WHEN church leaders are weak or corrupt, their sins affect the heart of those whom they lead. I shall never forget an experience I had during our sojourn in Hamilton, NZ (mid 90s). Local Christians were reeling over the recent disclosure by the senior pastor of the large AoG in that city that his predecessor Jim Williams, who coincidentally was the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand at the time of his sins, had been guilty of immorality on more than one occasion during his pastorate. I have a copy of the audio recording of the public disclosure. About one year prior I had resigned as General Secretary of AoG in Australia where this man had transferred on being promoted to the pastorate of the second largest AoG Church in Australia and later to the National Executive by the then General Superintendent Andrew Evans, who later claimed that he did not know about the admitted moral lapses though one AoG pastor in NZ assured me that he did. My experience happened as I walked by the side of the beautiful Waikato River near our home.I had commenced a series of messages from the book of Ezekiel and was musing as I walked on the high-lights of his prophecy. Some time previous my wife, Kathleen had told me about an experience she had as she worked in the kitchen, based on her reading of Ezekiel chapter 13 about leaders "whitewashing" in order to impress or cover-up. In this connection Ezekiel speaks of the abortive human attempt to cover "sins" with untempered mortar (13:10, 11, 14, 15) _ "And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD has not spoken" - Ezekiel 22:28; and deals with the departing and returning glory of God (Ezekiel 1:28; 3:12 23; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18, 19; 11:22, 23; 39:21; 43:2, 44:4); and the significance of the calling of God's Watchman (3:17; 33:2, 6, 7). The public platform announcement in the Hamilton AoG and its effect upon the many Christians in that city and throughout New Zealand were in the back of my mind. Suddenly the words of the Lord to Ezekiel by the river Chebar echoed deep in my spirit _ "Then said He unto me, Have you seen this, O son of man? turn yet again, and you shall see greater abominations than these" - Ezekiel 8:15.We stayed in New Zealand for eight years _ five in Hamilton and three in Blenheim. It was in the latter city that Ian Bilby had made his mark on the Elim denomination, building a large Church and School and later moving to Auckland in the late 70s or early 80s about the time of the moral fall of Neville Johnson pastor of the one time largest AoG in Australasia. Ian Bilby became President of Elim NZ and was the incumbent pastor of their largest church when his immorality came to light by way of a public announcement. He was deposed and we understand remains outside of the ministry, which is to his credit and to the credit of those who disciplined him. Jim Williams is pastoring a large AoG near where we live in Brisbane, following a two-year "slap on the hand" discipline for being a naughty boy!! Neville Johnson attempted a come back to the ministry in Perth but seems to have escaped to nowhere following last year's local criticism, which became quite public in the west, through the efforts of our friend John Wallis.Why do I draw this sordid stuff to the attention of our readers? Firstly to underscore the basic premise of my co-editor's article Birds of a Feather (page 8) and secondly to bring to light one of the great principles of God's dealings with men _ "I know that, whatever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past" - Ecclesiastes 3:15. The Lord NOW requires that which is past.Neville Johnson, Jim Williams and Ian Bilby certainly flocked together. In fact it is alleged that Neville Johnson actually disciplined Jim Williams in some private and personal capacity in Jim's earlier moral lapse, which is ironic to say the least. In 1974 I made a ministry visit from UK to New Zealand and Australia and contacted Neville Johnson about my plans before I set out. He put me in touch with his offsider Philip Colliss now in UK, who pastored a separate local AoG in the city and who arranged some meetings for me. I could never get through to Neville during my time in Auckland and wondered why, although I did meet up with him on three later occasions during that visit. Firstly when I preached for Frank Houston, then General Superintendent of AoG NZ, at Lower Hutt and later when I attended the official opening of CBC in Katoomba and preached at the AoG General Conference in Australia, where Neville was also a guest speaker. At the time Neville Johnson and Frank Houston were major players in AoG circles in both NZ and Australia.Shortly after that time when Andrew Evans and his group managed to oust Ralph Read then General Superintendent of AoG in Australia and his group, Frank Houston moved across to Sydney ostensibly on the basis of some vision or dream, though strong rumour has it in New Zealand that there were other rather ominous reasons for his move across the Tasman. In fact Rev Barney Coombes, a minister in Canada telephoned me, while I was in New Zealand, with the information that during one of his ministry visits to that country the rumour was so strong that he travelled from Palmerston North to Lower Hutt to put it personally to Frank Houston, who denied all wrong doing. When I presented this and some other allegations to Frank in a personal confidential letter he denied every allegation and threatened me with legal action. Basically I told him to be my guest and have heard nothing further on the matter. That was at least two years ago. I have the letters in my files.Now Pat Mesiti one time director of Youth Alive in Australia, incumbent Executive Director of Teen Challenge NSW, high profile minister at large based at Brian Houston's Hillsong Church, Sydney and National Director of the Australian Christian Churches of which his best friend Brian Houston (Frank's son) is President, has been relieved of all ministry positions due to immorality. The announcement was made at Hillsong AoG Church by Brian Houston on Sunday November 4 after all visitors had been asked to leave the sanctuary at the end of the Sunday night service. Interestingly Brian Houston flew to South Africa a while ago, allegedly to support and counsel another of his best friends, Ray McAuley over his failed marriage _ see Birds of Feather pages 8-10. It was reported to me that Brian held his wife's hand on the platform as he made the announcement about Pat Mesiti and affirmed that his own relationship with his wife Bobby was as strong as ever. We trust so.The ordinary members and adherents of these backslidden biblically heretical Churches, like Hillsong, have every cause to ask the question, "What in the world is going on?" The Bible answer is clear. False teaching always leads to wrong living. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump" is a statement Paul applies to immorality (1 Cor 5:6) and to heresy (Gal 5:9). When the head is morally sick the heart and the whole body will become faint. "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame" - 1 Cor 15:33-34. Our information is that the moral failure of Pat Mesiti was known among the leadership "elite" at least eight months prior to the platform announcement by Brian Houston. We are unable to confirm at this stage the accuracy of this detail but we expect to be able to inform our readers in the next issue of CETF.
In the September issue of NOW, AoG's glossy magazine, page 6 we read:"Australian Christian Churches National Director, Pat Mesiti, said he believes the spiritual state of governments can have profound and far reaching effects on all aspects of society: moral, social and economic. `If every church, large or small, invites political leaders to church to pray for them, God will honour it,' Pat Mesiti declared. `The multiplied effect of this prayer across the nation will be felt in the halls of power' --hmm! The front cover of NOW (September 2001 issue) contains a very nice looking photograph of Pat Mesiti and Darren Beadman (famous Australian jockey and AoG pastor) running to raise funds for Teen Challenge NSW under the caption "SETTING THE PACE". In light of the recent disclosure about Mesiti that's ominous!! If our information that the matter of his moral failure was known eight months ago is correct _ it's DEVASTATING!
Someone phoned me today (Nov 19) and commented. "The PAT MESITI MINISTRIES sign which hung across the front of his Sydney mansion has been taken down." Reports have it that Mr Mesiti has been receiving a million dollars a year for his "ministry", which includes secular motivational talks. We assume these may continue. It is alleged that Brian Houston also gives motivational talks in the secular context. Well as he says in his book "You Need More Money" and it would appear that these men will do just about anything to get it.
My Bible reads, "You can't serve God and mammon!" It also tells YOU to come out from among them. If Mesiti follows the fairly regular pattern of de-frocked ministers we might anticipate another book about the amazing nature of grace and how it was discovered in the midst of "dis-grace". Would it be cynical to suspect that such a spin would be just another slant on You Need More Money?

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