A Frank Houston sermon is played to the court

It was a cruel day in court as the three-week trial of Brian Houston on charges of failing to report the pedophile crimes of his father frank Houston to police, arrived at its halfway mark.

In a short morning session, witness John McMartin was reduced to saying ‘I don’t recall” to questions. His evidence before this court and the Royal Commission in 2014 had been shredded when documents were subpoenaed from his church, Inspire Church at Hoxton Park and showed that letters from Pastor Barbara Taylor had been received.

McMartin had maintained at both the Royal Commission and in this trial that he had not received the letters from Taylor. Crucially the letters contained the name of the complainant and victim Brett Sengstock and the perpetrator, Frank Houston.

McMartin faces a different court next week. He returns to Liverpool Local Court in South West Sydney for judgment in his trial on charges of “assault with an act of indecency.”

Later in the day, Brian Houston would have to listen to a 55-minute sermon from his father Frank Houston talking about the death of his mother.

The next witness, Pastor Bob Cotton of Maitland Christian church, an ACC church, was the subject of a vigorous objection by the defence barrister Phillip Boulten, SC.

Boulten maintained that as Cotton had heard from third parties, not Brian Houston, about Frank Houston’s offences that his evidence would not be strictly relevant.

Boulten emphasised that people who may have discussed the situation with Cotten, such as Frank and Hazel Houston, Judith McGee (daughter of Frank and Hazel), Pastor Robert Ferguson, Pastor John Wilkinson “and so forth” were not agents of Brian Houston.

The Magistrate, Gareth Christofi, pointed out that were Cotton to testify that it was common knowledge that Frank Houston had committed child sexual abuse saying “I knew that, it was common knowledge,” it could assist the defence. They could argue, he suggested that Brian Houston might have reasoned “I had a reasonable excuse, it was well-known, and anyone could have gone to the police.”

Boulten pointed out “Mr Cotton’s evidence runs against it to some point.” Bob Cotton’s position has been that it was not well known that Frank Houston had committed as serious an offence as he had. He is widely known (outside of the court in the P:entecostal community) to have invited Frank Houston to preach at his church well after pastors had been sent a letter by the Assemblies of God telling them that Frank Houston’s credentials had been removed. That sermon was a feature of the day.

“The fact that something is well known – there could be exceptions to the rule,” said Boulten arguing against the value of Cotton’s evidence. “The value of one person saying I did not know or figure it out [is limited]

Boulten told the court there was a 55-minute sermon by Frank Houston speaking at Robert Cotton’s church eight weeks before he died in 2004 which would be part of dealing with Cotton’s testimony. “You only get a view of how nutty it is by hearing all of it,” he said seeking to dissuade the court from having Cotton testify.

Boulten said Cotton””s evidence would be that he was unaware Frank Houston’s ministerial credential had been withdrawn. Cotton had formed the view that Frank Houston’s moral failure was comparatively trivial, and that Cotton did not become aware of the nature of Frank Houston’s crimes until the Royal Commission in 2014.

But to no avail. Christofi ruled that we’d hear from Cotton. His reasoning was that “a central aspect of the case is ‘did Brian Houston act with the interests of the complainant who did not want his identity revealed, or to protect the reputation of the church and himself?’ Mr Cotton’s evidence concerns how widespread the knowledge of frank Houston’s offending was within the church.”

And so we were going to hear 55 minutes of Frank Houston.

Crown Prosecutor Gareth Harrison, took Bob Cotton through his history at his Maitland Church and his friendship with Frank Houston.

“Frank Houston’s name was extremely well-known in the Assemblies of God (AOG),” he said. He was considered to be one of the giants in the AOG. he was somebody everyone knew about.” Cotton got to know Frank Houston personally in about 1996 as he was taking over as senior pastor of the Maitland Church. “He spoke at our church in 97, 98, 99.”

Asked why the church had changed its name from “Hunter Valley Christian life Centre,” Cotton said,”We did that after the Royal Commission because we wanted to break any association with Frank Houston after the nature of his crimes became known at the Royal Commission.” Cotton said he had named the then Maitland City Church the Hunter Valley Christian Life Centre after Frank Houston’s Sydney Christian Life Centre having asked Frank Houston if he could. “We saw ourselves as under his covering and under his mentorship.”

“At some time did you become aware that Frank Houston would not be senior pastor at Sydney Christian Life Centre?” the Crown Prosecutor asked. “Frank Houston told me he was being released to become an itinerant pastor to serve the wider body of Christ,” Cotton replied.

Both Brian and Frank Houston had preached at Cotton’s Church in September and November 1999 respectively. Brian knew about Cotton’s friendship with Frank. Asked how Frank Houston presented in November 1999, Cotton said “At his best. He was a good preacher, entertaining. He engaged the crowd.”

Harrison tendered a recording of Frank Houston’s sermon in September 2004 at Maitland and a transcript. the sermon was then played to the court.

From where I sat, it appeared to be excruciating for Brian Houston who folded his arms, and as the sermon went on, bowed his head, and appeared to shut his eyes.

The sermon was highly repetitive, with Frank Houston wandering back to some pet subjects time and time again. He talked about being 82 years old, although he was not sure of his age, several times. He repeated the story of his wife Hazel’s death which had occurred a few months earlier severe times, the first time saying she died at church and then repeating a different version of the story, namely that she died at Mcdonalds’ and that he wished she had chosen a classier restaurant.

He repeated the description of a car in a couple of stories as “a square box on wheels” and conducted two lengthy prayer sessions in which he walked around the congregation offering prayer, for sickness the first time and for the holy Spirit the second speaking in snatches of tongues.

He tells the story, repeating some details of travelling to lead meetings at the outbreak of the Toronto blessing. “Hazel and I felt inspired to go and take part in that great outpouring of the Holy Spirit,” he says several times.

Several times he returns to telling the congregation “nothing can separate you from the love of God” asking them to repeat “nothing.”

Towards the end, FrankHouston leads the church in a prayer for revival and prays in tongues over them. The sermon finishes.

There’s one last announcement by Boulten. “We’ve got our transcripts,” he says. Both sets of lawyers had been waiting for transcripts of the hearing.

“Hallelujah,” says the magistrate. The court rises.