Hillsong founder Brian Houston resigned from the megachurch this week following an internal investigation into his behaviour towards two women. Like clockwork, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has aired his “disappointment” as he desperately tries to distance himself from the drama.
Per The Guardian, Morrison responded to Houston’s resignation on Thursday. He said he was “shocked to hear the news” about someone he previously saw as a friend and mentor and who he referenced in his maiden speech when he entered the Federal Government in 2008.
He then claimed that he hasn’t been at Hillsong for about 15 years — instead opting for local Pentecostal church Horizon Church (which used to be called ShireLive) — which isn’t a whole truth.
Scott and his wife Jenny Morrison were guests of honour at the church’s annual conference in 2019. Not only were they invited but the Morrisons also got up on stage with Houston to chat about his recently-won election and pray for the nation.
Footage of this exists and is readily available on YouTube.
It’s also the conference where we were blessed with that photo of Scott raising his hands in a worship session. You know the one.
“I haven’t been to Hillsong for over 15 years…” – Scott Morrison pic.twitter.com/N2rSDv313S
— Strewth 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@StrewthQueen) March 24, 2022
I know that time is a flat circle and simply a construct but this is a very strange looking “15 years”.
Morrison’s relationship (or maybe slight parasocial relationship?) with the disgraced Hillsong head honcho has crossed timezones and country borders too.
In 2020 he admitted he put forward Houston’s name to the Trump administration for a state dinner at the White House. Morrison spent months knocking back that tidbit as “gossip” before finally owning up to it in an interview with 2GB radio in March.
“On that occasion, we put forward a number of names that included Brian, but not everybody whose names we put forward were invited,” he said.
“I’ve known Brian for a long time and Hillsong church has a very big network of churches all across the United States, and the ministry, when it comes to the music and so many other things have been very big — it’s probably the single largest church organisation that is known in the United States.”
All this backpedalling must be such a workout on the legs, man.
