Brian Houston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brian Houston
Born	(1954-02-17) 17 February 1954 (age 71) Auckland, New Zealand
Occupation	Pastor
Spouse(s)	Bobbie Houston
Children	3
Parent(s)	Frank Houston (father)

Brian Charles Houston (born 17 February 1954) is a former pastor and evangelist from New Zealand and Australia. He started and was the main pastor of Hillsong Church. This church began in Sydney, Australia, and now has locations all over the world. He also led the Australian Christian Churches, which is a group of churches in Australia, from 1997 to 2009.

In March 2022, he decided to step down from his main leadership role at Hillsong Church. This happened after the church looked into his actions and found that he had not followed their rules for leaders. In December 2023, Brian Houston shared that he plans to start a new church community in 2024.

Brian Houston's Life and Work

His Early Life

Brian Charles Houston was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 17 February 1954. His parents, Frank and Hazel, were leaders in The Salvation Army, a Christian organization. When Brian was three, his parents joined another church group called the Assemblies of God in New Zealand. They became pastors of a church in Lower Hutt, near Wellington. Brian and his brother and three sisters grew up there.

After finishing school, Brian studied at a Bible college for three years. Soon after, he met his future wife, Bobbie, at Papamoa Beach in New Zealand during a Christian meeting. They got married in 1977.

His Ministry Work

In 1978, Brian Houston moved to Sydney, Australia. He worked at the Sydney Christian Life Centre and became an assistant pastor to his father, Frank. In the early 1980s, he helped start churches on the Central Coast and in Liverpool.

In 1983, Brian Houston rented a school hall in Sydney to start a new church. It was called the Hills Christian Life Centre. The first church service was held on Sunday, 14 August 1983. This church later became known as Hillsong Church.

In May 1997, Brian Houston was chosen to lead the Assemblies of God in Australia. This group is now called Australian Christian Churches. He was the president until 2009. In 2000, he helped create a network of churches called the Australian Christian Churches. He was the first president of this group.

Brian Houston also started Hillsong Music Australia (HMA). This is the music part of Hillsong Church. Over the years, their music has become very popular. Groups like Hillsong United (from the youth ministry) and Hillsong Worship have released many successful albums. These albums feature songs sung by church groups all over the world. Some famous Hillsong songs include "Mighty to Save" and "Shout to the Lord". "Shout to the Lord" was even featured on a special TV show called American Idol in 2008.

In September 2018, Hillsong Church decided to become its own independent church group. It separated from the Australian Christian Churches. Both Hillsong and the Australian Christian Churches said that this change happened in a friendly way.

Family and Personal Life

Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie live in Glenhaven, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. They have three children: Joel, Ben, and Laura. All of their children are married and are involved in the leadership of Hillsong Church.

Brian Houston has been friends with the former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Scott Morrison once said that Brian Houston was like a mentor to him. However, after Brian Houston stepped down from Hillsong Church, Scott Morrison has kept his distance.

Books Written by Brian Houston

Brian Houston has written several books. Here are some of them:

Images for kids

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  Brian Houston in 2008