Since his days as a student at Hillsong College in the mid-2000s, Lentz had established himself as a golden child of the church with access to Houstons tight inner circle. This broker sells houses and God, too. Hillsong founder Brian Houston speaks about Carl Lentz in TODAY exclusive. Where Is Carl Lentz Now in 2023? After Being Fired From Hillsong! It looks sleazy as he avoided the question on sin and . I personally thought it was what I was called by Jesus to do. Jones says she watched the group serve as an outlet for cronyism. Meet Laura Lentz, Carl Lentz's Wife - TheList.com Im sure hes really sorry. But he never apologized and denied assaulting her. Hed interrupt lectures from the back of the room to pose counterarguments at length. Disgraced Former Hillsong Pastor Has A Million Dollar Net Worth 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. Since. Shed get angry when Brian Houston would praise Mays on the stage. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. Inside Wealth-Conference Con Man Anthony Ritossas Wild Web of Lies, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. I also felt so ashamed and I had been told not to say anything or tell anyone, Kimes told Religion News Service, which first reported the allegations. Leona Kimes and her husband, Josh, both worked under Lentz at Hillsong NYC and are currently pastors at Hillsong Boston. The presence of Lauras wedding ring also registered as significant. 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. Bri Austen, a single mother in Los Angeles, attended services with her three kids. Tweet. I will fail you. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now. Hillsong congregants and insiders expressed skepticism about its integrity. Pastors Reed and Jess Bogard met at Hillsong College, and Reed later established the church that would become Hillsong NYC. Soon after, Hillsongs Connecticut head pastor, Blaze Robertson, and his wife, Desi, materialized as the new executive pastors of Harvest Time Church in Greenwich, in an announcement that made no mention of Hillsong. An avid sports fan, Houston loved Lentzs basketball stories and his aptitude for name-dropping while telling them. Regardless of what words you disagree with that I used, you have to be able to hear my heart as Ive spoken and its not with any desire to attack you, she wrote. In 2015, she said, he began making unwanted sexual advances on her. In the meantime, Carl Lentz and his family have moved out of their home in Montclair, New Jersey, and into a rented beach house in L.A. We value each member of our team, especially volunteers.. When a cheating scandal blew up the pastors life, some Hillsong congregants were left to question their relationship with a church that cultivated its own kind of fameand the double standards that often came with it. Those guys were dicking down! says a former Hillsong volunteer who spent time at the building. A Lentz family insider provided People.com with updates: family nights on the beach and Thanksgiving plans. Lentz, the pastor from global megachurch Hillsong, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and a bevy of other . After the celebrity-friendly megachurch Hillsong fired embattled pastor Carl Lentz in November, his initial replacement as the head of the churchs East Coast locations was executive pastor John Termini. (Later that year, Houston attended a prayer meeting for Donald Trump at the White House.) I dont know what happened to me, I mean Ive done that before, but something clicked, Lentz later said. I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. In 2020, Lentz was fired from the. Celeb Pastor Carl Lentz Says His Family Is Together After "Challenging November 7, 2014: The first time Hailey and Justin are seen one on one, they're leaving a birthday party for Lentz. It was really difficult calling people a few hours before theyre supposed to sing on the platform to tell them theres been a last-minute change because a pastors new girlfriend wants to sing onstage, Jones says. According to the same report, however, many of Lentzs powerful celebrity allies had turned their backs. Watch the First Trailer for 'The Secrets of Hillsong' From Vanity Fair Carl Lentz's replacement John Termini leaves Hillsong to start church Where Is Carl Lentz Now After Being Fired From Hillsong? According to Jones, Keatinge brought the proposal to Lentz and returned with news that the idea had been approved. She said churchgoers were told, "You have to be together for a full year before you get your first kiss." Additionally, Carl demanded that they "don't say 'I love you' until you propose." William doesnt have a sister. From that day, Jones skipped the line and went right to the front row. Mary Jones and Lentz became close. The person was a youth leader, not a youth pastor. ), If you complain, youll keep cleaning toilets. Reporting what happened was the issue, not what happened to me, Crenshaw says. If you dont complain, you can climb the ladder. former Hillsong staffer, One year Joness superiors excluded her, the only Black woman leader on the worship team, from planning meetings for a Black History Monththemed tribute. carl lentz | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos - Just Jared FORMER Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz appears unrecognizable in shocking new photos after quietly relocating to Florida in the aftermath of his cheating scandal. Lentz allegedly asked her for massages, and Kimes felt that she couldnt decline. The woman confided that after the experiencewhich she said included the threat of a lawsuitshe quit her volunteer role and hadnt come back to church, ignoring emails from Lentz and Keatinge asking her to return. The drivers made sure crowds didnt mob him on city streets. Her friendship with Lentz and her self-possession made Mary Jones a person to be respected but came with extra attention. That afternoon, the pastor gave out a clear call: If you want to change your life and serve Jesus and Jesus alone, lift up your hand. Roxanne Stone. What happened to Carl Lentz? Sexual abuse allegations and latest - TUKO 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. After her 15-year-old daughter said on social media in 2016 that she identifies as bisexual, Austen and her family, including her two younger sons, found themselves excluded from events. Also pictured were Terminis brother Joe and Joes wife, the star professional surfer Kelia Moniz. Ad Choices. Its all about God, its not about whos up here, she recalls him saying. Crenshaw says the church notified Mays three months after her first report and took no action for two months after that. They are from the Bronx, identify as queer and nonbinary, and in New York evangelical circles had grown to expect homophobia but thought of Hillsongs policy as akin to dont ask, dont tell. Left, photograph by Danielle Levitt; right, by Wagner Az/Backgrid. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the role of the person who abused Anna Crenshaw when she was a child. Leaked report reveals details of moral failures by Hillsong's Carl Lentz I was crushed, Jones says. Where Is Carl Lentz Now? Here's What We Know About His New - Linefame By. The case has continued to plague Hillsong. The volunteer said that leadership already knew about Lentzs actions from previous reports but failed to act. 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. 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 to the churchs spokesperson. They didnt tell anybody in Australia about their sexuality, but one day a professor stopped class to make an insinuation: We need to pray for Omars future wife.. The message denied only one scandal specifically. Brian Houston founded the church that would become Hillsong in Australia in 1983. A version of this story appears in the 2021 Hollywood issue. Gossip blogs noted the shots were the first time Lentz had been spotted in public since entering rehab. 5 Embarrassing Takeaways From The Latest Hipster Church Scandal 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. 2:05. According to Williams account, Lentz had been extremely flirtatious with the volunteer and made her feel extremely uncomfortable. The volunteer told William that Lentz had been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with multiple women. Abreu crowdfunded a trip to Sydney to start at Hillsong College in 2015 around the time of Josh Canfields Survivor appearance. If you complain, youll keep cleaning toilets, says the staffer. Since Justin Bieber left the Hillsong megachurch due to Carl Lentz's controversial infidelity, he's found a new space of worship. (The New York Post first reported the letters existence. It premieres Friday, May 19 at 10 p.m. on FX with two episodes before the final two air on May 26. While the reply upset Jones, she backed down before nodding to Lentz that she recognized his tactics. On Sundays Lentz sometimes delivered six sermons a day, ducking out between services to minister to the homeless. 2023 Cond Nast. He frequently responded to her social media posts and invited her to staff meetings and special events. You know, its your fault all of this happened. List of Discovery+ original programming - Wikipedia The writers bccd the Houstons. 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 . The Hillsong Church's global senior pastor Brian Houston released a statement on the church's website announcing that Lentz had been fired. Liberally tattooed, elaborately coiffed, and often dressed like a teenage hypebeast, Lentz, 42, achieved mild mainstream fame based on his proximity and access to the millennial celebrities in his flock: Justin and Hailey Bieber, Vanessa Hudgens, Kevin Durant, Selena Gomez. Where is Carl Lentz now? Latest 2022 Info! - Unleashing The Latest In According to the former Hillsong Sydney employee who worked with Houston, he viewed volunteers not as the called, but as laborers performing difficult, expensive work for free. 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 circumstances surrounding Williams exile from Hillsong eventually reached another volunteer. Didn't expect this guy to get a bailout from Madea, did you? [6] Early life and education Carl Lentz was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. But in late 2020, Lentz needed a new path. Disgraced Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz and wife break silence over his Its a spiritual investment and a literal one. When she once faced eviction, Lentz and Hillsong helped with the rent. HILLSONG CHURCH IS A SNAKE PIT OF OPEN DEMONIC ACTIVITY AS IT'S REVEALED THEIR NY PASTOR CARL LENTZ AND STAFFERS RAN IT LIKE THE PLAYBOY MANSION by Geoffrey Grider for Now The End Begins The whistleblowers also claimed that Hillsong Church which has been rocked by recent revelations that its former leader, Carl Lentz, had multiple tawdry affairs was "a breeding ground for unchecked . Where is Carl Lentz now? He pursues a career in entertainment - TheNetline William started to notice pastors watching him and staying close to him on Sundays. May 18, 202100:49. Brian Houston, the churchs global senior pastor who founded Hillsong in Australia, publicly distanced himself from Lentz and announced an investigation of the East Coast outposts. On November 4, 2020, congregants and fans of the Hillsong church awoke to the sad news that Carl Lentz and Laura Lentz had been fired. June 23, 2021. Theres no problem. He responded, in part, Im not sure if you realize this either: cliquism, [cronyism], overworking volunteersthese are subjective social constructs.. The only people who need to know are me and your psychiatrist. (A spokesperson said the church was unaware of the incident.) 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. He's 20 and she's 17, but not for long. Some congregants poked fun at the protective measures. He phrased it carefully. The email summed up what he had heard over weeks and months. By Brendan Esposito/Fairfax Media/Getty Images. Kimes said in her statement that Lentz repeatedly physically violated her, including on two occasions, in a movie theater and while she was driving, with one or more of his children present. Over months of follow-up meetings, William says, his character was continually attacked and he was called a liar. All rights reserved. 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. This church will fail you, he remembers the pastor promising. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. A Docuseries About the Hillsong Church & Fired Pastor Carl Lentz Is in Rumors of Lentz sleeping around were nothing new, but William says he didnt think they could be true. The tech team sets up the sound and projector. When Crenshaws father wrote again to Hillsong leadership, he received a response from the churchs general counsel, Timothy Whincop. It is also a multimedia conglomerate that produces documentaries, books, and chart-topping musical acts. As a child she was abused by a youth leader, and after the assault in Sydney, she went to a counselor to work through it all. All rights reserved. Exiting Irving Plaza following one Sunday service, Lentz and Mary struck up a conversation. Aghajanian said she believed Crenshaw but expressed shock that Mays could do such a thing. The members of the group were then given a simple choice: William or the church. Now, Leona Kimes, a pastor at Hillsong Boston, is coming forward about the abuse, bullying, and exploitation she faced while working for a Hillsong New York pastor. Crenshaw felt she couldnt take her complaint to human resources. V.F. He and Joel grew a joint reputation for their nightlife exploits. The pastor, a former real estate broker, is the developer Abram Shnays son-in-law. According to the Times reporting, Williams connect group coleader also lost her leadership role. Meghan and Harrys Revelations About Racism, the Rift Between Prince William and Prince Harry, Three-Way Sex Has Made Me a Better Person. 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.. February 5, 2023. Then Lentzs former dog walker went public about a 2014 incident in which he stumbled in on Lentz making sex noises with a younger star. The churchs leaders and their families have at times seemed to operate under a more fluid set of standards. Hillsong congregants had a habit of undergoing more than one baptism, and Jones proposed addressing the issue with a six-stage course for new congregants that could morph into a connect group at the end. Aside from its celebrity congregants, Hillsong, which was founded in Australia in the 1980s and now has 131 locations across the world, has bolstered its visibility with a vast multimedia operation. Brian and his wife, Bobbie, worked at SCLC until 1983, when they founded Hills Christian Life Centre in the suburbs of Sydney. He returned wearing the loudest shirts we had ever seen, Bullock, who left Hillsong in 1995, has said. Exclusive: Sex abuse allegations by Carl Lentz's former nanny put Back in New York, they tried going to services again; their best friends were and still are part of the church. While there, Keatinge told the student that he had seen her Instagram photos from Williams prayer meeting. In the months after Lentzs ouster, former congregants and volunteers spoke out about scores of experiences of exploitation at the church. Our pastoral team will continue to care for Anna as they have been, but we also have an obligation to care for Jason, his wife and family as a church, he wrote in part. 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. also reported that in 2017, one volunteer at Hillsong NYC confided in another New York congregant that Lentz had been extremely flirtatious with her and made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and that Lentz had been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with multiple women. A pair of Hillsong docuseries planned, examining the megachurch's Carl has his impressive views towards god and abortion towards young pastors. Several years after their marriage in 2003, the couple moved to New York City to help Hillsong founder Brian Houston open and run the New York branch of the megachurch. When its time for the service to begin, he sits in a special section, surrounded by his people, the staffer says. The creative element, especially in New York, is incredible.. There have been no additional concerns, the church said. (Emails provided to V.F. One Hillsong NYC congregant, Ashley Jones (right), stuck with the church for years despite misgivings. Hillsong used a nearby hotel to simulcast for overflow crowds. Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston said former pastor Carl Lentz had leadership issues that included lying and narcissistic behavior in an exclusive interview with "Today." Houston sat . Fired Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz's wife breaks silence - New York Post Lentzs famous followers included Justin and Hailey Bieber. In May 2021, Lentz's former nanny, Leona Kimes, accused him of sexual abuse and bullying in an essay published on Medium. in February that Kane Keatinge, an Australian pastor under Lentz who allegedly bullied volunteers, had been suspended pending an investigation, but didnt answer a recent inquiry about his current status. 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. A former Hillsong College student and lifelong megachurch goer recalls the kinds of statements shed hear at Hillsong services. His name is bigger than ever and he knows that, the friend said. . It was a white church with a sprinkle of other races, and here was this safe space where you could go and not be antagonized, she says. Discovery+ is a streaming service owned and operated by Warner Bros. A former Hillsong staffer who worked closely with Houston remembers one of his credos regarding Sydney: We need you to catch the culture from here. Houstons preferred personnel hold positions of power throughout the global church. Take the volunteers away from Hillsong and the services absolutely will not run, says the longtime worshipper. 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. Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz's Wife Laura Breaks Silence on Sex Scandal on Wedding Anniversary Carl Lentz was fired from Hillsong in November, and later admitted to cheating on his wife,. In the churchs early days, Brian Houston worked with the musician Geoff Bullock to develop the Hillsong sound. Lentz, who resides in Florida with his family, apparently wants to begin a career in entertainment Most likely, the Discovery+ documentary will show more about his affair with Ranin Karim In June 2021, the family's former nanny said that Lentz had sexually abused her Ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz is one of the main characters in the show. Kane came out and he looked me right in the eye. Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry reportedly paid their $16,000 monthly rent. COVID slowed its expansion efforts, but it has laid plans for a church in Atlanta and another in South Africa. If you dont complain, you can climb the ladder.. Pastors held exclusive late-night parties that managed to make space for the models whose agencies put them up in the building and the young men of Hillsong who had proven their loyalty. ), Still, many Hillsong faithful remain. their relationship was consensual.) Volunteers with jobs farthest from the backstage areas occupy the lowest rungs of the Hillsong hierarchy, which, leaders often remind, is scalable. Before Termini became Lentzs interim replacement at Hillsong, he held jobs as the churchs head of global real estate and director of business development. She often shares her mental health struggles amid the scandals and allegations regarding her husband. He added that he wasnt aware of the moral failures until late last year. Houston recently tweeted that the assault by Jason Mays was a sad story and that the victim had been previously abused at her fathers church in Pennsylvania. We just really feel that its time to transition off of our staff and take some time to remain healthy, get healthy, and to really see what the next season holds for us, Reed said. Houston contacted his New York pastor right away. John Termini, Lentzs successor at Hillsong NYC, told William that he needed to defend the church the way that Termini would defend his wife. At age twenty, he discovered his calling and enrolled in . Aghajanian asked Crenshaw to repeat her statement twice more. Im in the beginning stages of planning to start a church in Hawaii where my brother, his wife and baby live, Termini said, adding that Pastor Brian and I have a close relationship and he has given me his blessing. (Hillsong didnt return a request for comment, but following the publication of this story, Houston and Termini both announced Terminis departure from the church on Instagram. FILE - Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. In the meantime, Crenshaw says, Mayss wife became Crenshaws volunteer group leader. Still, the churchand Lentzcould be welcoming. obtained, was sent through a subordinates account: Most of the things you have said here, I know absolutely nothing about. (A church spokesperson said its leadership was unaware of any inappropriate activity at the Kent Avenue address. During workdays that could start at 7 a.m. and end at 11 p.m., she said that responsibilities included cleaning, running errands, and childcare. By Dan. The upcoming four-part docuseries is based on Vanity Fair's expos of the firing of Carl Lentz from the megachurch after he admitted to having an affair.. FX states that "everything will come to light" in announcing the . Then he goes onstage. So did the volunteer who confided in William. Lentzs reply to the letter, which V.F. But Lentz found the allure of having his own branch of Hillsong to run irresistible. Kimess allegations add to a growing portrait of Lentzs alleged misconduct as well as of Hillsongs record of abuse. On May 31, 2021, the former nanny of Lentz's children accused him of bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse. 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. Posted to carl lentz, Justin Bieber In 2010 filings he claimed that he earned $300,000 a year. In his last year of school, Lentz interned for Houston, washing his car and picking up his dry cleaning. Justin Bieber Tears Up With His New Pastor After Quitting - TheThings Producers and studio execs wouldnt take his calls. I agreed to forgive your father., Yes, okay, Ill get the money to you, Houston responded. He never actually interacts with the people he ministers to., Although we have had very strong leadership in other countries, it is important to note that this tremendous growth has contributed to a lack of supporting infrastructure and oversight in the United States, Brian Houston said in a statement. 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. In January, Reed and Jess Bogard, who helped found Hillsong NYC, announced their departure. 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. In six years I never came face-to-face with [Carl], says one former congregant and volunteer. ARC Pastors Enriched Through Hillsong 'Celebrity Preacher's Scam' 'Where Feet May Fail': After Carl Lentz Affair, What's Next for 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. later obtained it. Crenshaws father, a pastor in Pennsylvania, intervened and then the police became involved. Where Is Carl Lentz Now? The Former Hillsong Pastor Is Lying Low - Bustle She froze. In 2017, a New York connect group leader caught word of some troubling claims. Shamed Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz looks unrecognizable with disheveled Brian Houston has denied he said the abuse had been Sengstocks fault. After its celebrity pastor Carl Lentz's marital affair became public, Hillsong Church is quietly rebuilding and resetting their global mission to keep reaching more people searching for meaning in their lives and create community and worship music. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. While working for the Lentzes, V.F. A royal commission in Australia found in 2015 that Brian Houston failed to notify authorities about the allegations upon learning of them. While Bieber said in a January Instagram Story that HILLSONG IS NOT MY CHURCH, the same month, Termini posted a photo of himself on the beach with Justin and Hailey Bieber. The incident joined a growing list of things that upset Jones about the church: cliques, favoritism, a general lack of diversity. The service also streams programming from the BBC and A&E Networks. Hillsong Church founder breaks silence about scandals surrounding ex-pastor Carl Lentz May 19, 202109:01 She said the sexual abuse also "started small," with her boss commenting on her looks..