After she had been attending Hillsong for some time, Mary Jones says she shared an idea with Keatinge. The message denied only one scandal specifically. Wife of ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz is suffering PTSD, depression By Andrew Court November 12, 2021 4:59pm Updated Laura Lentz is revealing the emotional distress she has suffered after her. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. She often shares her mental health struggles amid the scandals and allegations regarding her husband. When Lentz returned Stateside in 2005, he brought his wife with him. By Brendan Esposito/Fairfax Media/Getty Images. NEW YORK (RNS) The streaming channel Discovery+ has announced plans for a documentary series on Hillsong Church and its disgraced former pastor, Carl Lentz . You tempted my father.. The Grammy-winning group Hillsong Worship, one of the churchs three musical acts, recently broke the record for a Hillsong streaming debut in the U.S. Hillsong founder Brian Houston fired Lentz over what he said were moral failuresincluding, most explosively, Lentzs cheatingand has claimed in public statements and a recent interview on the Today show that Lentzs behavior was an aberration for the church. (Hillsong teachings reserve sex strictly for marriage.) Assistants answered his emails. The only people who need to know are me and your psychiatrist. (A spokesperson said the church was unaware of the incident.) Austen texted, searching for answers, but received little response. ArtAnd Lots of It, The actor, who plays a Bob Rossesque character in the new comedy, Breaking: Donald Trump Surrenders to Face Charges in New York. But Lentzs scandal and subsequent departure caused many of its congregants to reevaluate their relationship with the church. Open main entertainment navigation Entertainment Get ready to dive into the world of the Hillsong Church. (A church spokesperson said it was unaware if this occurred. Neither Hillsong nor Lentz immediately returned The Post's request for comment. Pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura, seen with their three children, Ava, Charlie and Roman on March 22,. I do believe God blesses people but I also believe in purpose, he said in a 2018 interview. Joe is an artist who frequently paints the phrase Cash Only in his work, and in 2018, Biebers seafoam blue Lamborghini was tagged with the slogan. Those guys were dicking down! says a former Hillsong volunteer who spent time at the building. Pastors Reed and Jess Bogard met at Hillsong College, and Reed later established the church that would become Hillsong NYC. The church offers a version of the gospel that can cohere with the rest of your urban professional life. 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.. Inside Wealth-Conference Con Man Anthony Ritossas Wild Web of Lies, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. By. On Monday, June 21, it was reported that Discovery+ is moving forward with a three-episode . FILE - Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. They changed their cell phone numbers, updating only a select few friends, according to one. And then he leaves. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. He encourages the youth to always work for the benefit of the economy. But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. That felt like a nonanswer. (A church spokesperson said, We are unaware of this situation occurring.). Crenshaw learned Mays had a wife, and she felt overwhelmed by guilt and traumatic memories. The $16,000 a month rent on the house has reportedly been paid for by one of the only friends that have stood by him throughout this ordeal: Tyler Perry. According to the Times reporting, Williams connect group coleader also lost her leadership role. Keatinge eventually emailed William, who had at one point sought legal advice, to inform him that no one had confirmed his letters claims. When its time for the service to begin, he sits in a special section, surrounded by his people, the staffer says. Hes worked with the youth ministry for years, driving all over the state to pick kids up to bring them to meetings. Last month, Houston announced that the investigation was complete, and that while the church wouldnt release the results, its board of directors had learned that it needed to make changes at the branches Lentz had led (and, the announcement seemed to imply, only at those branches). In class, Lentz established himself as a brash and discursive presence. Kimes wrote that she felt guilty about her discomfort and ashamed, and that she questioned whether anyone would believe her. By Andrew White/The New York Times/Redux. People are not looking for stale religion, Houston wrote in his 2015 book, Live Love Lead. He returned wearing the loudest shirts we had ever seen, Bullock, who left Hillsong in 1995, has said. The daughter of Lionel Richie said the process has been one of the greatest experiences of her life. The pastor, a former real estate broker, is the developer Abram Shnays son-in-law. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. His elevated status made me feel like he had all the power, and I had no voice.. For years, Hillsong experienced rapid growth as it offered itself as a house of worship and community for its young followers seeking what they neededbe that healing, fellowship, or grace. Then the physical encounters escalated, she wrote, and Lentz allegedly began sexually touching her. 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.. The pastor is preparing to move to Hawaii, a source familiar with his plans said, where hell start a separate church following the series of scandals at his old place of employment. But after the other witnesses corroborated Crenshaws account, Hillsong placed Mays on paid leave. Many noticed that Justin Bieber stayed silent this fall as scandal overwhelmed the church he attends,. The email summed up what he had heard over weeks and months. Around the time Carl's firing was announced, he and his family moved to Manhattan Beach, California, and stayed away from the public spotlight. 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. Though Lentz came from a family of believers, by college at North Carolina State, where he earned a spot on the varsity basketball team, he had just about given up on his faith. Ad Choices. He reiterated that the action had not been taken lightly and was done . The members of the group were then given a simple choice: William or the church. If you step out in faith and make that first step with a donation, you will be rewarded and it will come back to you, she says. I would ask that you simply add, even in your own processing right now, phrases like from what I know and in my opinion rather than this is the state of our church., In a meeting to address the contents of the letter, Lentz said, Youve got some guts bccing the Houstons.. While working for the Lentzes, V.F. A former Hillsong College student and lifelong megachurch goer recalls the kinds of statements shed hear at Hillsong services. An avid sports fan, Houston loved Lentzs basketball stories and his aptitude for name-dropping while telling them. Keatinge also brought two affidavits, William says, asserting that he had lied. The ex-president is expected to enter a plea of not guilty later today, after having his fingerprints and possibly his mug shot taken. (The New York Post first reported the letters existence. On March 28, 2023, news broke that Carl Lentz was hired by Transformation Church, a predominantly Black, nondenominational megachurch in Tulsa, Okla. My relationship with Jesus carries over into every sphere of my life, Vivar says. In 2015, she said, he began making unwanted sexual advances on her. 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 ). According to sources, the church sent a staffer to surveil the Joneses connect meetings. Discovery+ is a streaming service owned and operated by Warner Bros. William started to notice pastors watching him and staying close to him on Sundays. 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. Lance Vivar, a pediatric ICU nurse in New Jersey, says that the church is just too important for him. ), Still, many Hillsong faithful remain. Having recently sold their home in Montclair, New Jersey, the Lentz family moved to a grand Spanish-style home with a terra-cotta roof and ocean views in Manhattan Beach, California. Hillsong congregants and insiders expressed skepticism about its integrity. Bri Austen, a single mother in Los Angeles, attended services with her three kids. (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. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, Its Not So Black and White: Gisele Bndchen, Self-Professed Witch of Love, Talks About It All, The supermodel is super ready for her next act, as she enjoys the, Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. (In my opinion theyre just looking for dirt on Carl, says one. Though a volunteer, William ran a connect group populated by members who were fiercely devoted to him. On November 4, Hillsongs global senior pastor and founder, Brian Houston, publicly fired Lentz and his wife of 17 years, Laura, pointing to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures. On Instagram the next day, Carl Lentz paired a photo of his family decked out in formal attire at the Biebers wedding with a confession: When you lead out of an empty place, you make choices that have real and painful consequences. When God blesses a business person its for Gods own purposes. (A Hillsong spokesperson said financial integrity is a value of the church, that it regularly audits its financial records and expenses, and that no staff member has unrestricted access to church funds.). Carl Lentz Accused of Repeated Sexual Abuse by Hillsong Pastor A current pastor at the megachurch, who also worked as a nanny for the Lentz family, said that he threatened and belittled her. The writers bccd the Houstons. Carl has his impressive views towards god and abortion towards young pastors. Carl Lentz pastors Hillsong Church NYC, a thriving Christian congregation with locations in Manhattan and New Jersey. ), In a statement on Hillsongs website, the Houstons said they heard about Kimess allegations in the course of the East Coast investigation. Keatinge prompted her to tell her story. The lights, the rock show, the smoke. As the New York head of celebrity-favorite megachurch Hillsong, Lentz achieved his own kind of stardom. Didn't expect this guy to get a bailout from Madea, did you? Brian Houston was not informed of these claims prior to the events of late 2020.). Reporting what happened was the issue, not what happened to me, Crenshaw says. Omar Abreu was in high school when they found Hillsong. Strobe lights and stage smoke filled the church lobby. later obtained it. Producers and studio execs wouldnt take his calls. 2023 Cond Nast. In his last year of school, Lentz interned for Houston, washing his car and picking up his dry cleaning. It is also a multimedia conglomerate that produces documentaries, books, and chart-topping musical acts. February 11, 2021 12:19pm AP/Tina Fineberg EXCLUSIVE: Hillsong, the church that has had celebrity worshippers including Justin Bieber, Kevin Durant, and Selena Gomez, has been mired in scandal. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. His wife of nearly two decades, Laura Lentz, also 43, was pictured dropping off Lentz at the airport and taking her son to school. Keatinge, she said, called her unfit for leadership. (Keatinge told the paper he did not recall saying this.) When she once faced eviction, Lentz and Hillsong helped with the rent. According to Jones, Keatinge brought the proposal to Lentz and returned with news that the idea had been approved. This broker sells houses and God, too. Former congregants have described Termini as not only an integral player in Lentzs kingdomthey employ some of the same emotive style in their sermonsbut an avid protector of it. 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. A royal commission in Australia found in 2015 that Brian Houston failed to notify authorities about the allegations upon learning of them. Volunteers with jobs farthest from the backstage areas occupy the lowest rungs of the Hillsong hierarchy, which, leaders often remind, is scalable. From Spot/Vasquez-Max Lopes/Maciel/Backgrid. In leaving Hillsong, Termini joins a growing group of Lentz-connected pastors. The organization is led by pastor, author, and popular YouTuber Michael Todd. Hillsong College serves as a farm system for the churchs global network of pastors, who become centers of gravity wherever they land. The prosperity doctrine is partly a financial proposition: If you donate to Hillsong, God will give you that money back. The church has 131 locations across the world, mostly in large cities. Before Termini became Lentzs interim replacement at Hillsong, he held jobs as the churchs head of global real estate and director of business development. 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. A new TLC documentary about the church and the minister, which debuted on Wednesday, featured the claims. In May 2021, Lentz's former nanny, Leona Kimes, accused him of sexual abuse and bullying in an essay published on Medium. 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. 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. Music has proven to be a large part of the churchs draw throughout its history, and the growing congregation eventually renamed itself after one of the more popular musical acts it had produced. 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. Then In July 2021, they relocated to a $70,000 home south of Tampa, Florida. 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. After a few conversations where she outlined some preliminary stepsincluding leaving their role working with childrenshe proposed a longer-term path. If you complain, youll keep cleaning toilets, says the staffer. The celebrity-beloved religious couple's new $700,00. What do you do when you discover the shepherds are part of the problem and even the problem itself?. I dont know what happened to me, I mean Ive done that before, but something clicked, Lentz later said. ), The circumstances surrounding Williams exile from Hillsong eventually reached another volunteer. From The Sydney Morning Herald/Getty Images. 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. From that day, Jones skipped the line and went right to the front row. Wed, 05 May 2021. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Hillsong used a nearby hotel to simulcast for overflow crowds. Not a subscriber? 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. A 2009 Virginian-Pilot report noted that the service, Soul Central, kicked off at 8 p.m., just as happy hours wound down. 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 effects of the split between the churchs founder and his most famous acolyte went far beyond the two mens relationship. V.F. In 1999 Frank Houston, who died in 2004, confessed that he committed child sex abuse. Hillsong told V.F. While there, Keatinge told the student that he had seen her Instagram photos from Williams prayer meeting. (He later deleted the tweet and apologized for it. 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. Shed get angry when Brian Houston would praise Mays on the stage. Scott Morrison, prime minister of Australia, has described Houston as a mentor and suffered a minor scandal in 2019 after the White House denied his attempt to bring Houston to a state dinner. 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. It premieres Friday, May 19 at 10 p.m. on FX with two episodes before the final two air on May 26. Crenshaw felt frozen out of the service role shed held for three years. Before greeting guests and distributing literature, the host team checks the theater seats for vomit left over from the night before. 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. 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. The wife of former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz is speaking out for the first time since her husband was fired from the megachurch amid a sex scandal. In its 2017 annual report, without naming the family connection, Hillsong East Coast explained how it had purchased a new Manhattan headquarters at 363 Lafayette Street. The Sydney Morning Herald reported in a 2015 investigation of the churchs finances that that figure was likely incomplete, and Houston hasnt disclosed his salary since. But the wounds from Sydney remained. Hillsong is an Australia-based megachurch that averages more than 150,000 weekly congregants at satellites in 30 countries. 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. 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. Sunday call time for volunteers is 5 a.m. Its contemporary spin on Christianity, embodied by Lentz, packed a thriving network of on-trend believers into services across the globe every week. 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." Then Lentz told the assembly, This idea came to us from our one and only Kane Keatinge. A few months after Lentz was fired and the megachurchs scandals cascaded, John Termini confirmed his departure. A church spokesperson said Mays served a 12-month ban from any ministry, was reinstated in his administration role, and occasionally volunteers as a singer. One Hillsong NYC congregant, Ashley Jones (right), stuck with the church for years despite misgivings. Watching from her seat, Jones filled with anticipation. Amid safety concerns, and anxiety over the fate of a $200 million movie. Whats happening with the payment I was promised? Brett Sengstock, who was allegedly abused between ages 7 and 12, asked the younger Houston. Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. 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. Kane Keatinge responded to Williams report promptly, setting up a meeting. Houston describes Hillsong as one house with many rooms; each is imprinted in his image in some way. Posted to carl lentz, Justin Bieber Crenshaw says Aghajanian said, How do you think they feel? 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. Tweet. According to the same report, however, many of Lentzs powerful celebrity allies had turned their backs. May 18, 202100:49. She said that she was met with compassion when she subsequently reported her experience to leadership, particularly by Brian and Bobbie Houston, and that she plans to remain on staff at Hillsong working toward a stronger future., After Lentzs firing, Kimes and her husband appeared in several reports about Hillsongs labor practices. In January 2020, Mays pleaded guilty to indecent assault and received two years probation and mandatory counseling. The New York Post Claims Carl Now Lives in Florida. Left, photograph by Danielle Levitt; right, by Wagner Az/Backgrid. January 5, 2021 In case it wasn't already obvious when Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey Baldwin unfollowed their former pastor Carl Lentz on Instagram in November, the pop star kicked off. Ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz's new megachurch accused of 'inappropriate' Easter service . 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 But in late 2020, Lentz needed a new path. Nobody from the gathering acknowledged the assault afterward. 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. A rumor spread that Lentz had sex with Williams sister. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. An Intimate View of a Young Queen Elizabeth II The Sacklers Launched OxyContin. After the blowup over the attempted White House invitation brought Morrisons ties with Houston into the spotlight, the Australian member of Parliament David Shoebridge argued that Houston failed his fathers victims and pointed to a strong basis for prosecution. For a few weeks it seemed as if redemption might be possible. It looks sleazy as he avoided the question on sin and . As college students, Crenshaw and her friend couldnt drink alcohol, but some of the men could. In casting Lentz out, Houston exiled not only the leading avatar of the culture he built, but something of a son as well. Lentz allegedly asked her for massages, and Kimes felt that she couldnt decline. I was told that if his reputation was ruined, Kimes wrote, my reputation would be too. Later, Kimes said, Laura told her she should repent and dismissed her from her household duties, and Kimes and her husband moved to Boston to lead its Hillsong church. My counselor encouraged me to report the assault instead of letting Jason just ignore it, she says. I wouldnt be able to function at work without it., When asked why he didnt just find another church, Vivar recalled a sermon Lentz had once given that stuck with him. 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. 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. At the school, Lentz made fast friends with Brian Houstons son Joel. Before they left Hillsong for good, Abreu decided to work one last conference at Barclays Center to confirm something theyd been curious about. Lentz, the pastor from global megachurch Hillsong, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and a bevy of other . Lentz didnt get to know too many of his flock of thousands. One Sunday, Lentz informed the congregation of the new course. 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 church has made Brian Houston wealthy and well-connected. 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. I was completely overwhelmed the first time I went, says one longtime worshipper. In her statement Kimes wrote that, prior to becoming a pastor in Boston, she worked in the Lentz home. In 2015, Brian Houston forced its director Josh Canfield to step down from his post after Canfield discussed his identity as a gay Hillsong congregant on CBSs Survivor. After firing Lentz, Brian Houston announced an independent investigation into the inner workings of Hillsong East Coast. Sofia Richie Reveals She Converted to Judaism Ahead of Wedding to Elliot Grainge. Meghan and Harrys Revelations About Racism, the Rift Between Prince William and Prince Harry, Three-Way Sex Has Made Me a Better Person. 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. I prayed about it and I was heartbroken, she says. (Lentz declined to comment for this story.). As they were leaving, the man who tried to intervene asked her not to tell anyone what had happened. Church officials de-rostered her daughter from her weekly volunteer commitments. When reached for comment, the woman responded that she had stated/agreed that I wouldnt speak about my time there., In February 2018 a group of volunteers sent a letter with a list of concerns to church leadership, including the Lentzes and Joel Houston. New York Post. But on Nov. 4 . 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. While the reply upset Jones, she backed down before nodding to Lentz that she recognized his tactics. But the proposed rental eventually became a purchase. Hillsong founder Brian Houston speaks about Carl Lentz in TODAY exclusive. 2 min read. ), One of the most delicate conversations I had with a former volunteer deals with Pastor Carl, William wrote in the complaint, the existence of which The New York Times first reported in December. After selling their house in Montclair, New Jersey, Lentz and his wife Laura relocated to . Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Lentz's wife Laura speaks out about his affair for the first time in Vanity Fair and FX's . I froze. The Lentzes home in the tony suburb became a hub of social activity. Archive Footage: Code Orange Revival. During a New Years Eve 2009 hangout, Joel Houston pitched Lentz the idea of standing up their dream church. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement.
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