Hillsong hell: Bobbie Houston says they face a ‘spiritual battle’ amid husband Brian’s charges

Hillsong co-founders Bobbie and Brian Houston have called on followers to pray amid their ‘assailing darkness’ as Brian faces court for allegedly covering up his father’s child sex abuse.

Ms Houston reached out to members of their community on Tuesday to ask for help as the couple grapple with the fallout of their sensational split from the megachurch. 

In March, Mr Houston, who was already facing criminal charges of concealment, sensationally resigned over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards two women. 

‘Would appreciate some fervent prayer today,’ Ms Houston wrote on Instagram.

‘Brian and I are good btw … don’t stress there!! Just a lot of (continued) darkness assailing us. I have confidence in the Angel of the Lord, yet, we still gotta walk life out down here on earth.

‘Not often I ask for myself or us … but I am today.’

Friends flocked to show their support and offer good graces, with American author Lisa Bevere commenting: ‘praying for truth and justice to prevail.’ 

‘Praying for you both and against any attacks that are coming at you or around you,’ another person wrote. 

Ms Houston later thanked people for rallying behind them, and vowed to one day ‘bring clarity’ to ‘deceptions’.

‘Thank you. Truly. I know that so many of you out there know how to pray in the Spirit,’ she said.

‘This spiritual battle is about an assault against the Kingdom of our glorious Savior on the earth. So one day, I will raise my voice and bring clarity to some of deceptions we have (and are) confronting. But in the meantime — we pray fervently.’

Brian Houston (pictured) resigned in March and is facing a three-week hearing in December after pleading not guilty to concealing child sex crimes 

Ms Houston vowed she would one day bring ‘clarity’ about the ‘deception’ the couple are ‘confronting’

Mr Houston stepped down as the leader of the church in January after being charged with allegedly concealing child sex offences. 

Two months later, he quit as a senior pastor after an internal Hillsong investigation revealed Mr Houston had behaved inappropriately toward two women. 

His wife parted ways with the church in April after reportedly being made redundant. 

Last month, Mr Houston blasted the church over social media after his wife was made redundant by a staffer via a text, which read ‘I will be sending [you] an email shortly regarding your employment’. 

The church responded by telling its members in an email the text had been sent to discuss the founding couple’s ‘key roles and responsibilities’ within the religious organisation. 

‘Our desire has been to treat them with grace, love and honour,’ the megachurch wrote.

Embattled pastor Brian Houston is seen relaxing with his wife at the Park Hyatt hotel in Sydney in December

‘Brian responded by making his feelings public on social media. This has been interpreted and reported that the Hillsong board ‘made her role redundant by text’, which is not correct’

‘…We are saddened by Brian’s public response and hope that he and Bobbie will understand the heart behind the decisions that are being made.

The pair founded the megachurch in 1983 and the organisation has rapidly grown to include more than 300 churches in 25 countries and 150,000 weekly attendees. 

Mr Houston is accused of knowing from September 1999 that his father Frank sexually abused a seven-year-old boy in 1970, and helping cover it up. 

Frank Houston sexually abused numerous young boys in New Zealand and Australia from 1965 to 1977 when he lead the Assemblies of God church. 

Mr Houston has pleaded not guilty and will face a special hearing, beginning on December 2, which is expected to last three weeks.