The wife of Brian Houston has said she will "forever" stand by her husband after his resignation this week as Hillsong Global Senior Pastor.
In yet another scandal for the denomination, Houston stepped down following internal investigations into two complaints over the last 10 years, one relating to "inappropriate" text messages sent to a member of staff at Hillsong, and the other concerning allegations that he entered the hotel room of a woman who was not his wife.
Announcing his resignation on Wednesday, the Hillsong board said Houston had broken the Church's Pastor's Code of Conduct.
His wife of 45 years, Bobbie Houston, has now commented on her husband's resignation in a post on social media.
She said it had been "a very cruel week" but vowed to stand by her husband.
"Thank you for lovely comments and love. It's seen. And felt. And appreciated," she said on Instagram.
"I'm okay. It's been a very cruel week - but I will forever stand alongside the man I have loved and walked with for 45 years.
"I know his nature and character and integrity more than ANYONE."
Their daughter, Laura Toggs, has also opened up about her heartache on social media.
She has used Instagram to speak of her "battered heart" and "anguish, humiliation and crushing pain", but she also expressed her love for both her mum and dad.
"I choose to text my beloved dad 'I love you' a thousand times again - and I choose my bravest of brave mum," she said.
"When you have a platform, people grow from your suffering, because with a platform, you suffer out loud. When you grieve, you grieve in front of everybody.
"When you hurt, you hurt in front of everybody. And there is no place to hide... and everyone inspects your wounds.
"When you LOVE much, you grieve much, and there is no simple way around it.
"If we can be constantly humiliated publicly, then I am tempted to express my crushing pain publicly."
She added that she was turning to Jesus in the storm.
"But today, yet again, I choose to lay my deep anguish at the feet of Jesus...and I choose coffee," she wrote.
"And as exhausting as it may be, I choose once again to take a higher road and keep my heart with utmost gentleness and humility and grace."
