Who is pastor Carl Lentz and where is the Hillsong Church?
PASTOR Carl Lentz’s employment with the Hillsong Church was terminated after “breaches of trust” and “moral failures” were revealed.
Justin Bieber, Kylie Jenner, and Kevin Durant attended Hillsong’s church services at a number of their locations.
Who is former Hillsong Church pastor Carl Lentz?
Born on November 6, 1978, Carl Lentz is a former pastor from Williamsburg, Virginia.
In 2010, he began preaching Sunday services at Hillsong Church’s New York City location.
Through Lentz’s sermons, Hillsong gained a notable following with the millennial audience.
Regarding his and the church’s popularity, Lentz told CBS: “People often talk about the trendy aspect of our church, it’s a small portion.
Most read on Carl Lentz
“There are a lot of people at our church right this second who do not care about fashion, they don’t care about what looks cool.
“We just say you come as you are and there’s going to be a place for you here.”
He added: “We’re conscious of culture, that’s the thing. We just want to see the Bible connect with people.
“So I think our music, it’s like, eye opening and people go, ‘Wow, I didn’t know churches could do stuff like that,’ which is sad, but that’s the truth.
“I think that’s why it’s opened so many doors because it’s so good.
“There’s not an issue we would ever run from. There’s not an issue we would ever not preach about, not one.”
He stated to the outlet: “Life is sacred but whatever you chose to do, this is still home for you.
“We’re not going to kick you out this house, you have to make your own decision.
“We’re going to walk with you either way. This is what we believe, life is sacred but we still love you.”
On December 28, 2022, Carl and Hillsong’s controversies were discussed in the TLC network’s documentary special Hillsong: The Newest Revelations.
On March 30, 2023, it was revealed Carl started employment as a strategist at Transformation Church.
The megachurch is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“After two years of Carl being in his own discovery and healing process, he has shown readiness to use his God-given gifts towards the local church again,” a Transformation Church executive told USA Today.
“We pray that Carl, Laura, and their family experience not only their own restoration, but help others experience restoration by using their triumphs and failures to create resources for the body of Christ at large.”
Where is the Hillsong Church?
In 1983, Hillsong Church was founded by Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie Houston in New South Wales, Australia.
While Hillsong is headquartered in Australia, they’ve since opened several other worldwide locations.
With 12 churches alone in the UK, Hillsong’s variety of locations can be found in:
- Central London
- North London
- Bermondsey
- Birmingham
- Croydon
- Edinburgh
- Guildford
- Kent
- Liverpool
- Newcastle
- Oxford
- Reading
- Tokyo, Japan
- New York City
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Orange County
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Norwalk, Connecticut
- Montclair, New Jersey
- Bali, Indonesia
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Toronto, Canada
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Monterrey, Mexico
- Montevideo, Uruguay
- Cape Town, South Africa
Hillsong has over 80 places of worship internationally available for prospects to attend.
The US locations brought in famous faces such as Bono, Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Kevin Durant, and Tyson Chandler.
When was Carl Lentz fired from Hillsong?
On November 4, 2020, co-founder Brian Houston revealed Carl Lentz was fired from Hillsong.
In an email to staffers, Houston attributed Lentz’s termination to “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.”
He disclosed: “I know this will come as a shock to you, but please know that this action was not taken lightly and was done in the best interests of everyone, including Pastor Carl.
“This action has been taken following ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.
“They have a heart for people and we are confident that after a time of rest and restoration, God will use Carl in another way outside of Hillsong church.
“In terminating his tenure, we in no way want to diminish the good work he did here.”
On Thursday, November 5, Lentz broke his silence and revealed Hillsong ended his employment due to infidelities he committed within his marriage.
The former pastor shared with his Instagram followers: “Our time at Hillsong NYC has come to an end.
“This is a hard ending to what has been the most amazing, impacting, and special chapter of our lives.
“When you accept the calling of being a pastor, you must live in such a way that it honors the mandate.
“That it honors the church, and that it honors God. When that does not happen, a change needs to be made and has been made in this case to ensure that standard is upheld.”
He added: “Over the years, I did not do an adequate job of protecting my own spirit, refilling my own soul, and reaching out for the readily available help that is available.
“When you lead out of an empty place, you make choices that have real and painful consequences.
“I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that.
“This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions.
“I am deeply sorry for breaking the trust of many people who we have loved serving and understand that this news can be very hard and confusing for people to hear and process.”
How can I watch FX’s docuseries Secrets of Hillsong?
On May 19, 2023, Lentz’s scandal will be retold in the docuseries Secrets of Hillsong.
That Friday, FX is scheduled to premiere the first two episodes of the show and will conclude the following Friday, May 26.
The program features testimonies from Carl Lentz and his wife Laura as they give their perspectives on the variety of controversies faced by Hillsong.
The Saturday after its network premiere, Secrets of Hillsong will be available via Hulu.
Discovery+ also had its own documentary about the backlash in Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed that was released on March 24, 2022.