Dr. Stephen Houston preaching in the United States.

Early Life History: Houston was born in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland in 1953. He was brought up in Belfast Northern Ireland and educated at Inchmarlo Preparatory School and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI) where he played first oboe in the renowned RBAI school orchestra along with another member of that orchestra who is the present The Most Reverend the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and is the presiding bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church The Most Revd. David Chillingworth, who played the cello. Classically trained in three instruments, Stephen Houston became organist and choir master of Belfast's Castlereagh Presbyterian Church and second oboist in the Studio Symphony Orchestra, at the age of sixteen, under the conductor Dr. Havelock Nelson (Conductor of the then existent BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra and the Studio Symphony Orchestra). He also joined a relatively successful Northern Irish contemporary progressive rock group called 'Fruupp' and in that group he toured Europe and was involved in the recording of three LP's. Stephen Houston as a member of Fruupp appeared with Eurovision song contest winner Dana, on the BBC programme "Ireland's Eye". One of his many musical compositions, "The Jaunting Car", performed by Fruupp, was used by the BBC as the theme tune for Gloria Hunniford's radio show "A Taste of Honey". He was interviewed by Gloria Hunniford on her BBC Radio show in 1975 and again she interviewed him on when she became presenter of  UTV "Good Evening Ulster" 1981.

After conversion to Christianity on the 4th. of November 1974., he joined a Texan musical missionary group called 'Liberation Suite' and toured with them throughout Europe.  He had opportunity of playing the pipe organ in the Royal Albert Hall London during a concert with Liberation Suite, something Houston had always wanted to do from his time as a teenaged pipe organ student.

In that same year he functioned as a session musician for the publishing house Marshall Morgan Scott's Kingsway music division Pilgrim Records UK, where he played keyboards on the Revd. William McCrea's Gospel music recording entitled 'Because He Lives' and composed and played the song "Psalm 18., The Lord is my deliverer" as one of the invited professional Christian musicians along with Adrian Snell. Graham Kendrick, John Pantry and others on the MMS Kingsway "Scripture in Song" Album to launch the "Good News" Bible.

Houston felt the call to study for the Christian ministry in the more traditional sense and so he decided to go to Theological College. After initially attending Stevens School of the Bible, Lenox, Massachusetts. (now Maryland Bible College and Seminary), 1976-1979.

Houston returned to Northern Ireland, transferring all study credits to the then Evangelical Methodist Church of Ulster, headed up by the Revd. Joseph Wilson. The Evangelical Methodist Church of Ulster, its congregations and some of its buildings were absorbed into the Independent Methodist Church in Northern Ireland, at some point in the mid to late 1980's.

Ministerial History: Dr. Houston was ordained on the 28th. October 1978 in the Chapel on the campus of Stevens School of the Bible, Lenox Massachusetts, and his theological training and ordination was endorsed by the then Evangelical Methodist Church of Ulster 1981. Houston was also put on to the President of "the" Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland's list of supply. The President of the Methodist Church in Ireland at that time was Revd. Sydney Callaghan and the secretary was Revd. Charles Eyre, a man who personally encouraged Houston to enter the main Methodist Church in Ireland and its ministry. Houston started his ministry as pastor of four little Methodist Churches in the Republic of Ireland; Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Ballydehob and Lissacaha 1979-1981, all churches being under the Midlands and Southern district of the Methodist Church in Ireland: Revd. Dudley Levistone Cooney chairman of the district and  Revd. Jim Williamson superintendent. 

After this, Dr. Houston then took the pastorate of an Evangelical Methodist Church of Ulster Church in Portadown, Northern Ireland, a church which Houston had a major part in planting.

Houston was also a regularly invited preacher throughout many Church of Scotland churches between 1983-1987, the principle invitation coming from the Right Revd. Albert O. Bogle BD MTh of St. Andrews, Boness (former Moderator of the Church of Scotland 2012) and the Revd. Gilbert Simm in the Shetland Islands. This included an invitation to be the main speaker and perform some of his musical compositions at the Chapel Carol Service, Aberdeen University.

Being a musician Houston had also been involved in the Christian Music scene, playing the UK Christian arts festival 'Greenbelt' main stage in 1974, 1977 and 1984, and producing an LP with Myrrh Records UK., a division of Word Records entitled "The Power and The Preacher". His musical composition "Do it Now" was used by Producer Nigel Goodwin's then ITV's Central Television's documentary coverage of Greenbelt Music Festival as the broadcast's opening theme music with Rev. Houston, his band and three girl backing vocalist group "The Mice" live on the festival's main stage. He also played one of his compositions from the album in 1984 on TVAM "Good Morning Britain" hosted by Anne Diamond.

Houston had preached in Sheldon Road Methodist Church Chippenham many times during the early eighties, including being the guest speaker at Chippenham’s Central Methodist Church’s (formerly Monkton Hill Methodist Church) Chippenham Folk Festival Service, where all the town councillors and the Mayor were in attendance in 1984. In September 1987 he moved to England, to become one of the invited ministers to regularly conduct worship on the Chippenham and Brinkworth circuit of the English Methodist Church's conference, at the invitation of Revd. David Sexton, superintendent of the circuit and minister of the then Monkton Hill, Methodist Church, Chippenham now Central Methodist Church, Chippenham and Revd. Sally Shaw, then minister of Sheldon Road Methodist Church, Chippenham. Houston also was invited to preach in many Church of England Churches, United Reformed Churches and Baptist Churches throughout Britain and Ireland.

From September 1987 to September 1989, Revd. Houston was the Battalion Chaplain for the Boys Brigade in Wiltshire. This meant that Houston officiated as the invited minister to all of the Churches in Wiltshire that had a Boys Brigade Company and especially on those individual BB Companies annual Church parade. During those years the Battalion in Wiltshire was sizeable and as Houston had been a member of the BB 8th Belfast Company at Cooke Centenary Presbyterian Church Ormeau Road South Belfast with some 135 members excluding Officers, Houston relished the opportunity to be involved in promoting the Boys Brigade in Wiltshire.

Dr.Houston was regularly invited by Mrs. Newsom to take the Sheldon School Chippenham assembly and he was also by Headmistress Delsey Burns at St. Mary’s girls school Calne to take the school assembly.

He also has functioned as an endorser of case workers and clergy who wish to man the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association (SSAFA) leadership team or wish to have a endorsed directive to become a Padre’ in the forces.

Houston also during the time of the Vicar of Bratton Parish Wiltshire and Prison Chaplain the Revd. Peter Saunt, was asked by the Revd. Saunt to officiate at the Religious Services held in HM Prison Earlestoke on a regular basis, and also in HM Prison Horfield, Bristol, on occasion.

Stephen Houston conducted well attended Gospel Crusades or also known as Missions in such venues as the Emerald Centre Hammersmith London, the Link Centre Swindon and in September 1989 on Mr. Andrew Robinson’s (Boyd’s Farm) land just outside Gastard Wiltshire in a large tent, where approximately two to four hundred people attended each evening for a week, many of whom were from all Christian denominations.

In August 1989 Stephen Houston was Baptized into the Holy Spirit. He had been a pastor within "Methodism" in Ireland and England for eleven years. Houston then founded two independent churches in England, called Free Churches. UK Charity Numbers; 1056922 and 1047948. One was planted in Chippenham Wiltshire, conducting its services in the old Labour Party hall, London Road, Chippenham, then Chippenham Town Hall and Ivy Lane Primary School Hall, Chippenham and Houston's Free Church permanent church office and meeting hall was in Union Road, Chippenham. The other Free Church planted by Houston was in Bristol and it was held at the Filton Folk Centre, Bristol. He was the pastor of both these independent "Free Churches" for twelve years.

In the nineties he joined together with the Mayor of Chippenham to advocate that his Church congregation’s membership be collectors in his Wiltshire Air Ambulance street appeal. 

On Pentecost May 1990 Houston was invited to be the speaker to address the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ).

As an invited speaker, he has spoken throughout most of the mainline historic denominational churches and universities in the UK, as well as many of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches.

Dr. Houston was appointed media-spokesperson for CAN (UK Churches Advertising Network) 1998-2001 through employing John Lloyd as a personal press officer. Lloyd at that time was also press officer to the Bible Society and (HRH) His Royal Highness Prince Charles at Cirencester Polo Club.  John Lloyd is  presently press officer to the Bishop of Bristol and the Scottish Bible Society.  As media representative for CAN, Houston appeared on British television's Channel 4 'Right to Reply' and "The Paul Ross Show", with his viewpoint on moral, political, social and religious issues.

Also, back in 1993 he produced his own weekly television show 'The Power of Love', which aired Sunday mornings in the UK on the Vision Channel on all the cable stations, in Australia on Channel 7, and in the United States on Daystar.

Dr. Houston has also been a trustee board member of Vision Channel Broadcasting 1997- 2006, and an ITC (now offcom) Satellite and Cable Television Broadcasting license holder for The Gospel Channel.

     

Revd. Stephen Houston DD, (left) of the Independent Methodist Church, at Revd., Scott's ordination service held at the former Causeway Methodist Church in Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK,  26th. September 2007.

In October 2001 Houston moved to the United States for reasons other than ministry or personal. As a consequence, he was able to establish his ministry in Dallas-Ft. Worth. Houston had already established his ministry in America, when he was visiting the United States in 1992. He had travelled to the United States many times during the nineteen nineties to speak, as he had a weekly TV show there (KMPX 29 Daystar Network), and in Australia (Channel 7), and on all UK cable stations (Vision Channel). So, in 2001 he was immediately invited as a guest speaker to many large churches and conferences. These included conferences attended by most of the American Televangelists etc., and some of the largest Churches and movements in the United States. By 2004 he had a weekly television show airing in eleven states, (God's Learning Channel, based in Midland Texas reaching four states, Victory Television Network, Little Rock Arkansas, reaching three states, KSCB South Dakota reaching four states).

While residing in America between 2001 and October 2005, Houston was also invited to speak in Churches all across that nation. He twice addressed the closed session of the trustee board of the International Charismatic Bible Ministries Conference ICBM held at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Oklahoma, C Peter Wagner's Apostolic Conference 2004, the Federation of Churches and Ministries FCMI Conferences and meetings 2003-2005, Camp meeting 2004 in Little Rock, Arkansas with Revds. Jesse Duplantis and Jerry Savelle and the International Convention of Faith Ministries ICFM 2004. Also, on the invitation or the American Marine Corp League, he was invited twice to give the prayer from the podium at the Veteran's Day Parade.

Dr. Houston continues to minister in the United States, through speaking engagements and television. On the 17th October 2006, Dr. Houston also started to preach in what was formerly Causeway Methodist Church, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. This has been a absolute joy for Houston, as it is a Church building where he had preached many times during the nineteen eighties. Also he found joyous, the fact that in the first service a member was found from every major denomination in England, in those who attended. Also Houston started again to hold services of Divine healing in Bristol, England. These healing services were held every Wednesday evening in St. Michael and All Angels Parish Church, Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol.

In the spring of 2012 Dr. Stephen Houston decided to base the main headquarters of Stephen Houston Ministries, his rFaith.tv media network and his Corporate Identity head office in the United States.

Houston is clergyman who is an ordained minister in three Protestant denominations. The Methodist Church (Wesleyan Methodist Church), The Baptist Church {Southern Baptist Convention USA), and the Pentecostal Church, (Assemblies of God AGIF). 

The Wesleyan Methodists are also known as the Independent Methodists as are many of the Methodist congregations in much of the UK including the Wesley's New Rooms Bristol UK., throughout parts of the UK and throughout the world, a situation to which the public are generally unaware.

Revd.Dr. Houston also is an ordained Minister and Pastor in the Baptist Church, (Southern Baptist Convention USA) This is the denomination that has and has had amongst its clergy, Dr. Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Dr. Jerry Falwell, and many other well know Christian leaders. Within evangelical circles, ordination by the Southern Baptists is a highly respected and globally recognised position.

He also accepted ordination in the Pentecostal Church in 2004, because it is the largest and fastest growing Protestant denomination on the planet and second only to the Roman Catholic Church's 1.5 billion members, the Pentecostals having a collective total of approximately 588 million members world wide if one includes the “Closet Charismatic/Pentecostalists” who remain in the more historic churches. He received that ordination through Pentecostalism’s largest specific grouping the Assemblies of God and its (International Fellowship).

Revd. Dr. Stephen Houston DD, PhD is presently the Vice President of the Ecumenical Council On Bible Translation.

On the 8th May 2016 Dr. Houston as the Vice President of the Ecumenical Council on Bible translation was one of the members of the clergy, participants and witnesses in the presentation and dedication of the new Modern English Version of the Bible (MEV) to Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday the 8th May 2016 at St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle.

It has the foreword in each copy containing that dedication. Revd. Dr. Stephen Houston was instrumental in presenting the work of the forty seven translators from across this world, Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant together in the translation of the MEV, for acceptance by the Ecumenical Council for reassessment and meticulous scrutiny for approval, in order to produce an acknowledged as even more accurate translation than the brilliant New King James Version (NKJV)

A collage of pictures from after the private ceremony in the Order of The Garter Chapel, St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle 8th May 2016. Top Left: Revd. Dr. Houston's seating place card in the select Clergy Quire stalls. Middle Left: St. George's Chapel copy of the MEV Bible. Bottom Left: Order of Service. Middle Top: Leather Bound copy of the MEV Bible with a gold gilt inscription commemorating the event to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Bottom Middle: Inscription to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II inside fly leaf of the MEV Bible presented and dedicated to her. Top Right: Stephen Strang the publisher of the MEV Bible presenting the Dean of St. George's Chapel Windsor Castle the Right Reverend David Conner KCVO his personal copy of the MEV Bible together with Col. David Waddell on the left of the picture and a gentleman whose name escapes me until I ask the powers that be what it was. Bottom Right: Two of the translators of the MEV Bible with Revd. Dr. Stephen J. Houston in a blue clergy shirt.

Revd. Dr. Stephen Houston was a founding advocate and presently is an adviser to Maj. Rev. Dr. James F. Linzey regarding this English translation of the Bible which began in 2005 and was completed in 2014. This version of the Bible is called The Modern English Version (MEV) wikipedia         Modern English Version website

Revd. Dr. Stephen Houston is presently a board member of the United States Military Bible Association

Dr. Houston is  a Chaplain Endorser for Her Majesty’s Forces. He is also an Endorser for Case Workers for the SSAFA Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Families Association.

Education:

Dr. Stephen Houston holds a Doctor of Divinity degree from Kingsway Christian College and Theological Seminary, Kingsway University, Des Moines, Iowa.

Click here to view the Seminary website:

Kingsway University which has a Christian College and Theological Seminary, Des Moines, Iowa. This is a Seminary connected with Kingsway Cathedral Des Moines Iowa.

                                 Kingsway Cathedral, Des Moines, Iowa

Dr. Stephen Houston also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Independent Methodist Theological Seminary also known as the Wesleyan Methodist Theological Seminary.

Click here the Seminary Website:

The Independent Methodist Theological Seminary also known as the Wesleyan Methodist Theological Seminary. This Seminary is connected with the Wesleyan Methodist Church which is also known as the Independent Methodist Church.

For all details and information about Dr. Houston's public ministry,

E-Mail dr@stephenhouston.org

Other Websites

www.stephenhouston.org               www.rfaith.tv