An Obadiah Slope column
Unique: The Los Angeles Animal Care and Control Department knew exactly what to do when 10-year-old Madeleine wrote to them asking for a Unicorn license, “In case I find one.” They sent her a “pre-approved license’ with a note suggesting that she use biodegradable glitter on her unicorn and polish its horn with a soft cloth.
When Madeleine’s correspondence inevitably appeared on social media, due to its cuteness, Bible scholar Martin shields helpfully chimed in: Job 39:9 (KJV) says, “Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?” So she may yet find one…
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In court 2.5: Tucked away in the Downing Centre Courthouse, in the old Mark Foys department store (pictured) in Sydney’s CBD was where Obadiah spent most of the last month. Obadiah almost got used to the court routine after two and a half weeks of covering the Brian Houston trial. the overall impression? Courts are a good place to keep out of if it’s you being brought up on a charge.The lawyers get to show how good they are, with barristers engaging in a little bit of theatrical flair. But the lawyers do work hard. Obadiah came away with a new appreciation of the journos who do this all the time. Actually, he has always admired them. Witnesses get a chance to vent, running the risk of being made to look stupid if they are too cocky. That happened a couple of times in the Houston trial. But for the person charged with an offence, well they could end up in jail. it must be a miserable experience.
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So who got cocky? The witness who had the most miserable time during the Houston trial was John McMartin, formerly Senior Pastor of Inspire Church in South West Sydney. His evidence at both the Royal Commission and the Houston trial was blown to smithereens when he mentioned that his church had an archive. Quick as a flash, the prosecution served a subpoena on the church. What emerged was the letters he had maintained he had never received from another witness Pastor Barbara Taylor, in an envelope with his writing on it. As Brian Houston was giving evidence, John McMartin was found guilty of “assault with an act of indecency” for having groped his 19-year-old personal assistant.
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Brian Houston the church planter: The astonishing success of Frank and later Brian Houston had in planting churches in Sydney was an understandably overlooked aspect of the trial. First Frank Houston’s Sydney Christian Life centre grew rapidly climbing quickly to several hundred. Newlyweds Brian and Bobbie Houston began driving out to the country on Sunday afternoons “to places like Gilgandra” for Brian to preach. He started churches in Gosford which became CoastLife Church, and Liverpool which became Inspire Church, before starting Hills Christian Life Centre which became Hillsong. Brian Houston testified that he asked John McMartin who had been with him in Bible College in New Zealand to take on the Liverpool church. The testimony of those early days of church growth and optimism jarred against the story of Frank Houston’s crimes.