Hillsong heiress Laura Toggs leaves the church as Pastor Brian Houston faces trial

The daughter of Hillsong founder Brian Houston, Laura Toganivalu, has resigned as the church’s Primary leader a year after her father stepped down over allegations of misconduct.

The church’s new global senior pastor, Phil Dooley, announced that Ms. Toganivalu and her husband Peter were “moving on” in a video posted to Instagram.

In the video, Mr. Dooley invited the “Toggs,” who were global pastors of Hillsong Young & Free, to speak to a congregation about their “new season.”

Ms Toganivalu said the couple’s decision to resign from the church her parents founded had to do with “following God’s calling”.

“We’re entering a new season that we never imagined, but we’re so excited,” the 36-year-old mother of three said in the video posted in May.

Laura and husband Peter have been married for 15 years and have three children together

In March 2022, Brian Houston, 69, (left) resigned from his position as Hillsong’s senior global pastor following an internal investigation into his conduct with two women.

“This is about Pete and I entering our future and charting a path that God has uniquely called us to.

“We are so excited about that, so thank you, keep us in your prayers. You will always be family to us.’

Mr. Dooley acknowledged the founders of the church, Brian and his wife Bobbie Houston, and told Ms. Toganivalu that her parents were “the reason so many of us are here.”

“We are so grateful to them and we want to honor them at this time as well,” he said.

Brian Houston, 69, resigned as Hillsong’s senior global pastor in March 2022 following an internal investigation into his conduct with two women.

The Church said it had investigated two complaints against him in the past 10 years.

One complaint was filed after a church employee claimed to have received “inappropriate” text messages.

The investigation revealed that he was “under the influence of sleeping tablets, on which he had become dependent” when he sent the text messages.

The second complaint related to Mr Houston knocking on a female guest’s hotel door and entering the room after the 2019 Hillsong conference.

“Pastor Brian became disoriented … after taking anti-anxiety medication above the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol,” the church said at the time.

The exact nature of the woman’s complaint has not been made public and Mr Houston has denied that any sexual activity took place.

Mr. Houston has also been charged by police with concealment of child sexual abuse by his father, Frank.

Pictured is Peter and Laura Toganivalu as they give their farewell address to the Hillsong Youth Ministry in May

The Christian pastor has given her countless social media followers a glimpse into her life through her YouTube channel, Secret Garden TV

He has pleaded not guilty in Downing Center Court in Sydney in an ongoing trial.

Frank Houston abused nine boys between 1965 and 1977 in Australia and New Zealand when he led the Assemblies of God church.

While the future of the ‘Toggs’ away from Hillsong remains unclear, the pair recently returned from the US where they attended Vous, a non-denominational church in Miami.

The pair attended the annual conference that leads conversations about faith, culture and leadership.

Best week with BEST people + soooo many friends new & old! @vouschurch is truly incredible and leaves Miami filled, inspired and grateful,” Ms. Toganivalu shared with her 143,000 Instagram followers.

The couple, who live in Bondi with their three children, are relatively unobtrusive outside the church.

Last year, Ms. Toganivalu posted some of her designer pieces for sale, which she promoted on her Instagram and sold through the website Depop.

With a growing following on social media, she has relaunched her YouTube channel, Secret Garden TV, which gives viewers an insight into her life.

Last year she made a scathing attack on the media after Hillsong youth work came under fire for violating Covid protocols.

She called the media “disgusting”, “terrible”, “immoral” and “low” after a youth camp in Newcastle, NSW, made headlines when a viral video showed hundreds of attendees singing and dancing without masks, in violation of public health regulations.