All rights reserved. a Photo of The Disgraced Pastor with Wild, Long, Curly Hair Appeared Online in March 2022, Despite the fact that He Has Been Keeping a Low Profile Since Then. I dont know what happened to me, I mean Ive done that before, but something clicked, Lentz later said. He returned wearing the loudest shirts we had ever seen, Bullock, who left Hillsong in 1995, has said. But now, he wants to milk the clout and attention he is currently getting by going into the entertainment industry. Kimes said that she twice discussed the alleged abuse with the Lentzes. Thats essentially a pyramid scheme. Although, she adds, with pyramid schemes at least you get employment out of it. More recently, Houston has rejected the prosperity-gospel label. Here are 7 facts you should know: Pastor Carl Lentz ran from speaking the truth on national TV. 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. V.F. Ranin Karim, a woman who alleges she had a relationship with Lentz earlier this year, recently spoke out to Vanity Fair in an interview. Keatinge, she said, called her unfit for leadership. (Keatinge told the paper he did not recall saying this.) Its all about God, its not about whos up here, she recalls him saying. The report, commissioned by the Hillsong Global Board, was carried out by the NYC law firm Zukerman Gore Brandeis & Crossman, over a period of less than two months following Lentz's firing in November 2020.The confidential report, titled "Internal Investigation Report Regarding Carl Lentz and Other Matters" was submitted to the Hillsong Global Board on January 11, 2021. Ad Choices. Hillsong used a nearby hotel to simulcast for overflow crowds. Early on, Hillsong derived its largely working-class and left-wing ethos from the Assemblies of God Pentecostal tradition Frank Houston had worked in, Bullock told The Sydney Morning Herald. Brian and his wife, Bobbie, worked at SCLC until 1983, when they founded Hills Christian Life Centre in the suburbs of Sydney. 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. The incident joined a growing list of things that upset Jones about the church: cliques, favoritism, a general lack of diversity. With the tabloids feasting on his humiliation, Lentzs new P.R. In mid-November 2020, a crisis manager from the public relations firm Sunshine Sachs took on a new client: Carl Lentz, former head of Hillsong Church's four locations in the American Northeast.. He phrased it carefully. When questioned, Mays denied the incident. After she had been attending Hillsong for some time, Mary Jones says she shared an idea with Keatinge. She objected, noting that Lentz appeared at other churches all the time. When Jesus went up the mountain, he only brought two disciples, she said. A version of this story appears in the 2021 Hollywood issue. The church attracted A-list celebrities like Justin Bieber. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. At the center of the docuseries is Pastor Carl Lentz, the leader of the New York City branch of the church who gained public attention after befriending multiple famous congregants. Lead pastor Judah Smith, whose community also includes celebrity couple Ciara and Russell Wilson, had an emotional moment on stage with the Canadian performer. The doctrine, popularized by American televangelists, holds that Jesus wanted health and wealth for his followers. Before his recent downfall, Lentzs visible friendships with celebrities helped propel him to fame beyond Hillsongs walls. In 1989, Brian Houston made a trip to the United States, where he met with pastors preaching the so-called prosperity gospel. We negotiated a promote free partnership with the developer and invested one million dollars into the project.. For several years of his Hillsong tenure, Termini was a central presence at what congregants and volunteers came to call the compound. Lentz and other Hillsong NYC pastors lived, worked, and partied at the building, a converted warehouse of luxury condos along the Williamsburg waterfront. The name of Carl's wife is Laura Lentz and she has stayed by his side after his infidelity and immediate termination from Hillsong. Born the youngest of four in Williamsburg, Virginia, he was raised in a Christian household but struggled to connect with the local church concept and religion in general. As Ashley and Mary Jones graduated to become volunteer leaders, they were given their own connect group. At large churches like Hillsong, smaller groups such as these often serve as the elemental links in the greater social chain. Hes worked with the youth ministry for years, driving all over the state to pick kids up to bring them to meetings. Rumors of Lentz sleeping around were nothing new, but William says he didnt think they could be true. Former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz has been spotted for the first time since finishing his 30-day stint in rehab He spent Christmas and New Years Day in rehab in a program for 'depression,. She wrote in a statement on Medium that during the seven years she spent as a nanny for Lentz and his wife, Laura, I was subjected to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse., I felt trapped and silenced. In November, celebrity preacher at the church's New York church Carl Lentz had a spectacular fall from grace, fired for "moral failings" after his infidelities were publicly revealed. Crenshaw says Aghajanian said, How do you think they feel? The 92-year-old media mogul announced his engagement to the 66-year-old former dental hygienist a scant two weeks ago, following last years divorce from his fourth wife, Jerry Hall. So did the volunteer who confided in William. The Lentzes arrived in New York City in 2010 from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Carls hometown. The case has continued to plague Hillsong. While working for the Lentzes, V.F. All rights reserved. During a New Years Eve 2009 hangout, Joel Houston pitched Lentz the idea of standing up their dream church. A few years ago, Shnays company, SK Development, along with two other firms, began constructing an office building at 363 Lafayette Street in NoHo that opened in 2018. He and Joel grew a joint reputation for their nightlife exploits. Lines snaked around the block. Pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura, seen with their three children, Ava, Charlie and Roman on March 22,. We will have to reevaluate if youre fit for leadership positions, she recalled Keatinge replying. New York Post. Those guys were dicking down! says a former Hillsong volunteer who spent time at the building. After graduating from high school in 2015, Anna Crenshaw moved from Philadelphia to Australia to study at Hillsong College. 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. In 1999 Frank Houston, who died in 2004, confessed that he committed child sex abuse. Some have suggested that Lentz's missteps were a reflection of Houston and the culture he created . A few days later, Houston announced that Chrishan and Danielle Jeyaratnam, formerly pastors at Hillsongs location in Perth, Australia, would replace Lentz on a permanent basis. Didn't expect this guy to get a bailout from Madea, did you? After joining Hillsong as head pastor of the New York outpost in 2010, Lentz quickly became the churchs most recognizable face. Carl Lentz's Hillsong Replacement Is Starting a New Church in Hawaii A few months after Lentz was fired and the megachurch's scandals cascaded, John Termini confirmed his departure. A flurry of Twitter flare-ups and Slack spats involving. He also met Laura, a native Australian whose parents are longtime friends of the Houstons. She often shares her mental health struggles amid the scandals and allegations regarding her husband. He attended a school in Australia run by Hillsong in his youth, interned for church founder Brian Houston, and eventually moved to New York with his wife and Houston's family to help them open and run the first American Hillsong church in 2010 (via New York Times). In mid-November 2020, a crisis manager from the public relations firm Sunshine Sachs took on a new client: Carl Lentz, former head of Hillsong Churchs four locations in the American Northeast. FX has released its official trailer for The Secrets of Hillsong, which, essentially, is former Hillsong New York pastors, Carl and Laura Lentz's, side of the story.. At age twenty, he discovered his calling and enrolled in . With prayerful consideration, our lead pastors, local team and international board saw this as a moment for us to invest where we will live, the report continued. Lower overhead means higher profits. [6] Early life and education Carl Lentz was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. In the months after the Lentz affair broke, the church came under new media scrutiny. (A Hillsong spokesperson said Keatinge has been suspended pending an investigation and would not answer Vanity Fairs questions on his behalf. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. (Later that year, Houston attended a prayer meeting for Donald Trump at the White House.) Lentz, who garnered fame for himself and Hillsong via his friendships with celebrities, led the churchs locations on the East Coast until his firing in November. (A church spokesperson said John Mays was recused from the matter due to his conflict of interest and that it was unaware of any incidents of Houston praising Mays onstage from the time Crenshaws allegations became known. Get the latest chatter, from Kensington Palace and beyond, straight to your inbox. Then Lentz told the assembly, This idea came to us from our one and only Kane Keatinge. But I can point you to a person that never will.. A former volunteer in New York wrote to church leadership in 2017 about allegations of sexual harassment within Hillsong, including Lentzs own alleged inappropriate sexual behavior. Vanity Fair reported in February that the volunteer said he was told by Termini that he needed to defend the church the way that Termini would defend his wife. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. My relationship with Jesus carries over into every sphere of my life, Vivar says. The prosperity doctrine is partly a financial proposition: If you donate to Hillsong, God will give you that money back. Aghajanian asked Crenshaw to repeat her statement twice more. Pictures of the family appeared on gossip sites: Carl, shirtless in cornrows, performing Sun Salutations on the beach; Laura beelining into a tanning salon. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. The celebrity pastor was fired in November 2020 for "moral failures." 6 Discovery released the trailer for its new docuseries about Hillsong's Carl Lentz Credit: Getty 6 Former congregants have said that, in part by instructing volunteers not to talk to or look at Lentz, Kimes helped maintain his status in the church. The Lentzes and Sunshine Sachs parted ways. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Keatinge also brought two affidavits, William says, asserting that he had lied. Before Termini became Lentzs interim replacement at Hillsong, he held jobs as the churchs head of global real estate and director of business development. In the months following Lentzs exit, Hillsong volunteers and former congregants from New York; Los Angeles; Boston; Kansas City, Missouri; and Sydney offered stories about the church that included exploitation, bullying, and alienation. We commend her for her courage and have assured her of our utmost compassion in their journey forward, they wrote, adding, As a church, we are committed to learning more about how to identify such trauma and bring meaningful support to anyone who has experienced it.. What do you do when you discover the shepherds are part of the problem? 2018 letter from concerned Hillsong NYC congregants, From the moment Pastor Brian discovered this shocking news, around 20 years ago, the email said, he has always been very open and clear about the circumstances around this, and our church has stood with him and his family.. Then he goes onstage. Lentz brought the Hillsong megachurch to the US from Australia and led a charmed life in a $1.5 million home in New Jersey as lead pastor of New York City before his world came crashing down. Lentz's wife Laura speaks out about his affair for the first time in Vanity Fair and FX's . And then he leaves. Shoebridge recalled on the Parliament floor what Brian Houston had once told an alleged victim, who had agreed to a $10,000 payment not to speak out. Kimes later confirmed that her statement was about Lentz. In an Instagram post that included photos of palm trees and a blue sky, Laura Lentz alluded to the backlash that their family faced following the ordeal. Posted to carl lentz, Justin Bieber November 7, 2014: The first time Hailey and Justin are seen one on one, they're leaving a birthday party for Lentz. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The letters authors accused a former Hillsong intern under Keatinge of multiple inappropriate sexual relationships with several female leaders and volunteers in church and said he was verbally, emotionally, and according to one woman, physically abusive in his relationships with these women. (A Hillsong spokesperson said the former intern was asked to leave the church after leadership found out about his behavior. Sometimes, exhausted from her weekend volunteer work, Austen had to move her day off at her paying job. ), Still, many Hillsong faithful remain. People are not looking for stale religion, Houston wrote in his 2015 book, Live Love Lead. They hung out at neighborhood bars, getting drunk and once starting a fight. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. It took some time, but one of the men at the house caught on; he said he needed to take the girls home. Keatinge removed William from his connect group. In 2020, Lentz was fired from the. Although Carl has changed a lot in appearance and style. (Keatinges email was obtained by V.F.) Zoe Church / Chad and Julia Veach. I agreed to forgive your father., Yes, okay, Ill get the money to you, Houston responded. [1] From 1998 to 2000, he attended North Carolina State University and was a walk-on basketball player on the school's men's basketball team. (A church spokesperson said the church did not encourage multiple baptisms but said it was not uncommon for some Christians as a means of recommitting themselves.) After selling their house in Montclair, New Jersey, Lentz and his wife Laura relocated to . 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. In 2019 it opened new outposts in Indonesia, Brussels, Edinburgh, Milan, Dallas, Kansas City, and Monterrey, Mexico, as well as a college campus in Phoenix.