Hillsong founder Brian Houston has been charged with allegedly concealing his father's sexual abuse of a young boy in the 70s. Above with wife Bobbie
The founder of the Hillsong megachurch Brian Houston has vehemently denied allegations that he concealed his father's sexual abuse of a child in the 1970s.
NSW Police Force confirmed detectives had served a court attendance notice on 67-year-old Houston's lawyer in Sydney about 2pm on Thursday.
The charge against Houston - who has recently led prayer services in Monterrey, Mexico - is one of concealing a serious indictable offence.
But the pastor of the controversial church has denied the allegations and says he is innocent.
'These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I've always been about this matter,' he said in a statement.
'I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.'
The Hillsong Church organisation also released a separate statement following the news.
'We are disappointed that Pastor Brian has been charged, and ask that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process as is his right,' the Hillsong Church said.
'He has advised us that he will defend this and looks forward to clearing his name.
'We thank all who are a part of our church for their support and prayers at this time.'
Sins of the father: In 1999, Frank Houston was accused of abusing a seven-year-old Sydney boy in the 1970s. He died in 2004 aged 82
The sensational development follows a years-long investigation by police in the city's Hills District, where the global Pentecostal church first opened its doors.
'Police will allege in court the man knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that information to the attention of police,' a statement said.
NSW Police began investigating Brian Houston after a 2014 royal commission into child sexual abuse delved into how Hillsong's forerunners - the Hills and Sydney Christian Life Centres - handled abuse allegations raised against Frank in 1999.
Then, Frank Houston was accused of sexually abusing a seven-year-old boy from Sydney's east during trips from his native New Zealand three decades' prior, in 1969 and 1970.
Brian and Bobbie Houston's Hillsong empire has outposts in 28 countries and has attracted a celebrity following but has been beset by scandal in recent year
Two of the church's most famous parishioners were pop star Justin Bieber (who no longer follows the church) and its celebrity pastor Carl Lentz (who was ousted in a sex scandal)
After learning of the allegations, Brian Houston, then the president of the evangelical organisation the Assemblies of God in Australia, confronted his father, who confessed, the royal commission's final report said, and ended his dad's career as a preacher.
However, the inquiry found that neither Houston nor the organisation's national executive referred the Frank Houston sex abuse allegations to police.
Instead, the
