Lentz didnt get to know too many of his flock of thousands. In the wake of these allegations and the revelation of his affairs, Lentz's wife, Laura, has stood by him and has been open about her own struggles with mental . Celeb Pastor Carl Lentz Says His Family Is Together After "Challenging Road" Two years after Carl Lentz was fired from Hillsong megachurch for "moral failures," the former pastor proved he. (Later that year, Houston attended a prayer meeting for Donald Trump at the White House.) The person was a youth leader, not a youth pastor. Abreu summed up their experience as a queer Hillsong attendee: How do we get people to come to the church and make them feel safe and still remind them that they suck and are headed to hell?, Other congregants and their family members told similar stories of acceptance only on the churchs steeply qualified terms. My relationship with Jesus carries over into every sphere of my life, Vivar says. One Hillsong NYC congregant, Ashley Jones (right), stuck with the church for years despite misgivings. Whats happening with the payment I was promised? Brett Sengstock, who was allegedly abused between ages 7 and 12, asked the younger Houston. Lentz was for years the New York pastor and face of Hillsong, a global megachurch that counted Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez among its followers at the peak of its cultural power. Its contemporary spin on Christianity, embodied by Lentz, packed a thriving network of on-trend believers into services across the globe every week. In 1999 Frank Houston, who died in 2004, confessed that he committed child sex abuse. Im sure hes really sorry. But he never apologized and denied assaulting her. Leadership met her protests with a favorite church aphorism: We dont call the qualified; we qualify the called. Eventually, Hillsong NYC scrapped the plan to have the white woman sing. The incident joined a growing list of things that upset Jones about the church: cliques, favoritism, a general lack of diversity. Its all about God, its not about whos up here, she recalls him saying. It was first launched in India on March 23, 2020. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. (Hillsong teachings reserve sex strictly for marriage.) Crenshaw learned Mays had a wife, and she felt overwhelmed by guilt and traumatic memories. He left school and eventually made his way to Hillsong College in Sydney. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Mary Jones and Lentz became close. Carl is like a Brian Houston mini-me, the former employee says, observing the church leaders Sunday routine: Taking a chauffeured car to the churchs rear entrance and then a private elevator to the greenroom; sitting in the greenroom watching sports, sometimes chatting with celebrities or athletes who dropped in. Every time, I froze. A legal representative for the Lentzes told RNS that the two vehemently deny the allegations and, in addition to that, have irrefutable proof the events did not happen as they are being described.. Laura and Carl Lentz met in Sydney, Australia, when Lentz enrolled himself in the Hillsong International Leadership College at the age of 20 (via People ). Carl Lentz Accused of Repeated Sexual Abuse by Hillsong Pastor The popularity of the church Hillsong soared in the U.S. thanks in part to Carl Lentz, its New York lead pastor, whose ties to Justin Bieber and pro athletes made him a celebrity until he was. The lights, the rock show, the smoke. Vanity Fair reported in February that Jason Mays, a Hillsong staffer who is the son of the churchs head of human resources, indecently assaulted a Hillsong College student in 2016. to the churchs spokesperson. Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith Call Off Their Engagement. My faith in God is now unshaken by the heinous . Hillsong staffer accuses Carl Lentz of sexual abuse, bullying 'The Secrets of Hillsong' docuseries trailer drops ready for May 19 Friends remember Lentz being in and out, returning late from the city or leaving just as the party got under way to play basketball with Drake. Theyre one of Hollywoods brightest starsand most troubled actors. Soon after, Harvest Time Church in Greenwich, Connecticut, announced that Blaze and Desiree Robertson, formerly of Hillsong Connecticut, were being considered as its new executive pastors. The message denied only one scandal specifically. According to the same report, however, many of Lentzs powerful celebrity allies had turned their backs. And New York City had a reputation as a wasteland for new churches. Crenshaw says Aghajanian said, How do you think they feel? (A Hillsong spokesperson said Crenshaws complaint led to an internal investigation which did take some time to complete as there were multiple parties present at the time of the alleged behavior. Mays was stood down from his positions during the investigation.). According to the Times reporting, Williams connect group coleader also lost her leadership role. Met Gala 2023 Red Carpet: See All the Fashion, Outfits & Looks, Get Him Out of Here: Donald Trump Tossed NBC Reporters Phones During Tirade Aboard Campaign Plane, How to Watch the 2023 Met Gala Live Stream. Unfortunately, the Hillsong church in New York, which has found itself in controversy in the last few years, just exploded again. This broker sells houses and God, too. (A church spokesperson said, Carl, at times, did have unreasonable expectations for his drivers, and it was something we attempted to address.), In 2016, Lentz undertook a life rite familiar to his secular peers: moving to Montclair. Keatinge also brought two affidavits, William says, asserting that he had lied. Many noticed that Justin Bieber stayed silent this fall as scandal overwhelmed the church he attends,. The pastor, a former real estate broker, is the developer Abram Shnays son-in-law. I agreed to forgive your father., Yes, okay, Ill get the money to you, Houston responded. On January 3, Reed Bogard and his wife, Jess, the pastors who got Hillsong NYC off the ground a decade ago before moving on to lead the church in Dallas, announced their departure in a video message. They changed their cell phone numbers, updating only a select few friends, according to one. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Carl Lentz - IMDb She imagined herself as leader of the class, answering Jesuss call. Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Says His Family Is 'Together' After Facing a 'Challenging Road' The former pastor posted on Instagram for the first time since 2020, when he was fired from his . The Hillsong Church's global senior pastor Brian Houston released a statement on the church's website announcing that Lentz had been fired. Hillsong Church Is a Snake Pit of Open Demonic Activity As It'S The appointment provided some continuity: Termini had been working at Hillsong in New York for much of the time since it opened in 2010, and he was embedded in Lentzs inner circle, along with a small group of other senior pastors. Lance Vivar, a pediatric ICU nurse in New Jersey, says that the church is just too important for him. The Hillsong Church is well-known for its celebrity attendance. His closest colleagues and friends moved in too, and their building, 184 Kent Avenue, became known among Hillsong staff, congregants, and volunteers as the compound., The building served as the locus of church business in the city and the site of boys nights, to the extent that the two differed. Kane Keatinge responded to Williams report promptly, setting up a meeting. A current pastor at the megachurch, who also worked as a nanny for the Lentz family, said that he threatened and belittled her when the two discussed his alleged abuse. The members of the group were then given a simple choice: William or the church. Images of Carl's New Home Surfaced as Well, and It's Obvious that It's Not as Nice as His Old One in Los Angeles. Gossip blogs noted the shots were the first time Lentz had been spotted in public since entering rehab. Tweet. 2 min read. Brian Houston has denied he said the abuse had been Sengstocks fault. There have been no additional concerns, the church said. His world came crashing down after an affair he had with New York actress Ranin Karim surfaced. Cover Story: The Charming Billie Eilish Kobe Bryants Tragic Flight, One Year Later How the PGA Polished Off Donald Trump Could the Monarchy Go Over a Cliff After Queen Elizabeth Dies? 36 Essential Items for Recreating Iconic Billie Eilish Nail Moments Inside 2021s Celebrity-Gossip Renaissance What Will Melania Trumps Legacy Be? From the Archive: The Brant Brothers Quest to Conquer Manhattan Not a subscriber? I dont know what happened to me, I mean Ive done that before, but something clicked, Lentz later said. If a hole opened up on the stage, he would have jumped through it. Jones received a volunteer role with the new group but says the leaders gave her nothing to do. Its a spiritual investment and a literal one. It premieres Friday, May 19 at 10 p.m. on FX with two episodes before the final two air on May 26. After firing Lentz, Brian Houston announced an independent investigation into the inner workings of Hillsong East Coast. Days later, a Lentz insider told The Sun that Carl wants to use all the attention hes received to boost his post-scandal career, maybe land a faith-based Netflix reality series. Tens of thousands of urban evangelical professionals followed Lentz for his soaring sermons at weekly services that resembled rock concerts. A Lentz family insider provided People.com with updates: family nights on the beach and Thanksgiving plans. Lentz lives in Florida with his family and reportedly wants to start an entertainment career Days before his termination from Hillsong Church, Lentz sold his $1.5 million Montclair, New Jersey, house.