21:05,776
back in those times?
- Rumors?
472
00:21:08,991 --> 00:21:13,311
I think there were
question marks.
473
00:21:13,338 --> 00:21:13,838
But,
474
00:21:16,079 --> 00:21:20,689
well, he just seemed
to be always surrounded
475
00:21:20,727 --> 00:21:25,507
with young men.
(ominous music)
476
00:21:25,542 --> 00:21:27,722
(children chattering)
(ominous music continues)
477
00:21:27,748 --> 00:21:32,498
- Frank Houston's influence in
the Assemblies of God Church
478
00:21:32,530 --> 00:21:34,700
grew out throughout the country.
479
00:21:34,736 --> 00:21:36,406
(water whooshing)
480
00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,880
He often talked about the
church that he'd dreamt of.
481
00:21:39,918 --> 00:21:40,948
(ominous music continues)
482
00:21:40,987 --> 00:21:43,357
You could sense
that inside of him
483
00:21:43,395 --> 00:21:46,035
was a passion to build a church
484
00:21:46,069 --> 00:21:48,439
in Australia, too.
(ominous music continues)
485
00:21:48,476 --> 00:21:50,546
(traffic whooshing)
486
00:21:50,584 --> 00:21:52,724
- Oh, everybody thought that
Frank going to Australia
487
00:21:52,756 --> 00:21:54,956
was the greatest thing
that ever happened.
488
00:21:54,996 --> 00:21:56,396
It was the call of God.
(ominous music continues)
489
00:21:56,434 --> 00:21:58,574
He had to go. He
didn't have a choice.
490
00:21:58,608 --> 00:22:00,108
Frank had a vision.
491
00:22:00,144 --> 00:22:01,854
(ominous music continues)
(waves whooshing)
492
00:22:01,884 --> 00:22:03,964
Later on, we find out
that there was rumblings
493
00:22:03,990 --> 00:22:06,030
in the undergrowth,
and Frank ran.
494
00:22:06,062 --> 00:22:08,092
(ominous music continues)
495
00:22:12,850 --> 00:22:15,520
(somber music)
496
00:22:18,279 --> 00:22:19,289
- [David] Sometimes
there are moments
497
00:22:19,325 --> 00:22:21,295
in politics that surprise you.
(somber music continues)
498
00:22:21,331 --> 00:22:24,511
- Do we need a royal
commission? By hell we do.
499
00:22:24,540 --> 00:22:27,550
(audience applauding)
500
00:22:27,583 --> 00:22:31,263
- When finally the
announcement was made
501
00:22:31,294 --> 00:22:33,474
two years after that
town hall meeting,
502
00:22:33,500 --> 00:22:35,470
(somber music continues)
503
00:22:35,506 --> 00:22:37,476
I really couldn't
believe it had happened.
504
00:22:39,051 --> 00:22:43,331
- Okay, everybody's ready?
(tense music)
505
00:22:45,069 --> 00:22:46,269
I'm here to announce that
I will be recommending
506
00:22:46,306 --> 00:22:49,576
to the governor-general that a
royal commission be appointed
507
00:22:49,616 --> 00:22:52,926
to inquire into
institutional responses
508
00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:57,540
to instances and allegations
of child abuse in Australia.
509
00:22:57,573 --> 00:22:58,583
(tense music continues)
510
00:22:58,610 --> 00:23:00,480
- The phone just
started ringing,
511
00:23:00,515 --> 00:23:03,315
and there was survivor after
survivor after survivor
512
00:23:03,357 --> 00:23:08,067
calling in tears saying, "I
can't believe it's happened."
513
00:23:08,105 --> 00:23:10,375
This was it, this was the chance
514
00:23:10,411 --> 00:23:13,391
to finally hold any institution
515
00:23:13,420 --> 00:23:15,560
that had abused kids to account.
516
00:23:15,594 --> 00:23:17,234
(tense music continues)
517
00:23:17,265 --> 00:23:19,265
What was happening in
Australia was a microcosm
518
00:23:19,305 --> 00:23:22,545
of what we saw happening
around the rest of the planet.
519
00:23:22,582 --> 00:23:25,422
- Devastating detail
how the past leadership
520
00:23:25,456 --> 00:23:27,496
of the Southern
Baptist Convention
521
00:23:27,529 --> 00:23:30,039
ignored sexual abuse allegations
522
00:23:30,071 --> 00:23:32,181
for the better part
of two decades.
523
00:23:32,210 --> 00:23:34,650
- Thousands of former
Boy Scout volunteers
524
00:23:34,684 --> 00:23:39,134
accused of sexually abusing
children between 1944 and 2016.
525
00:23:39,165 --> 00:23:41,295
- For more than 150
years, an old system
526
00:23:41,337 --> 00:23:42,577
of boarding schools.
527
00:23:42,608 --> 00:23:44,278
- [Reporter] Which
priests were known
528
00:23:44,313 --> 00:23:45,323
to be the abusive priests?
(tense music continues)
529
00:23:45,349 --> 00:23:47,919
- This was a global failure.
530
00:23:47,957 --> 00:23:51,467
It felt like the moment had
arrived around the world.
531
00:23:52,738 --> 00:23:56,318
So much of the story
up to that point
532
00:23:56,349 --> 00:23:58,219
had been about the
Catholic Church,
533
00:23:58,255 --> 00:23:59,985
and there's a reason for that.
534
00:24:00,027 --> 00:24:02,637
It's the most dominant
church in Australia.
535
00:24:02,668 --> 00:24:04,338
And then eventually,
536
00:24:04,373 --> 00:24:07,353
we had survivors and
victims of Hillsong.
537
00:24:07,382 --> 00:24:10,592
(tense music continues)
538
00:24:10,626 --> 00:24:13,026
- One of the most notable
voices was an Australian man
539
00:24:13,066 --> 00:24:15,536
who was identified
by the initials AHA.
540
00:24:17,145 --> 00:24:18,015
- I call AHA.
541
00:24:20,756 --> 00:24:24,126
Mr. AHA, I wonder if you could
542
00:24:25,704 --> 00:24:28,284
please read your statement
out to the Royal Commission.
543
00:24:28,312 --> 00:24:30,222
- [AHA] I'll do my best.
544
00:24:30,251 --> 00:24:32,161
(ominous music)
545
00:24:32,190 --> 00:24:35,770
In January 1970, I
recall that Pastor Frank
546
00:24:35,801 --> 00:24:39,651
and his son, Brian, stayed with
us for almost a whole week.
547
00:24:39,679 --> 00:24:41,589
I'm aware of the date
548
00:24:41,619 --> 00:24:44,659
because Pastor Frank signed
and dated my mother's bible.
549
00:24:45,731 --> 00:24:48,671
(ominous music continues)
550
00:24:48,706 --> 00:24:53,346
- My wife told me about the
Australian royal commission,
551
00:24:54,223 --> 00:24:57,433
and I had no idea
552
00:24:57,465 --> 00:24:59,365
about what it was all about.
553
00:24:59,405 --> 00:25:00,675
- [Beckett] Mr.
AHA, could you read
554
00:25:00,709 --> 00:25:03,479
the entry for 5th of November?
555
00:25:03,517 --> 00:25:05,117
- I listened very intently
556
00:25:05,156 --> 00:25:07,656
and downloaded all the
documents associated with it,
557
00:25:07,697 --> 00:25:11,337
and started to really,
really get into it
558
00:25:11,374 --> 00:25:14,424
and understand what had happened
and what it was all about.
559
00:25:14,450 --> 00:25:17,690
- [AHA] Pastor Frank would creep
into my room late at night,
560
00:25:17,727 --> 00:25:19,897
and then I would wake up
with him standing over me.
561
00:25:19,933 --> 00:25:21,743
(ominous music continues)
562
00:25:21,772 --> 00:25:24,612
He was touching me
inappropriately.
563
00:25:24,648 --> 00:25:27,558
I would be petrified and
would lay very still.
564
00:25:28,793 --> 00:25:30,603
I could not speak while
this was happening
565
00:25:30,632 --> 00:25:32,272
and felt like I
couldn't breathe.
566
00:25:32,304 --> 00:25:33,744
(ominous music continues)
567
00:25:33,775 --> 00:25:35,875
I'm not sure how long he would
stay in the room with me,
568
00:25:35,914 --> 00:25:37,324
but it felt like forever.
569
00:25:37,352 --> 00:25:39,192
(ominous music continues)
570
00:25:39,224 --> 00:25:40,934
- This is exactly
what happened to me.
571
00:25:40,962 --> 00:25:44,512
(ominous music continues)
572
00:25:44,540 --> 00:25:46,250
When I was eight years old,
573
00:25:46,279 --> 00:25:48,919
my parents started holding
a Bible study in our home.
574
00:25:48,953 --> 00:25:50,493
(ominous music continues)
575
00:25:50,524 --> 00:25:52,704
Frank would come for
a meal beforehand,
576
00:25:52,732 --> 00:25:55,412
and then us kids
would be sent to bed.
577
00:25:55,439 --> 00:25:58,779
(ominous music continues)
578
00:26:00,689 --> 00:26:02,259
This thing came into my bedroom
579
00:26:02,293 --> 00:26:04,673
that I called the black shadow.
580
00:26:04,701 --> 00:26:08,481
And I would sense
it there first,
581
00:26:08,512 --> 00:26:10,922
and then I'd feel its
weight on top of me
582
00:26:10,952 --> 00:26:13,732
and I'd feel breath on my face.
583
00:26:16,001 --> 00:26:17,411
(ominous music continues)
And I was
584
00:26:24,594 --> 00:26:25,504
fondled.
585
00:26:25,529 --> 00:26:28,809
(ominous music continues)
586
00:26:33,588 --> 00:26:36,728
I always had a suspicion
that something had happened,
587
00:26:36,764 --> 00:26:38,244
that it was Frank, that it was
588
00:26:39,806 --> 00:26:42,376
that sexual interaction that
happened when I was young,
589
00:26:42,413 --> 00:26:43,323
when I was eight,
590
00:26:43,350 --> 00:26:45,420
but I didn't really know.
591
00:26:45,456 --> 00:26:47,356
I didn't really know
for a long, long time.
592
00:26:47,395 --> 00:26:48,865
(ominous music continues)
593
00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:52,750
But when I read the Australian
royal commission testimony,
594
00:26:52,778 --> 00:26:57,628
that was the moment when I
knew without a shadow of doubt
595
00:26:57,660 --> 00:27:00,740
that the black shadow
was Frank Houston.
596
00:27:00,769 --> 00:27:04,349
(ominous music continues)
597
00:27:08,559 --> 00:27:10,329
- [AHA] I was so
ashamed of the abuse
598
00:27:10,364 --> 00:27:11,974
that I kept it
inside for many years
599
00:27:12,002 --> 00:27:15,112
and did not tell anyone.
(ominous music continues)
600
00:27:15,144 --> 00:27:19,464
It was only on or about 1978
when I was about 16 years old
601
00:27:19,491 --> 00:27:22,601
that I told my mother
about the abuse.
602
00:27:22,635 --> 00:27:24,405
My mother was still
heavily involved
603
00:27:24,439 --> 00:27:25,609
in the church at that time.
604
00:27:26,947 --> 00:27:29,147
All of her friends were
involved in the church,
605
00:27:29,186 --> 00:27:30,856
and the Houstons were considered
606
00:27:30,892 --> 00:27:33,702
to be almost like
royalty in those circles.
607
00:27:33,734 --> 00:27:34,704
(ominous music continues)
608
00:27:34,737 --> 00:27:36,807
After I told her
about the abuse,
609
00:27:38,113 --> 00:27:41,023
my mother said words to
the following effect.
610
00:27:41,056 --> 00:27:43,696
"You don't want to be
responsible for turning people
611
00:27:43,731 --> 00:27:45,901
from the church and
sending them to hell."
612
00:27:45,937 --> 00:27:50,817
(ominous music continues)
(fire crackling)
613
00:27:51,822 --> 00:27:53,932
- I told my parents about it,
614
00:27:53,961 --> 00:27:56,071
and they thought
it was a nightmare.
615
00:27:56,101 --> 00:27:59,881
They were so naive and
so enamored about Frank
616
00:27:59,912 --> 00:28:02,192
that that was not
even on their radar.
617
00:28:02,219 --> 00:28:03,619
(ominous music continues)
618
00:28:03,658 --> 00:28:06,568
And I remember taking
a piece of wood to bed,
619
00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:08,910
a four by two, so I
could bang on the wall
620
00:28:08,939 --> 00:28:11,719
when the black shadow came
so they could hear me.
621
00:28:11,748 --> 00:28:14,158
(ominous music continues)
622
00:28:14,188 --> 00:28:18,168
And it happened
623
00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:19,470
quite a few times.
624
00:28:19,504 --> 00:28:22,884
(ominous music continues)
625
00:28:24,854 --> 00:28:28,934
This is a photograph
of me taken in 1962.
626
00:28:28,966 --> 00:28:30,236
I was eight years old.
627
00:28:30,270 --> 00:28:33,050
(ominous music continues)
628
00:28:33,078 --> 00:28:36,148
The boy in this picture is a boy
629
00:28:36,187 --> 00:28:37,117
that had already
630
00:28:39,966 --> 00:28:43,736
encountered childhood
sexual abuse.
631
00:28:43,778 --> 00:28:47,118
(ominous music continues)
632
00:28:48,626 --> 00:28:50,796
I didn't really
have any friends.
633
00:28:52,771 --> 00:28:56,581
It would be unlikely
that anything I said
would be believed.
634
00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:09,320
(somber music)
(traffic whooshing)
635
00:29:12,162 --> 00:29:15,202
(heartbeat thudding)
636
00:29:15,238 --> 00:29:18,208
- I'd been reading
survivor blogs.
637
00:29:18,247 --> 00:29:20,717
One of the things
that I came across
638
00:29:20,755 --> 00:29:23,095
that I really
wasn't expecting to
639
00:29:23,128 --> 00:29:26,668
was just how much
conservative Evangelicals
640
00:29:26,706 --> 00:29:28,036
emphasized authority.
641
00:29:29,381 --> 00:29:31,291
You show your obedience to God
642
00:29:31,319 --> 00:29:35,029
by being faithful and
submissive to people
643
00:29:35,064 --> 00:29:37,204
that God has placed
in charge of you.
644
00:29:37,237 --> 00:29:39,037
(tense music)
645
00:29:39,076 --> 00:29:43,056
They set people up for
abuse of leadership.
646
00:29:45,261 --> 00:29:47,841
And when I listened to
the voices of survivors,
647
00:29:47,870 --> 00:29:50,810
members of their own
communities, their own churches,
648
00:29:50,845 --> 00:29:55,285
sometimes even
their own families
questioned their stories
649
00:29:56,796 --> 00:29:59,766
in order to continue to
protect the ministry.
650
00:29:59,805 --> 00:30:03,845
(tense music continues)
651
00:30:03,884 --> 00:30:05,424
- There was a
number of young boys
652
00:30:05,455 --> 00:30:10,035
who said things
about Frank Houston,
653
00:30:11,339 --> 00:30:14,249
criticism of him in
a way that resulted
654
00:30:14,281 --> 00:30:16,051
in them either being
thrown out of the church
655
00:30:16,087 --> 00:30:19,967
or being ostracized
by leadership.
656
00:30:19,999 --> 00:30:21,809
(tense music continues)
657
00:30:21,838 --> 00:30:25,978
There was an occasion
where one young man came in
658
00:30:26,017 --> 00:30:28,957
and said Frank Houston had been
doing physical things to him
659
00:30:28,993 --> 00:30:31,303
that he didn't like
660
00:30:31,332 --> 00:30:33,772
and accused him in front of
one of the other pastors.
661
00:30:33,807 --> 00:30:35,447
The other pastor actually
physically punched
662
00:30:35,479 --> 00:30:37,989
this kid in the face and said,
663
00:30:38,020 --> 00:30:41,300
"Don't you ever, ever talk
about our pastor like that."
664
00:30:41,329 --> 00:30:44,969
(tense music continues)
665
00:30:45,007 --> 00:30:46,977
- Nobody came forward
to the police,
666
00:30:48,050 --> 00:30:51,190
a
nd I think that says a lot
about his hold on the police.
667
00:30:51,225 --> 00:30:52,355
(tense music continues)
668
00:30:52,395 --> 00:30:55,835
Any accounts of abuse most
certainly would've been squashed
669
00:30:55,873 --> 00:30:59,823
by Frank and the people
that he sort of lorded over
670
00:30:59,852 --> 00:31:01,462
at the AOG.
(tense music continues)
671
00:31:01,490 --> 00:31:03,460
You know, we're gonna
keep this in the church.
672
00:31:06,170 --> 00:31:09,980
- The motivation to keep Frank
Houston's offending quiet
673
00:31:10,016 --> 00:31:12,016
would've been huge.
(tense music continues)
674
00:31:12,055 --> 00:31:14,085
For New Zealand
Assemblies of God,
675
00:31:14,128 --> 00:31:17,468
they were protecting something
that was all about the past.
676
00:31:18,474 --> 00:31:20,214
For Australia Assemblies of God,
677
00:31:20,246 --> 00:31:22,316
they were protecting the future,
678
00:31:22,352 --> 00:31:24,362
and that future was huge.
679
00:31:24,391 --> 00:31:27,601
(tense music continues)
680
00:31:29,039 --> 00:31:30,879
(keyboard clacking)
681
00:31:30,912 --> 00:31:35,362
I started looking into Frank
Houston and Assemblies of God
682
00:31:36,629 --> 00:31:37,829
as a result of the
Australian commission.
683
00:31:39,370 --> 00:31:42,410
There were documents that
were put into evidence
684
00:31:42,445 --> 00:31:44,345
that spoke of things
happening in New Zealand
685
00:31:44,385 --> 00:31:46,285
that had never
been written about.
686
00:31:46,324 --> 00:31:47,364
(tense music continues)
687
00:31:47,394 --> 00:31:49,334
When Frank left in '75,
688
00:31:49,366 --> 00:31:53,676
he left behind decades of sexual
violence against children.
689
00:31:53,714 --> 00:31:55,994
(tense music continues)
690
00:31:56,020 --> 00:31:57,320
I thought I'd messed up
691
00:31:57,357 --> 00:31:59,057
the way I was searching
our news archives
692
00:31:59,096 --> 00:32:02,236
because I couldn't find
anything about Frank Houston.
693
00:32:02,272 --> 00:32:03,942
(tense music continues)
694
00:32:03,977 --> 00:32:06,647
It was really alarming.
(tense music continues)
695
00:32:06,686 --> 00:32:10,126
As it turned out, it hadn't
really been written about.
696
00:32:12,435 --> 00:32:16,475
There was a vacuum, and so
that's what I sought to fill.
697
00:32:16,515 --> 00:32:19,315
(tense music continues)
698
00:32:19,356 --> 00:32:22,366
- When I go back and look
at the timeline of events,
699
00:32:23,201 --> 00:32:25,011
it's almost surreal.
700
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,650
(eerie music)
701
00:32:27,682 --> 00:32:30,162
I was raised in Hillsong
culture of forgive and forget,
702
00:32:30,189 --> 00:32:32,259
move on, judge not,
703
00:32:33,567 --> 00:32:35,397
for he who hasn't sinned
cast the first stone.
704
00:32:36,709 --> 00:32:39,479
And the more I've
learned about Frank,
705
00:32:39,517 --> 00:32:42,157
I'm realizing something
is so wrong here.
706
00:32:42,192 --> 00:32:43,702
(eerie music continues)
707
00:32:43,730 --> 00:32:45,700
I feel the responsibility
as a Christian to stand up
708
00:32:45,736 --> 00:32:47,606
and actually start speaking
out against the abuse.
709
00:32:47,642 --> 00:32:51,052
(eerie music continues)
710
00:32:52,355 --> 00:32:54,355
The Royal Commission
shed light on the fact
711
00:32:54,394 --> 00:32:57,374
that Hillsong was not honest
to their own congregants.
712
00:32:57,403 --> 00:32:58,683
(eerie music continues)
713
00:32:58,709 --> 00:33:01,579
It really helped start
me on a trajectory going,
714
00:33:01,618 --> 00:33:03,148
what else are they
not telling us?
715
00:33:03,188 --> 00:33:06,528
(eerie music continues)
716
00:33:06,566 --> 00:33:08,566
(water whooshing)
717
00:33:08,605 --> 00:33:10,405
- Trouble starts
for Frank and Brian
718
00:33:10,442 --> 00:33:12,422
really in November of 1998.
719
00:33:12,448 --> 00:33:14,488
(tense music)
720
00:33:14,521 --> 00:33:18,431
When AHA was a teenager, he
told his mother about the abuse,
721
00:33:18,466 --> 00:33:20,576
and she refused to believe him.
722
00:33:20,608 --> 00:33:22,308
And then, 20 years later,
723
00:33:22,345 --> 00:33:25,615
she reported the abuse
to an AOG pastor.
724
00:33:25,656 --> 00:33:26,556
- [AHA] My mother
called me and told me
725
00:33:26,593 --> 00:33:28,803
she had a conversation
with Pastor Mumford
726
00:33:28,832 --> 00:33:31,672
and told him that I had
been sexually abused
727
00:33:31,708 --> 00:33:34,108
by Pastor Frank.
(tense music continues)
728
00:33:34,147 --> 00:33:36,617
Both Pastor Taylor and
Pastor Mumford questioned me
729
00:33:36,656 --> 00:33:39,126
about the allegations
I had made.
730
00:33:39,162 --> 00:33:41,802
They tried to tell me that
what I was saying was not true,
731
00:33:41,838 --> 00:33:44,308
and they both said words
to the following effect.
732
00:33:44,344 --> 00:33:47,254
"Frank Houston couldn't have
done that, he's a good man."
733
00:33:47,287 --> 00:33:50,127
(tense music continues)
734
00:33:50,162 --> 00:33:54,242
- Frank first becomes aware
of the accusation that month.
735
00:33:54,274 --> 00:33:55,914
And instead of doing
anything about it,
736
00:33:55,946 --> 00:33:58,146
Frank decides he's
going to take a holiday.
737
00:33:58,186 --> 00:33:59,186
(children laughing)
(waves whooshing)
738
00:33:59,222 --> 00:34:01,462
In fact, he goes
on two holidays.
739
00:34:01,495 --> 00:34:04,465
Then in the first
week of May, 1999,
740
00:34:04,504 --> 00:34:08,854
Frank unexpectedly and very
suddenly gives the keys
741
00:34:08,885 --> 00:34:11,555
to his church to his
son, Brian Houston.
742
00:34:12,864 --> 00:34:15,874
AHA becomes fed up and
really doesn't think
743
00:34:15,906 --> 00:34:17,336
that anybody in the
church community
744
00:34:17,377 --> 00:34:19,617
is going to believe him
or take him seriously,
745
00:34:19,651 --> 00:34:22,191
so he tells an AOG pastor
746
00:34:22,225 --> 00:34:25,365
that he's considering
going to the authorities.
747
00:34:25,401 --> 00:34:27,271
(tense music continues)
748
00:34:27,306 --> 00:34:28,946
That's when things start
to happen pretty quickly.
749
00:34:28,979 --> 00:34:31,219
(tense music continues)
750
00:34:31,252 --> 00:34:34,932
That same week, Brian
Houston calls his father
751
00:34:34,963 --> 00:34:36,603
into his office
752
00:34:36,636 --> 00:34:39,646
and learns about the case
officially for the first time.
753
00:34:39,678 --> 00:34:41,418
Now, there are no
minutes from the meeting.
754
00:34:41,449 --> 00:34:42,819
There are no notes
from the meeting.
755
00:34:42,854 --> 00:34:44,394
There were no witnesses
to the meeting.
756
00:34:44,424 --> 00:34:45,904
(tense music continues)
757
00:34:45,930 --> 00:34:47,900
- It was the worst
meeting I ever had.
758
00:34:47,936 --> 00:34:48,736
I confronted him.
759
00:34:50,042 --> 00:34:51,952
He went extremely
dry in the mouth
760
00:34:51,981 --> 00:34:55,491
and said, "Yes, these
things did happen."
761
00:34:55,524 --> 00:34:57,004
- [Beckett] Well, I'll
just to stop you there,
762
00:34:57,029 --> 00:34:58,939
because that's the point
I wanted to ask you about.
763
00:34:58,969 --> 00:35:01,639
What did he actually confess to?
764
00:35:03,683 --> 00:35:04,693
- He confessed essentially
to fondling genitals.
765
00:35:08,429 --> 00:35:11,439
- [Beckett] All right,
of one or more children?
766
00:35:11,472 --> 00:35:12,612
(tense music continues)
767
00:35:12,643 --> 00:35:14,653
- We were only talking
about that one.
768
00:35:14,683 --> 00:35:18,063
At that time, he told me that
it was a one-off occasion.
769
00:35:18,092 --> 00:35:19,002
(tense music continues)
770
00:35:19,029 --> 00:35:20,399
- [AHA] The abuse in my home
771
00:35:20,432 --> 00:35:21,872
and at the different
church meetings
772
00:35:21,904 --> 00:35:25,684
continued over a period of
years until I reached puberty.
773
00:35:25,716 --> 00:35:28,616
What Pastor Frank did to
me destroyed my childhood.
774
00:35:29,862 --> 00:35:32,072
The abuse has had
longterm effects on me.
775
00:35:32,101 --> 00:35:33,971
Late in the night, I
still get flashbacks
776
00:35:34,007 --> 00:35:35,777
of Pastor Frank in my bedroom
777
00:35:35,813 --> 00:35:38,453
and see his face
floating around me.
778
00:35:38,486 --> 00:35:41,396
I have difficulties being in
the presence of elderly men.
779
00:35:41,428 --> 00:35:43,868
I also have difficulty in
being intimate with my wife.
780
00:35:43,904 --> 00:35:45,584
(tense music continues)
781
00:35:45,608 --> 00:35:47,978
I can't relate to
my own children.
782
00:35:48,016 --> 00:35:49,916
I find it awkward
to hug my own sons
783
00:35:49,955 --> 00:35:51,455
because I don't want
them getting used
784
00:35:51,492 --> 00:35:53,972
to another male hugging them.
(tense music continues)
785
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,640
- [Beckett] Your father
admitted to one act
786
00:35:57,678 --> 00:36:00,518
or act on one occasion, I
think you said a one off.
787
00:36:00,553 --> 00:36:02,123
- No, I think was
one act, one off.
788
00:36:02,158 --> 00:36:05,528
One-off act, I think he said.
(tense music continues)
789
00:36:05,568 --> 00:36:08,108
- Brian Houston's always
said, "That's what I was told.
790
00:36:08,142 --> 00:36:09,082
That's what I believed.
791
00:36:09,112 --> 00:36:11,152
I didn't know anything else."
792
00:36:11,185 --> 00:36:14,795
But Assemblies of God had
access to all the people
793
00:36:14,830 --> 00:36:16,200
and all the records.
(tense music continues)
794
00:36:16,233 --> 00:36:19,753
And if I found all of
these cases of sexual abuse
795
00:36:19,778 --> 00:36:21,918
by Frank Houston without those,
796
00:36:23,622 --> 00:36:25,532
I can't imagine how
many they would find.
797
00:36:26,766 --> 00:36:27,466
(no audio)
798
00:36:30,242 --> 00:36:32,882
(somber music)
799
00:36:38,132 --> 00:36:40,472
As I was looking
through Frank's life
800
00:36:40,505 --> 00:36:42,975
and trying to step
back through the years,
801
00:36:43,014 --> 00:36:45,494
I sought out Salvation Army.
802
00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,090
(somber music continues)
803
00:36:47,126 --> 00:36:51,506
And I said, "I know he was
working at Temuka boys' home.
804
00:36:53,044 --> 00:36:55,894
Was there anything on your files
or anything on your records
805
00:36:55,919 --> 00:36:58,129
that indicated
something untoward?
806
00:36:58,159 --> 00:36:59,559
(somber music continues)
807
00:36:59,597 --> 00:37:03,107
Now, I couldn't believe
it when they came back
808
00:37:03,141 --> 00:37:05,821
and said there was an allegation
809
00:37:05,849 --> 00:37:09,289
of sexual offending against
children by Frank Houston
810
00:37:09,325 --> 00:37:11,095
when he was at
Temuka boys' home.
811
00:37:11,131 --> 00:37:14,641
(somber music continues)
812
00:37:17,751 --> 00:37:20,831
At that point, Frank Houston
would've been in his early 20s.
813
00:37:20,861 --> 00:37:22,301
(somber music continues)
814
00:37:22,331 --> 00:37:23,971
But whatever happened
815
00:37:24,003 --> 00:37:27,823
in the Salvation Army never
seems to be properly addressed.
816
00:37:27,849 --> 00:37:31,129
(somber music continues)
817
00:37:32,294 --> 00:37:34,334
Frank Houston,
throughout his career,
818
00:37:34,367 --> 00:37:35,737
would take his ministry
819
00:37:35,772 --> 00:37:38,682
into the poorer
parts of New Zealand
820
00:37:38,714 --> 00:37:41,794
and across the Pacific to
very poor Pacific islands.
821
00:37:41,824 --> 00:37:43,034
(tense music continues)
822
00:37:43,060 --> 00:37:44,730
- [Frank] It's been my
privilege in my lifetime
823
00:37:44,765 --> 00:37:46,635
to travel around the
world preaching the gospel
824
00:37:46,671 --> 00:37:47,771
in many countries.
825
00:37:48,811 --> 00:37:50,921
And I have actually preached
826
00:37:50,951 --> 00:37:54,701
to the red, the yellow,
the black, and the white.
827
00:37:54,728 --> 00:37:57,298
I've preached to the Maoris
all over New Zealand.
828
00:37:57,336 --> 00:37:58,636
(somber music continues)
829
00:37:58,674 --> 00:38:01,954
(water whooshing)
830
00:38:01,984 --> 00:38:06,304
- I've no doubt whatsoever that
when Frank Houston traveled,
831
00:38:06,330 --> 00:38:08,340
he sought out victims.
832
00:38:08,369 --> 00:38:11,379
(somber music continues)
(keys tapping)
833
00:38:11,411 --> 00:38:13,821
What we know now, looking back,
834
00:38:13,853 --> 00:38:18,033
that period from 1945
through to 1975 is filled
835
00:38:18,065 --> 00:38:22,805
with enough allegations of
sexual violence against children
836
00:38:22,846 --> 00:38:27,726
to conceive of Frank Houston
as a lifelong predator.
837
00:38:29,032 --> 00:38:32,442
We're talking at
the least 30 years
838
00:38:32,474 --> 00:38:34,884
of sexual offending
against children.
839
00:38:34,916 --> 00:38:39,796
(somber music continues)
(keys tapping)
840
00:38:43,507 --> 00:38:46,417
(plane whooshing)
841
00:38:47,854 --> 00:38:48,894
- [Beckett] Let's
move onto the meeting
842
00:38:48,925 --> 00:38:52,765
of special executive on
the 22nd of December, 1999.
843
00:38:52,802 --> 00:38:55,082
You know the meeting
at Sydney Airport
844
00:38:55,110 --> 00:38:56,920
that I'm referring to?
- Yes.
845
00:38:56,949 --> 00:38:59,819
(tense music)
846
00:38:59,857 --> 00:39:04,067
- So in December, 1999, there's
an emergency AOG meeting
847
00:39:04,103 --> 00:39:06,113
in the Qantas Lounge
at Sydney Airport.
848
00:39:06,143 --> 00:39:08,023
(tense music continues)
849
00:39:08,049 --> 00:39:12,089
Brian is there as both the
investigator of the case
850
00:39:12,127 --> 00:39:14,837
and the son of the
accused abuser,
851
00:39:14,868 --> 00:39:16,978
and he's at the helm
of the narrative.
852
00:39:17,009 --> 00:39:17,909
- I told them the story.
853
00:39:17,945 --> 00:39:19,875
I burst into tears, sobbed.
854
00:39:19,918 --> 00:39:21,358
There was no way I could
chair that meeting,
855
00:39:21,388 --> 00:39:24,428
because I was a mess.
(tense music continues)
856
00:39:24,464 --> 00:39:27,274
- The way that Brian
frames these allegations
857
00:39:27,306 --> 00:39:29,546
for the other members of the AOG
858
00:39:29,580 --> 00:39:31,890
is the same way that
Frank framed it for him.
859
00:39:31,919 --> 00:39:34,859
One victim in New
Zealand 35 years ago.
860
00:39:34,895 --> 00:39:37,335
- I told them everything
I knew, I think,
861
00:39:37,369 --> 00:39:39,839
in terms of the fondling,
862
00:39:39,877 --> 00:39:42,347
you know, the nature
of it at that level.
863
00:39:44,993 --> 00:39:48,473
- What's really significant
there is that, at that meeting,
864
00:39:48,502 --> 00:39:51,652
there were 10, 12
leading figures
865
00:39:51,679 --> 00:39:53,249
of Pentecostal
churches in Australia.
866
00:39:53,284 --> 00:39:54,894
(tense music continues)
867
00:39:54,922 --> 00:39:58,102
This group of men who
knew the Houstons well
868
00:39:58,132 --> 00:40:02,412
decided amongst themselves
that what Frank Houston did
869
00:40:02,444 --> 00:40:04,384
was a moral transgression,
870
00:40:04,417 --> 00:40:07,157
not a serious criminal offense.
871
00:40:07,192 --> 00:40:09,202
- So the various times I spoke,
872
00:40:09,232 --> 00:40:11,512
the wording wouldn't have
been exactly the same.
873
00:40:13,043 --> 00:40:15,053
And it's possible that
the weakest of those,
874
00:40:15,083 --> 00:40:18,263
I might've said the
words moral failure.
875
00:40:18,292 --> 00:40:19,932
(tense music continues)
876
00:40:19,963 --> 00:40:22,203
- This wasn't a
spiritual failing.
877
00:40:22,237 --> 00:40:26,987
This was a series of violent
criminal acts against children,
878
00:40:27,019 --> 00:40:28,919
and the church knew
about it and did nothing.
879
00:40:30,161 --> 00:40:32,671
(tense music)
880
00:40:32,702 --> 00:40:35,142
- [Alex] The AOG decides
not to go to the police.
881
00:40:35,176 --> 00:40:36,706
Frank's credentials
are not revoked.
882
00:40:36,747 --> 00:40:38,647
The matter is not
to be made public.
883
00:40:38,687 --> 00:40:40,427
- That's the Hillsong playbook.
884
00:40:40,458 --> 00:40:43,428
If someone complains,
you diminish it.
885
00:40:43,467 --> 00:40:44,297
They're an irritant.
(tense music continues)
886
00:40:44,337 --> 00:40:48,177
Maybe you order a
confidential inquiry.
887
00:40:48,215 --> 00:40:49,585
The information goes no further.
888
00:40:49,620 --> 00:40:52,290
It's held in a small
group of people.
889
00:40:52,327 --> 00:40:55,367
Whoever the victim is has to go.
890
00:40:55,403 --> 00:40:56,413
(tense music continues)
891
00:40:56,439 --> 00:40:58,549
- [AHA] I eventually
agreed to meet Pastor Frank
892
00:40:58,580 --> 00:41:00,590
on or about early 2000.
893
00:41:00,619 --> 00:41:03,359
The meeting was held at
McDonald's restaurant
894
00:41:03,394 --> 00:41:06,404
of Thornleigh just up
Pennant Hills Road.
895
00:41:06,436 --> 00:41:08,106
(tense music continues)
896
00:41:08,142 --> 00:41:12,452
- What did Pastor Frank want
from you during that meeting?
897
00:41:13,792 --> 00:41:14,602
- [AHA] He wanted
me to forgive him.
898
00:41:14,628 --> 00:41:16,128
- [Beckett] You
were asked to sign
899
00:41:16,166 --> 00:41:18,536
a food-stained
napkin, is that right?
900
00:41:18,573 --> 00:41:19,813
- [AHA] Yes.
(tense music continues)
901
00:41:19,843 --> 00:41:21,583
Words were said to
the following effect.
902
00:41:21,616 --> 00:41:25,326
"If you put your
signature there, I'll
give you the 10,000."
903
00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:27,230
And at that stage, sir,
I just wanna tell you
904
00:41:27,266 --> 00:41:28,636
that I was in a state of panic.
905
00:41:28,670 --> 00:41:30,280
I just scribbled my name on it,
906
00:41:30,308 --> 00:41:33,248
and Frank kept badgering
me about the forgiveness.
907
00:41:33,284 --> 00:41:34,354
(tense music continues)
908
00:41:34,387 --> 00:41:36,087
About two months
after my meeting
909
00:41:36,126 --> 00:41:39,536
with Pastor Frank at McDonald's,
I telephoned Brian Houston
910
00:41:39,570 --> 00:41:43,550
as I had not yet received
any money from Pastor Frank.
911
00:41:43,582 --> 00:41:45,652
We had a conversation
to the following effect.
912
00:41:45,688 --> 00:41:47,388
(tense music continues)
913
00:41:47,426 --> 00:41:50,596
Me, "What's happening with
the payment I was promised?
914
00:41:50,636 --> 00:41:53,136
I agreed to forgive
your father."
915
00:41:53,177 --> 00:41:57,617
Brian, "Yes, okay, I'll
get the money to you.
916
00:41:57,657 --> 00:42:00,527
There's no problem.
(tense music continues)
917
00:42:00,566 --> 00:42:03,466
You know, it's your fault
all of this happened.
918
00:42:03,507 --> 00:42:04,777
You tempted my father."
919
00:42:04,811 --> 00:42:09,161
(tense music continues)
920
00:42:09,191 --> 00:42:11,701
- Shortly after
the $10,000 payout,
921
00:42:11,732 --> 00:42:13,142
Brian Houston really starts
922
00:42:13,170 --> 00:42:16,180
with a pretty vigorous
rebranding effort.
923
00:42:16,212 --> 00:42:17,582
- It's a church
growing so quickly
924
00:42:17,617 --> 00:42:20,627
that buildings struggle
to contain the increase.
925
00:42:20,659 --> 00:42:23,229
- Christian Life Centre
is renamed Hillsong,
926
00:42:23,267 --> 00:42:25,707
and the Assemblies
of God is relabeled
927
00:42:25,741 --> 00:42:27,811
as the Australian
Christian Churches.
928
00:42:27,847 --> 00:42:29,287
(tense music continues)
929
00:42:29,318 --> 00:42:31,628
Brian has really done
everything he can
930
00:42:31,659 --> 00:42:33,459
to really kind of
parse his words
931
00:42:33,497 --> 00:42:36,267
and manipulate, you
know, meaning and syntax
932
00:42:36,306 --> 00:42:39,876
to say the abuse didn't
happen at Hillsong,
933
00:42:39,916 --> 00:42:41,756
it happened at
Christian Life Centres.
934
00:42:41,789 --> 00:42:44,599
And it's sort of
apropos of nothing.
935
00:42:47,472 --> 00:42:49,982
- When these things happened,
Hillsong didn't exist at all.
936
00:42:50,013 --> 00:42:51,893
It was long before
Hillsong existed.
937
00:42:51,919 --> 00:42:53,519
This was not about Hillsong.
938
00:42:53,558 --> 00:42:55,698
This was not about the
Australian Assemblies of God.
939
00:42:55,731 --> 00:42:59,741
This payment was
between Frank and AHA.
940
00:43:02,985 --> 00:43:04,085
- [AHA] No one
believed my story,
941
00:43:04,122 --> 00:43:07,502
and others put pressure on
me to keep my mouth shut.
942
00:43:07,532 --> 00:43:10,912
I felt that the
church's response was
completely inadequate,
943
00:43:10,943 --> 00:43:13,593
and I have received
absolutely no support,
944
00:43:13,618 --> 00:43:17,628
no counseling, apology, or
acknowledgement of the abuse.
945
00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:20,510
(eerie music)
946
00:43:20,538 --> 00:43:23,648
- That same year,
2000, at a conference,
947
00:43:23,681 --> 00:43:25,591
Frank Houston is
wheeled out onstage
948
00:43:25,621 --> 00:43:28,561
and the Hillsong pastor
announces, and I'm reading here,
949
00:43:28,596 --> 00:43:31,666
"Here's a great man and
a great apostle of faith.
950
00:43:31,705 --> 00:43:33,435
Let's all stand and honor him."
951
00:43:33,477 --> 00:43:36,717
And the whole congregation
rises to their feet,
952
00:43:36,754 --> 00:43:38,934
and they applaud
Frank Houston wildly.
953
00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:40,530
(eerie music continues)
(congregation clapping)
954
00:43:40,566 --> 00:43:42,806
This is an admitted pedophile.
955
00:43:42,839 --> 00:43:44,439
This is, like, a child rapist.
956
00:43:46,951 --> 00:43:49,891
Like...
(eerie music continues)
957
00:43:49,926 --> 00:43:54,336
By December of 2000, the AOG
New Zealand has allegations
958
00:43:54,373 --> 00:43:57,353
from six alleged
victims of child abuse
959
00:43:57,382 --> 00:43:59,962
at the hands of Frank Houston.
(eerie music continues)
960
00:43:59,990 --> 00:44:01,930
- It's now impossible to ignore,
961
00:44:01,962 --> 00:44:05,372
and so they had to take
action against Frank Houston.
962
00:44:05,406 --> 00:44:08,046
And they quietly
shuffled him sideways
963
00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:10,390
and agreed to not
tell anybody about it.
964
00:44:10,421 --> 00:44:11,891
(eerie music continues)
965
00:44:11,926 --> 00:44:14,126
- From the time these
exposes started coming out
966
00:44:14,165 --> 00:44:17,065
in late 1999 to 2004,
967
00:44:18,512 --> 00:44:20,552
I think probably
because of the stress
968
00:44:20,586 --> 00:44:22,486
and the pain of all of
this and the humiliation,
969
00:44:22,524 --> 00:44:26,104
my father deteriorated
very quickly into dementia.
970
00:44:26,134 --> 00:44:30,014
So month by month, year
by year, he got worse.
971
00:44:30,046 --> 00:44:31,816
(eerie music continues)
972
00:44:31,852 --> 00:44:34,562
- Now, the diagnosis with
dementia is significant
973
00:44:34,594 --> 00:44:36,034
because it means
974
00:44:36,064 --> 00:44:37,874
that Frank can't answer
for any alleged abuses.
975
00:44:37,903 --> 00:44:39,113
(eerie music continues)
976
00:44:39,140 --> 00:44:41,680
Coincidentally, that
diagnosis is provided
977
00:44:41,715 --> 00:44:43,685
by a guy named Dr. Gordon Lee
978
00:44:43,721 --> 00:44:46,701
who served for 22 years as
a board member at Hillsong.
979
00:44:46,730 --> 00:44:49,540
(eerie music continues)
980
00:44:49,572 --> 00:44:51,482
- There was an
extraordinary correspondence
981
00:44:51,511 --> 00:44:52,681
backward and forwards
982
00:44:52,715 --> 00:44:54,185
between the Australian
Assemblies of God
983
00:44:54,218 --> 00:44:56,218
and New Zealand
Assemblies of God
984
00:44:56,259 --> 00:44:59,639
that showed that
they tried to limit
985
00:44:59,669 --> 00:45:01,739
as much as they possibly could
986
00:45:01,775 --> 00:45:04,945
any knowledge of Frank
Houston's sexual offending.
987
00:45:04,985 --> 00:45:09,865
We learned that they
had meetings about
not telling anyone.
988
00:45:10,736 --> 00:45:12,166
(eerie music continues)
989
00:45:12,206 --> 00:45:15,216
They documented how they were
not going to tell anyone.
990
00:45:15,248 --> 00:45:17,288
They wrote a statement
that they then agreed
991
00:45:17,322 --> 00:45:19,562
they were not going
to release to anybody.
992
00:45:19,596 --> 00:45:21,296
(eerie music continues)
993
00:45:21,334 --> 00:45:23,174
It's the Assemblies
of God version
994
00:45:23,205 --> 00:45:24,905
of the Nixon White House tapes.
995
00:45:26,717 --> 00:45:29,987
- Confess your sin to the
Lord and He'll blot it out.
996
00:45:30,026 --> 00:45:32,096
(film reel clicking)
997
00:45:36,111 --> 00:45:39,091
(traffic whooshing)
998
00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:41,800
(somber music)
999
00:45:42,806 --> 00:45:44,596
- [Beckett] The main
person handling the matter
1000
00:45:44,636 --> 00:45:48,746
for the Assemblies
of God was you.
1001
00:45:48,781 --> 00:45:50,951
- Yes, trying to pull
in all the information
1002
00:45:50,987 --> 00:45:52,687
so I could bring it to this-
1003
00:45:52,726 --> 00:45:56,196
- [Beckett] You were the son
of the alleged perpetrator.
1004
00:45:56,237 --> 00:45:57,837
- Yes, exactly.
1005
00:45:57,875 --> 00:46:01,045
- [Beckett] How did you
expect that to be received?
1006
00:46:01,084 --> 00:46:02,624
- I understand
what you're saying.
1007
00:46:03,959 --> 00:46:05,699
The whole idea of a
conflict of interest,
1008
00:46:05,732 --> 00:46:07,772
to be honest, hadn't
even occurred to me
1009
00:46:07,805 --> 00:46:09,805
and was never suggested
by anyone else
1010
00:46:09,844 --> 00:46:11,654
until we got here
to the commission.
1011
00:46:11,683 --> 00:46:14,123
I saw it as me being in a role,
1012
00:46:14,156 --> 00:46:17,836
having to make tough
decisions and having the guts
1013
00:46:17,868 --> 00:46:20,108
or the courage to make
those tough decisions.
1014
00:46:20,141 --> 00:46:21,581
No matter what any
paperwork says,
1015
00:46:21,613 --> 00:46:23,283
no matter whatever else happens,
1016
00:46:23,318 --> 00:46:26,228
I knew he would never preach
again from that moment.
1017
00:46:27,765 --> 00:46:29,595
- The idea that Frank
never preached again,
1018
00:46:30,807 --> 00:46:34,587
that's not true.
(somber music continues)
1019
00:46:34,619 --> 00:46:36,119
- I remember when I
heard that audio in 2004
1020
00:46:36,156 --> 00:46:37,556
where he was still preaching,
1021
00:46:40,001 --> 00:46:40,971
that was chilling.
1022
00:46:41,004 --> 00:46:43,754
That was really,
really chilling.
1023
00:46:43,779 --> 00:46:44,879
- [Frank] What a wonderful joy
1024
00:46:44,916 --> 00:46:46,286
just to be in
church this morning.
1025
00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:47,290
- [Congregation] Yes.
1026
00:46:47,323 --> 00:46:48,733
- [Frank] Look at me today.
1027
00:46:50,064 --> 00:46:54,284
Nothing can separate you
from the love of God.
1028
00:46:55,782 --> 00:46:57,092
- [Alex] We heard from
former congregants,
1029
00:46:57,119 --> 00:46:59,929
some of whom wanted
to remain anonymous.
1030
00:46:59,961 --> 00:47:01,231
I understand that you were close
1031
00:47:01,264 --> 00:47:05,184
with Frank and Hazel
Houston in 2000, 2004.
1032
00:47:05,209 --> 00:47:08,789
- [Interviewee] Yeah, the last
years of their lives, really.
1033
00:47:08,821 --> 00:47:10,791
All we were told
is they were sent
1034
00:47:10,827 --> 00:47:13,227
to the Central Coast to retire.
1035
00:47:13,267 --> 00:47:14,937
(somber music continues)
1036
00:47:14,972 --> 00:47:16,882
- [Frank] God's got a
purpose for your life.
1037
00:47:18,115 --> 00:47:20,955
God has got a purpose
for your life.
1038
00:47:22,996 --> 00:47:24,666
- [Interviewee] I
never heard a word
1039
00:47:24,702 --> 00:47:27,112
about them being stood down.
(somber music continues)
1040
00:47:27,142 --> 00:47:29,112
They were like royalty.
1041
00:47:29,148 --> 00:47:32,288
They had their own parking spot
out the front of the church,
1042
00:47:32,325 --> 00:47:34,225
and their names
were on a plaque.
1043
00:47:34,263 --> 00:47:35,843
(somber music continues)
1044
00:47:35,869 --> 00:47:37,739
- [Frank] And the
little boy back there,
1045
00:47:37,774 --> 00:47:40,984
two little boys, one
bigger than the other,
1046
00:47:41,017 --> 00:47:43,857
but God's got a purpose
for their lives.
1047
00:47:43,893 --> 00:47:45,363
- [Alex] You had young
kids at the time, right?
1048
00:47:46,735 --> 00:47:48,165
(somber music continues)
1049
00:47:48,205 --> 00:47:51,845
- [Interviewee] He used to
tell my son, who was 10,
1050
00:47:51,883 --> 00:47:54,323
"You look like you're
a million bucks."
1051
00:47:54,357 --> 00:47:56,727
And you know what, if
I knew what I knew now,
1052
00:47:57,901 --> 00:47:59,341
I would've punched
him in the face.
1053
00:47:59,372 --> 00:48:01,182
(somber music continues)
1054
00:48:01,210 --> 00:48:02,780
- [Frank] What a fantastic
young fellow he is.
1055
00:48:02,816 --> 00:48:05,316
Curly hair, sort of.
1056
00:48:05,357 --> 00:48:06,327
Good looking.
1057
00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:08,030
(somber music continues)
1058
00:48:08,065 --> 00:48:09,165
It's not your fault
you're good looking,
1059
00:48:10,137 --> 00:48:11,137
so thank God you are.
1060
00:48:13,113 --> 00:48:15,493
- [Interviewee] Never, never
in a million years did I think
1061
00:48:15,521 --> 00:48:18,801
that myself and my
son were standing
1062
00:48:18,831 --> 00:48:21,811
in front of a
pedophile, a sex abuser
1063
00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:26,220
who had actually abused
other children at that age.
1064
00:48:26,252 --> 00:48:27,122
(somber music continues)
1065
00:48:27,155 --> 00:48:28,485
- [Frank] By the grace of God,
1066
00:48:28,527 --> 00:48:31,837
I'm still vibrant on the inside.
1067
00:48:31,870 --> 00:48:35,380
I'm still alive with the
Holy Ghost on the inside.
1068
00:48:35,414 --> 00:48:36,994
(somber music continues)
1069
00:48:37,018 --> 00:48:40,498
- [Interviewee] Like,
I just can't understand
1070
00:48:40,530 --> 00:48:44,980
that you would allow someone
to be in that environment.
1071
00:48:45,009 --> 00:48:47,019
There was children
there every week.
1072
00:48:47,048 --> 00:48:48,518
What the hell?
1073
00:48:48,554 --> 00:48:53,544
(somber music continues)
(film reel clicking)
1074
00:48:53,569 --> 00:48:55,439
- For years, I
would go to church
1075
00:48:55,475 --> 00:48:58,875
and I would try
to immerse myself
1076
00:48:58,917 --> 00:49:00,287
in everything
going on around me,
1077
00:49:00,321 --> 00:49:02,031
but I'd continue to
get these thoughts.
1078
00:49:02,060 --> 00:49:04,430
This is rubbish.
This isn't true.
1079
00:49:04,468 --> 00:49:06,408
And through the grapevine,
1080
00:49:06,441 --> 00:49:09,081
I found out that there was
gonna be an announcement
1081
00:49:09,114 --> 00:49:11,594
about Frank Houston.
(somber music continues)
1082
00:49:11,623 --> 00:49:14,203
- So I was Brian's intern.
1083
00:49:15,501 --> 00:49:17,611
Obviously super close
with Ben and Joel.
1084
00:49:17,641 --> 00:49:20,051
I was at their house when all
that stuff kinda went down.
1085
00:49:20,081 --> 00:49:22,461
I remember Brian
talking about it
1086
00:49:24,259 --> 00:49:26,199
and what he was gonna have
to do, to tell the church.
1087
00:49:26,232 --> 00:49:27,472
(ominous music)
1088
00:49:27,504 --> 00:49:29,174
- My own father,
who was my hero,
1089
00:49:31,147 --> 00:49:35,357
was accused of sexual abuse.
1090
00:49:35,392 --> 00:49:36,332
It was like
1091
00:49:38,001 --> 00:49:41,111
jets flying into the
Twin Towers of my soul.
1092
00:49:41,144 --> 00:49:44,024
(ominous music continues)
1093
00:49:44,052 --> 00:49:46,292
But the reason
why I'm still here
1094
00:49:46,325 --> 00:49:49,125
and the reason why I still
believe in the power of God
1095
00:49:49,168 --> 00:49:51,368
and still love to see
people transformed
1096
00:49:51,407 --> 00:49:54,377
through Jesus Christ is
because that still looks right.
1097
00:49:54,416 --> 00:49:56,086
What God says still looks right.
1098
00:49:56,122 --> 00:49:57,962
(congregation clapping)
1099
00:49:57,994 --> 00:49:59,004
Praise God.
1100
00:49:59,031 --> 00:50:02,371
(congregation clapping)
1101
00:50:02,407 --> 00:50:04,647
- All these people stood
up and applauded him.
1102
00:50:06,185 --> 00:50:08,015
I thought, 12,000
people are wrong.
1103
00:50:08,058 --> 00:50:10,028
That was the last time
I went to Hillsong,
1104
00:50:10,064 --> 00:50:13,144
and that was the last time I
was afraid of going to hell,
1105
00:50:13,173 --> 00:50:15,583
because if it's
between me and the guy
1106
00:50:15,615 --> 00:50:18,185
that's apparently covering
up for the pedophile,
1107
00:50:18,221 --> 00:50:22,701
then I'll stand by me.
(ominous music continues)
1108
00:50:24,239 --> 00:50:26,579
After that, I felt like
I had a responsibility
1109
00:50:26,614 --> 00:50:29,694
to just raise awareness,
to let people know
1110
00:50:29,723 --> 00:50:31,733
that they weren't
everything that they seemed.
1111
00:50:31,763 --> 00:50:35,583
(ominous music continues)
1112
00:50:35,608 --> 00:50:38,478
- Frank dies in 2004 without
being convicted of any crime.
1113
00:50:38,517 --> 00:50:39,587
(ominous music continues)
1114
00:50:39,620 --> 00:50:43,460
The police were never
contacted by Brian or the AOG.
1115
00:50:43,498 --> 00:50:45,538
Brian's excuse was
that he didn't know
1116
00:50:45,571 --> 00:50:47,381
that he had to
contact the police.
1117
00:50:47,408 --> 00:50:48,778
(ominous music continues)
1118
00:50:48,814 --> 00:50:50,824
In fact, however, it
was revealed later
1119
00:50:50,853 --> 00:50:52,493
that Brian had
sought legal counsel
1120
00:50:52,525 --> 00:50:54,825
on the matter at least twice.
(ominous music continues)
1121
00:50:54,865 --> 00:50:58,135
He knew that if he brought
the matter to the police,
1122
00:50:58,174 --> 00:50:59,454
his father could have
been incarcerated
1123
00:50:59,479 --> 00:51:01,749
and his church would
have been disgraced.
1124
00:51:01,786 --> 00:51:04,656
(ominous music continues)
1125
00:51:04,695 --> 00:51:06,525
- When I was at the
Royal Commission,
1126
00:51:06,567 --> 00:51:09,407
it was very interesting hearing
Brian Houston's testimony.
1127
00:51:09,442 --> 00:51:13,422
The majority of his statements
just didn't line up,
1128
00:51:13,454 --> 00:51:15,534
and I think it was like
1129
00:51:15,561 --> 00:51:17,571
there were too many
cracks in the damn wall.
1130
00:51:17,600 --> 00:51:19,170
(ominous music continues)
1131
00:51:19,204 --> 00:51:20,174
- [Prosecutor] Mr. Houston,
can I suggest to you
1132
00:51:20,207 --> 00:51:22,347
that the inconsistencies
and errors
1133
00:51:22,380 --> 00:51:23,820
in your statement
were deliberate?
1134
00:51:25,624 --> 00:51:26,494
(ominous music continues)
- Why would I admit it,
1135
00:51:26,526 --> 00:51:28,326
why would I bring it up here,
1136
00:51:28,365 --> 00:51:29,595
if it was deliberate?
- Mr. Houston,
1137
00:51:29,636 --> 00:51:31,336
I'm just making a
suggestion to you.
1138
00:51:31,374 --> 00:51:32,584
- If it was deliberate that I
was trying to hide something.
1139
00:51:32,612 --> 00:51:35,192
I mean, the truth is, I didn't
have to talk about it at all.
1140
00:51:35,219 --> 00:51:36,689
I spoke about it
1141
00:51:36,724 --> 00:51:39,874
because I'm saying I had
completely forgotten this
1142
00:51:39,900 --> 00:51:41,470
and now I remember,
1143
00:51:41,505 --> 00:51:44,345
so I'm telling the commission
this is what I remember.
1144
00:51:44,379 --> 00:51:46,719
- [Prosecutor] Thank
you. Nothing further.
1145
00:51:46,754 --> 00:51:50,204
(ominous music continues)
1146
00:51:54,242 --> 00:51:57,392
(ominous music continues)
1147
00:52:03,731 --> 00:52:06,251
- Typically the way that
Hillsong has handled scandal,
1148
00:52:06,285 --> 00:52:07,655
because I've been a part of it,
1149
00:52:07,691 --> 00:52:10,531
was what looks best
for the church.
1150
00:52:10,565 --> 00:52:11,795
(somber music)
But most of the time,
1151
00:52:11,836 --> 00:52:14,276
it serves everybody to
push everything down.
1152
00:52:14,309 --> 00:52:16,789
You just push it as far
under the rug as you can.
1153
00:52:16,818 --> 00:52:19,728
We choose narrative over truth,
1154
00:52:19,760 --> 00:52:21,600
and that leads to
absolute disaster
1155
00:52:21,633 --> 00:52:22,843
because the truth
doesn't go anywhere
1156
00:52:22,869 --> 00:52:24,879
just because you cover it up.
1157
00:52:24,909 --> 00:52:27,449
- The Royal Commission's
report has now published.
1158
00:52:27,483 --> 00:52:30,023
It's online, I encourage
everyone to read it.
1159
00:52:30,057 --> 00:52:32,357
- [Reporter] 17
shameful volumes.
1160
00:52:32,397 --> 00:52:35,837
"It is a national tragedy
perpetrated over generations."
1161
00:52:35,875 --> 00:52:38,315
- If you read the report
of the Royal Commission,
1162
00:52:38,348 --> 00:52:40,318
it's pretty clear what happened.
1163
00:52:40,354 --> 00:52:42,704
The church had known
about the abuse
1164
00:52:42,729 --> 00:52:44,599
for more than a
decade and a half,
1165
00:52:44,635 --> 00:52:46,975
and the church had told nobody.
1166
00:52:47,008 --> 00:52:48,348
(tense music)
1167
00:52:48,378 --> 00:52:51,918
Here is a modern
abusive institution
1168
00:52:51,956 --> 00:52:56,336
which the Royal Commission
had just exposed.
1169
00:52:56,369 --> 00:52:58,939
(tense music continues)
1170
00:52:58,977 --> 00:53:00,517
This material is out there.
1171
00:53:00,549 --> 00:53:01,749
The police have it.
1172
00:53:03,558 --> 00:53:05,028
Time for some action.
(tense music continues)
1173
00:53:05,062 --> 00:53:07,972
- The Australian government
and this parliament,
1174
00:53:08,004 --> 00:53:11,824
on behalf of all Australians,
unreservedly apologizes
1175
00:53:11,849 --> 00:53:13,919
to the victims and survivors
1176
00:53:13,956 --> 00:53:16,726
of institutional
child sexual abuse.
1177
00:53:18,469 --> 00:53:21,909
- It soon became apparent
that nothing was happening.
1178
00:53:21,946 --> 00:53:22,816
(dramatic music)
1179
00:53:22,849 --> 00:53:23,689
- We are sorry.
1180
00:53:24,855 --> 00:53:26,925
- This gross, gross failure
1181
00:53:26,961 --> 00:53:28,671
just kind of
dropped into a hole.
1182
00:53:30,170 --> 00:53:32,680
There's no institutional
explanation for this delay.
1183
00:53:32,712 --> 00:53:35,122
This isn't a hugely
complicated case.
1184
00:53:35,152 --> 00:53:36,992
(dramatic music continues)
1185
00:53:37,025 --> 00:53:38,955
This isn't some kind
of international
drug smuggling ring.
1186
00:53:40,736 --> 00:53:42,506
So the question was, well,
where are the police?
1187
00:53:42,541 --> 00:53:45,451
(dramatic music continues)
1188
00:53:45,483 --> 00:53:48,693
(church bell ringing)
1189
00:53:52,170 --> 00:53:56,480
- When Frank Houston died, a
remarkable scene played out.
1190
00:53:56,516 --> 00:53:58,486
The next New South Wales
Police Commissioner
1191
00:53:58,522 --> 00:54:01,772
attended Frank Houston's
funeral as a mark of respect.
1192
00:54:03,069 --> 00:54:04,909
That police commissioner
called Andrew Scipione
1193
00:54:04,942 --> 00:54:07,922
himself is a
Hillsong congregant.
1194
00:54:07,951 --> 00:54:09,521
(tense music)
- Post royal commission,
1195
00:54:09,555 --> 00:54:13,935
we still had very senior
members of the state government,
1196
00:54:13,969 --> 00:54:16,839
including the former
police commissioner,
1197
00:54:16,878 --> 00:54:19,048
very, very closely connected
with this institution
1198
00:54:19,084 --> 00:54:20,524
as though nothing had happened.
1199
00:54:20,555 --> 00:54:22,185
(tense music continues)
1200
00:54:22,226 --> 00:54:23,966
- Perhaps it's coincidence,
1201
00:54:23,999 --> 00:54:27,579
but for the duration of
Commissioner Scipione's time
1202
00:54:27,609 --> 00:54:29,949
running the New
South Wales Police,
1203
00:54:29,983 --> 00:54:31,593
there was no effective
investigation
1204
00:54:31,621 --> 00:54:33,531
into Brian Houston or Hillsong.
1205
00:54:33,561 --> 00:54:34,931
(tense music continues)
1206
00:54:34,965 --> 00:54:37,565
As a journalist,
this is a moment
1207
00:54:37,606 --> 00:54:39,846
that is really worth untangling.
1208
00:54:39,880 --> 00:54:40,980
(tense music continues)
1209
00:54:41,016 --> 00:54:43,256
- Hillsong followers are rife
1210
00:54:43,289 --> 00:54:45,159
throughout Australian politics,
1211
00:54:45,195 --> 00:54:47,265
throughout the Australian
public service,
1212
00:54:47,301 --> 00:54:48,741
especially within the police.
1213
00:54:48,774 --> 00:54:49,644
(tense music continues)
1214
00:54:49,675 --> 00:54:51,105
- And it turns out that in fact,
1215
00:54:51,147 --> 00:54:52,987
part of the church's
business model was
1216
00:54:53,019 --> 00:54:56,729
to put its supporters in
positions of power and authority
1217
00:54:56,764 --> 00:54:58,274
and look for people in
positions of power and authority
1218
00:54:58,301 --> 00:55:00,271
and make them their supporters.
1219
00:55:00,307 --> 00:55:03,647
And it had been extremely
successful in doing that.
1220
00:55:03,684 --> 00:55:06,734
In a few short decades,
Hillsong had managed
1221
00:55:06,760 --> 00:55:10,140
to capture a fairly big
chunk of Australian politics.
1222
00:55:10,170 --> 00:55:13,580
(tense music continues)
1223
00:55:17,091 --> 00:55:18,831
- The fact that
Frank has passed away
1224
00:55:18,864 --> 00:55:21,044
has made it extremely difficult
1225
00:55:21,070 --> 00:55:24,850
to make any progress in
terms of pursuing justice.
1226
00:55:24,882 --> 00:55:28,832
(tense music continues)
1227
00:55:28,860 --> 00:55:30,970
I don't know that
there's any way
1228
00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:33,710
to compensate for
what's happened,
1229
00:55:33,741 --> 00:55:35,351
and I don't think
money's gonna do it.
1230
00:55:35,379 --> 00:55:38,349
(melancholy music)
1231
00:55:38,388 --> 00:55:40,758
It's all the lost opportunities.
1232
00:55:43,872 --> 00:55:44,842
It's still there.
1233
00:55:44,875 --> 00:55:47,215
I still feel a degree of shame.
1234
00:55:47,248 --> 00:55:48,688
Not okay.
1235
00:55:48,719 --> 00:55:49,759
Don't quite measure up.
1236
00:55:49,789 --> 00:55:51,729
(melancholy music continues)
1237
00:55:51,761 --> 00:55:53,401
Not a whole person.
1238
00:55:53,433 --> 00:55:54,703
Slightly broken.
1239
00:55:56,408 --> 00:55:59,948
Every part of my life
has been impacted.
1240
00:56:00,890 --> 00:56:02,760
(melancholy music continues)
1241
00:56:02,794 --> 00:56:04,174
I just saw no hope.
1242
00:56:04,199 --> 00:56:06,909
(melancholy music continues)
1243
00:56:06,941 --> 00:56:09,451
Without the support
of my wife and family,
1244
00:56:09,482 --> 00:56:11,292
I wouldn't be here today.
1245
00:56:11,320 --> 00:56:14,970
(melancholy music continues)
1246
00:56:17,840 --> 00:56:18,310
(no audio)
1247
00:56:21,484 --> 00:56:24,034
(tense music)
1248
00:56:29,211 --> 00:56:30,831
- Not only was there this delay,
1249
00:56:30,858 --> 00:56:33,498
but there was also
very close associations
1250
00:56:33,533 --> 00:56:35,073
between the Hillsong leadership
1251
00:56:35,104 --> 00:56:38,254
and the then Australian
political leadership,
1252
00:56:38,281 --> 00:56:40,491
and we just got stonewalled.
(tense music continues)
1253
00:56:40,520 --> 00:56:43,130
All these institutional
barriers started going up.
1254
00:56:43,162 --> 00:56:44,772
Well, that gets my
hackles up, to be honest.
1255
00:56:44,800 --> 00:56:47,510
(tense music continues)
1256
00:56:47,541 --> 00:56:51,391
Thankfully, we had a survivor
1257
00:56:51,420 --> 00:56:54,300
who was not willing to let it go
1258
00:56:54,329 --> 00:56:57,139
and had the courage and
the emotional strength
1259
00:56:57,171 --> 00:57:00,581
to speak to a national
audience and demand action.
1260
00:57:01,751 --> 00:57:03,561
- My name's Brett Sengstock.
1261
00:57:03,589 --> 00:57:05,659
I appeared at the Royal
Commission as AHA.
1262
00:57:06,866 --> 00:57:08,096
That was my pseudonym,
1263
00:57:09,340 --> 00:57:12,620
and I now stand before you
1264
00:57:12,650 --> 00:57:13,790
with who I really am.
1265
00:57:14,622 --> 00:57:16,302
(melancholy music)
1266
00:57:16,328 --> 00:57:18,368
- When Brett spoke
to "60 Minutes"
1267
00:57:18,401 --> 00:57:23,281
he changed from being an acronym
in a block of text to being
1268
00:57:24,753 --> 00:57:29,303
this compelling, powerful,
brave human being.
1269
00:57:30,437 --> 00:57:31,607
(somber music)
1270
00:57:31,640 --> 00:57:33,610
- I'm tired of people
speaking for me
1271
00:57:33,646 --> 00:57:38,556
and telling the world how I
felt and how I am feeling.
1272
00:57:38,594 --> 00:57:40,204
Now I'm telling the world
how I really do feel.
1273
00:57:40,233 --> 00:57:42,413
- And how is that?
(somber music continues)
1274
00:57:42,439 --> 00:57:43,169
- Pretty annoyed.
1275
00:57:45,248 --> 00:57:45,918
Pretty annoyed.
1276
00:57:46,853 --> 00:57:49,633
And I'm not going away just yet.
1277
00:57:49,660 --> 00:57:50,630
(somber music continues)
1278
00:57:50,663 --> 00:57:52,243
- Neither Brian Houston
1279
00:57:52,269 --> 00:57:54,239
or any of the Hillsong
Church's leaders
1280
00:57:54,275 --> 00:57:56,445
have faced any
legal repercussions
1281
00:57:56,481 --> 00:57:59,321
for their failure to report
an indictable offense.
1282
00:57:59,357 --> 00:58:01,957
It's now 49 years since
the abuse started,
1283
00:58:01,998 --> 00:58:04,808
and 19 years since Brian
Houston was aware of it,
1284
00:58:04,840 --> 00:58:07,280
and three years after the
Royal Commission delivered
1285
00:58:07,314 --> 00:58:09,554
its damning report, yet
nothing has happened.
1286
00:58:09,587 --> 00:58:10,887
(somber music continues)
1287
00:58:10,925 --> 00:58:13,695
Brett Sengstock has
contacted my office for help.
1288
00:58:13,734 --> 00:58:15,844
He is suffering from a
life-threatening illness,
1289
00:58:15,873 --> 00:58:17,283
and he is concerned justice
1290
00:58:17,311 --> 00:58:18,981
will not be served
in his lifetime.
1291
00:58:19,015 --> 00:58:22,485
That would be a further
obscene betrayal.
1292
00:58:22,526 --> 00:58:24,696
While Brett's
waiting for justice,
1293
00:58:24,733 --> 00:58:29,053
we have the Trump administration
inviting Brian Houston
1294
00:58:29,079 --> 00:58:31,849
to be his extra-special guest
1295
00:58:31,888 --> 00:58:34,598
at a White House
reception in Washington.
1296
00:58:34,629 --> 00:58:36,329
(somber music continues)
1297
00:58:36,368 --> 00:58:36,998
- Well, what an honor to be
standing in the White House
1298
00:58:37,036 --> 00:58:38,636
in the Cabinet Room,
1299
00:58:38,674 --> 00:58:41,754
and to have just had the chance
to pray for President Trump.
1300
00:58:41,784 --> 00:58:44,364
- It's a fact that Brian
Houston is a close friend
1301
00:58:44,392 --> 00:58:46,032
of the prime minister,
Scott Morrison.
1302
00:58:46,063 --> 00:58:49,013
- What this country needs more
than that is the love of God.
1303
00:58:49,039 --> 00:58:50,779
(congregation clapping)
1304
00:58:50,811 --> 00:58:53,021
- I just want to guarantee you
1305
00:58:53,051 --> 00:58:55,691
that we will be praying for you.
1306
00:58:55,726 --> 00:58:58,566
And praying for you not
just now, but consistently.
1307
00:58:58,601 --> 00:59:00,111
(congregation clapping)
1308
00:59:00,138 --> 00:59:02,648
- No one, regardless
of their friends,
1309
00:59:02,679 --> 00:59:04,079
should be beyond the
reach of the law.
1310
00:59:04,117 --> 00:59:05,517
(somber music continues)
1311
00:59:05,555 --> 00:59:08,055
- I want my husband
to have justice.
1312
00:59:08,096 --> 00:59:10,696
He deserves it.
(somber music continues)
1313
00:59:10,738 --> 00:59:15,488
- To go on national TV as a
survivor of child sex abuse
1314
00:59:15,518 --> 00:59:19,698
and to demand your
measure of justice,
1315
00:59:19,731 --> 00:59:23,441
that is the work that finally
pushes institutions to act.
1316
00:59:23,475 --> 00:59:24,445
(somber music continues)
1317
00:59:24,478 --> 00:59:25,948
There is compelling evidence
1318
00:59:25,983 --> 00:59:28,693
that Brian Houston knew
while he was a church leader
1319
00:59:28,724 --> 00:59:31,104
about the abuse, about
the hush payments,
1320
00:59:31,131 --> 00:59:32,841
and that he failed
to tell the police.
1321
00:59:32,870 --> 00:59:34,110
This is a crime.
1322
00:59:34,140 --> 00:59:35,040
(somber music continues)
1323
00:59:35,077 --> 00:59:36,747
- [Announcer] A key question,
1324
00:59:36,782 --> 00:59:40,192
when did he first learn of
those allegations of abuse?
1325
00:59:40,225 --> 00:59:41,655
- [Reporter 1] Now,
amidst this turmoil
1326
00:59:41,696 --> 00:59:43,066
in church leadership,
1327
00:59:43,101 --> 00:59:45,611
an early leader of
Hillsong has come forward.
1328
00:59:45,642 --> 00:59:47,752
- [Reporter 2] Brian
Houston categorically denies
1329
00:59:47,782 --> 00:59:50,022
knowing any claims of
sexual abuse by his father
1330
00:59:50,055 --> 00:59:53,625
before 1999, but Bullock
says Houston knew
1331
00:59:53,666 --> 00:59:55,906
of allegations by his
father years earlier.
1332
00:59:57,043 --> 01:00:01,093
- I do know that
Frank was outed,
1333
01:00:01,121 --> 01:00:02,961
because Brian told
me in the early 90s.
1334
01:00:02,994 --> 01:00:05,204
(somber music continues)
1335
01:00:05,233 --> 01:00:08,513
I should've said something
and done something long ago.
1336
01:00:10,148 --> 01:00:15,028
Not only wasn't Brian
accountable, but neither was I.
1337
01:00:15,899 --> 01:00:18,639
(somber music continues)
1338
01:00:21,248 --> 01:00:24,088
- It was only after that New
South Wales Police Commissioner
1339
01:00:24,124 --> 01:00:27,804
departed the scene in 2019
1340
01:00:27,835 --> 01:00:31,945
that the police began a real
investigation of Brian Houston.
1341
01:00:31,981 --> 01:00:33,621
(somber music continues)
1342
01:00:33,652 --> 01:00:37,232
- December, 2021, a year
after Carl is banished,
1343
01:00:37,263 --> 01:00:39,103
Brian Houston is
indicted in Australia
1344
01:00:39,135 --> 01:00:42,605
for allegedly covering for
his father being a pedophile.
1345
01:00:42,646 --> 01:00:46,116
- Breaking news in relation
to a religious leader
1346
01:00:46,156 --> 01:00:48,126
and a friend of the prime
minister who's being charged.
1347
01:00:48,162 --> 01:00:50,642
- This is a New South
Wales Police statement.
1348
01:00:50,670 --> 01:00:52,140
A church leader is being charged
1349
01:00:52,174 --> 01:00:53,614
over the alleged concealment
1350
01:00:53,645 --> 01:00:55,585
of alleged child sex offenses.
1351
01:01:07,789 --> 01:01:09,629
- You need to know that
there is an enemy out there,
1352
01:01:09,660 --> 01:01:11,600
and his intent is to defile you,
1353
01:01:13,204 --> 01:01:15,654
and let's always remember
that when we see the church,
1354
01:01:15,678 --> 01:01:19,058
His beautiful church
on the Earth, attacked.
1355
01:01:19,088 --> 01:01:20,728
Royal commission week,
1356
01:01:20,761 --> 01:01:23,131
I have never felt so
exposed in my life,
1357
01:01:23,167 --> 01:01:25,977
and I remember I didn't
know what to do but wait.
1358
01:01:26,009 --> 01:01:27,009
And so all day, I waited.
1359
01:01:27,046 --> 01:01:28,416
I went out.
1360
01:01:28,450 --> 01:01:30,760
I did a manicure, a
pedicure, and a massage
1361
01:01:30,791 --> 01:01:33,101
'cause I wasn't ready
to back to my real world
1362
01:01:33,130 --> 01:01:34,700
which, gentlemen,
that's what you do.
1363
01:01:34,736 --> 01:01:36,106
(congregation laughing)
(somber music continues)
1364
01:01:36,140 --> 01:01:40,950
It is no point any
of us wasting energy
1365
01:01:40,988 --> 01:01:43,828
on how unfair this seems.
1366
01:01:43,863 --> 01:01:47,173
Not the issue, but the
unfairness that, yet again,
1367
01:01:47,206 --> 01:01:49,876
my husband's integrity
was about to be assailed.
1368
01:01:49,915 --> 01:01:52,385
(somber music continues)
1369
01:01:52,421 --> 01:01:53,561
- More than seven years
1370
01:01:53,592 --> 01:01:57,442
since the Royal Commission
first detailed what happened,
1371
01:01:57,470 --> 01:02:02,450
there is this chance,
this very real chance,
1372
01:02:03,856 --> 01:02:05,486
for the courts to
deliver justice.
1373
01:02:05,528 --> 01:02:06,658
- [Reporter 3] Houston is
facing serious jail time.
1374
01:02:06,698 --> 01:02:11,138
- [Reporter 4] Fate of his
church in the hands of the law.
1375
01:02:13,786 --> 01:02:15,886
(no audio)
1376
01:02:22,211 --> 01:02:24,321
(no audio)
1377
01:02:30,971 --> 01:02:33,111
(no audio)
1378
01:02:39,395 --> 01:02:41,465
(no audio)
1379
01:02:48,022 --> 01:02:50,202
(no audio)
1380
01:02:56,346 --> 01:02:58,386
(no audio)
1381
01:03:04,906 --> 01:03:06,206
(no audio)
1382
01:03:06,243 --> 01:03:09,253
(melancholy music)
1383
01:03:15,370 --> 01:03:18,980
(melancholy music continues)
1384
01:03:25,200 --> 01:03:28,610
(melancholy music continues)
1385
01:03:33,960 --> 01:03:36,670
(melancholy music continues)
1386
01:03:36,701 --> 01:03:39,481
(no audio)
1387
01:03:39,509 --> 01:03:42,419
(camera shutters clicking)
1388
01:03:42,451 --> 01:03:45,631
(bright music)
1389
01:03:45,661 --> 01:03:48,301
(somber music)
102054
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