Brian Houston has denied he said the abuse had been Sengstocks fault. ), The circumstances surrounding Williams exile from Hillsong eventually reached another volunteer. Hillsong founder Brian Houston speaks about Carl Lentz in TODAY exclusive. She said Lentz introduced himself as a sports agent in Williamsburgs Domino Park and called her his Middle Eastern unicorn woman. Laura Lentz discovered the affair after a Hillsong staffer saw Lentzs messages on his office computer. His wife of nearly two decades, Laura Lentz, also 43, was pictured dropping off Lentz at the airport and taking her son to school. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. 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. 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." The Hollywood Fix featured a video of the singer bonding with his new church Churchome. Frank Houston, Brian Houstons father, started Sydney Christian Life Centre, the forerunner to Hillsong Church, in 1977. The celebrity-beloved religious couple's new $700,00. (It's unclear whether these amounts were AUD or USD). When Lentz returned Stateside in 2005, he brought his wife with him. Those guys were dicking down! says a former Hillsong volunteer who spent time at the building. Hillsong was approached by a developer to lease office space and have a multi-use venue at a 50% discount to the market due to benefits that the developer would receive by having a community facility within the tenancy, the report said. 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. A version of this story appears in the 2021 Hollywood issue. 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. (A church spokesperson said its global leadership was previously unaware of this incident but learned that Amazing Grace may have been a special request of Lentz for a sermon unrelated to Black History Month.). The prosperity doctrine is partly a financial proposition: If you donate to Hillsong, God will give you that money back. Tweet. Though a volunteer, William ran a connect group populated by members who were fiercely devoted to him. FILE - Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. Lance Vivar, a pediatric ICU nurse in New Jersey, says that the church is just too important for him. William thought it would be a one-on-one, but other church leaders showed. In December the board of Hillsong Church Australia wrote an email to congregants dismissing the stories, some of which included allegations of exploitation and discrimination, primarily as gossip. But the wounds from Sydney remained. Pastors Reed and Jess Bogard met at Hillsong College, and Reed later established the church that would become Hillsong NYC. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. Carl and Laura took jobs at Wave, the site of his earlier epiphany, where he now assisted the youth minister with a Wednesday-night service for college-age kids. The church attracted A-list celebrities like Justin Bieber. Ranin Karim, a woman who alleges she had a relationship with Lentz earlier this year, recently spoke out to Vanity Fair in an interview. Also pictured were Terminis brother Joe and Joes wife, the star professional surfer Kelia Moniz. She wrote in her statement that I was physically violated by his unwanted and repeated sexual touching of my intimate areas. 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,. 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. But I can point you to a person that never will.. 8 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. Through tears, she challenged Williams account. Hillsong is an Australia-based megachurch that averages more than 150,000 weekly congregants at satellites in 30 countries. 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. obtained, was sent through a subordinates account: Most of the things you have said here, I know absolutely nothing about. In the wake of Lentzs departure, Hillsong has experienced unprecedented turnover of staffers, including several notable pastors who worked closely with him in New York City. February 5, 2023. 2023 Cond Nast. 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. Ive heard so much about you. A few weeks later, Jones told Lentz she arrived at the venue 90 minutes before Sunday services to ensure she got a seat. Zoe Church / Chad and Julia Veach. Jasons actions have resulted in pain not only for Anna but also his wife Ashley not to mention other family members., Around the same time Crenshaws report was playing out in Australia, several whistleblowers brought complaints to church leadership about the culture at Hillsong NYC. Lentz, an alumnus of Houston car wash duties, extended the tradition by elevating preferred members of his drive team to leadership roles. 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. 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. 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. 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. One, a Nigerian student who attended Hillsong while studying at NYU, says William made her feel particularly welcome. Newspix via Getty Images, FILE Karim described her connection with Lentz as one that is "hard to explain in words." She said Lentz's wife found out about the alleged affair in October. The message denied only one scandal specifically. November 7, 2014: The first time Hailey and Justin are seen one on one, they're leaving a birthday party for Lentz. In 2017, a New York connect group leader caught word of some troubling claims. My relationship with Jesus carries over into every sphere of my life, Vivar says. Lentz recognized right away that the offer made little sense for him and his family. Pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura, seen with their three children, Ava, Charlie and Roman on March 22,. 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 Lentzes arrived in New York City in 2010 from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Carls hometown. Pre-pandemic, the weekly production required about 300 people, although Hillsong NYC operates with a lean paid staff of pastors, back-office workers, and interns who themselves pay up to $4,000 to work at the church. The email summed up what he had heard over weeks and months. All rights reserved. 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. 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 . In January 2020, Mays pleaded guilty to indecent assault and received two years probation and mandatory counseling. The drivers made sure crowds didnt mob him on city streets. 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. From The Sydney Morning Herald/Getty Images. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. While the source suggested that Termini had grown tired of Hillsongs controversies, the pastor struck a more sanguine tone when reached by text message. 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 was first launched in India on March 23, 2020. After joining Hillsong as head pastor of the New York outpost in 2010, Lentz quickly became the churchs most recognizable face. 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. 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. June 23, 2021. (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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The volunteer said that leadership already knew about Lentzs actions from previous reports but failed to act. Whistleblower documents show Hillsong paid Gray $18,000 in 2014 and $38,649 in 2015. 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. Discovery, which features a catalog of programming from Warner Bros. Discovery's factual networks. Whats happening with the payment I was promised? Brett Sengstock, who was allegedly abused between ages 7 and 12, asked the younger Houston. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now. Reports stated that high-profile individuals who have visited or are now involved with Hillsong include Justin Bieber, Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger, Selena Gomez, Kevin Durant, and a large number of Kardashians and Jenners. According to the Times reporting, Williams connect group coleader also lost her leadership role. 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. You know, its your fault all of this happened. Mary Jones and Lentz became close. 2023 Cond Nast. From Spot/Vasquez-Max Lopes/Maciel/Backgrid. 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. Crowds climbed to 1,000 per night in under a year. Its a spiritual investment and a literal one. The tech team sets up the sound and projector. their relationship was consensual.) 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. And at least some bad moral behavior had gone back historically., That afternoon, Lentzs publicists said he enrolled in a 28-day outpatient program for pastoral burnout. A few weeks later, The New York Times reported that Hillsong NYC volunteers had complained to church officials about rumors of Lentz acting inappropriately with women in 2017. The members of the group were then given a simple choice: William or the church. Take the volunteers away from Hillsong and the services absolutely will not run, says the longtime worshipper. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. A royal commission in Australia found in 2015 that Brian Houston failed to notify authorities about the allegations upon learning of them. 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. Inside Wealth-Conference Con Man Anthony Ritossas Wild Web of Lies, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. As they were leaving, the man who tried to intervene asked her not to tell anyone what had happened. Then the physical encounters escalated, she wrote, and Lentz allegedly began sexually touching her. . Lentz, the pastor from global megachurch Hillsong, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and a bevy of other celebrities. Discovery+ is a streaming service owned and operated by Warner Bros. Where Is Carl Lentz Now 2022? Kane Keatinge responded to Williams report promptly, setting up a meeting. You tempted my father.. 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. 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. The series provides context for the many church scandals, such as allegations of abuse and corruption. 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. The pastor, a former real estate broker, is the developer Abram Shnays son-in-law. When she declined, he appeared at her Brooklyn apartment. Hes worked with the youth ministry for years, driving all over the state to pick kids up to bring them to meetings. After a decade working at the Australia-based church, John Termini who temporarily served as lead pastor for Hillsong's NYC branch in the wake of Carl Lentz's adulterous fall from grace is. He and Joel grew a joint reputation for their nightlife exploits. I agreed to forgive your father., Yes, okay, Ill get the money to you, Houston responded. 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.. Not a subscriber? That came to a. 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 . 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. Critics say the church needs greater accountability for its leadership. On November 9, Ranin Karim, a 34-year-old jewelry designer and actor with a septum piercing and her own sleeves of tattoos, described a monthslong tequila-drenched love affair with Lentz in interviews with The Sun, the New York Post, and others. If you dont complain, you can climb the ladder.. As the New York head of celebrity-favorite megachurch Hillsong, Lentz achieved his own kind of stardom. 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. According to the same report, however, many of Lentzs powerful celebrity allies had turned their backs. 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. 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. During this time, he was finishing his first book and being celebrated as he reached a new level of success, she wrote. Crenshaws father, a pastor in Pennsylvania, intervened and then the police became involved. He kept a low profile for a while and was allegedly working on his mental health. Omar Abreu was in high school when they found Hillsong. Kimes wrote that Lentz initially made flirtatious and suggestive comments to her in person and over text message. Carl Lentz pastors Hillsong Church NYC, a thriving Christian congregation with locations in Manhattan and New Jersey. She noticed a staff administrator and volunteer singer named Jason Mays, son of the Australian churchs human resources head, John Mays, drinking heavily. Lentz, the pastor from global megachurch Hillsong, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and a bevy of other . Get ready to dive into the world of the Hillsong Church. Open main entertainment navigation Entertainment Brian Houston founded the church that would become Hillsong in Australia in 1983. 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. News of the relocation shocked Hillsong NYC congregants, who felt the Lentzes had just picked up and left. Its contemporary spin on Christianity, embodied by Lentz, packed a thriving network of on-trend believers into services across the globe every week. 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. 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. 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.. Carl has his impressive views towards god and abortion towards young pastors. William started to notice pastors watching him and staying close to him on Sundays. Of all the ARC pastors invited to Hillsong, Gray seems to have commanded the largest honorarium. While working for the Lentzes, V.F. Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The church has made Brian Houston wealthy and well-connected. 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.. 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. 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. Carl Lentz was an integral part of the Hillsong church family before his firing in early November of 2020. The Daily Mail reported that the Lentzes were in intense couples therapy. (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.) 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. 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. He left school and eventually made his way to Hillsong College in Sydney. 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 Neither Hillsong nor Lentz immediately returned The Post's request for comment. The person was a youth leader, not a youth pastor. 2:05. Kimes wrote that she felt guilty about her discomfort and ashamed, and that she questioned whether anyone would believe her. The Hillsong Church is well-known for its celebrity attendance. The service also streams programming from the BBC and A&E Networks. But the proposed rental eventually became a purchase. When she showed up uninvited, she says she discovered a plan for a blue-eyed, blond-haired woman who has a reputation for singing Black to perform Amazing Grace backed up by Black singers in the shadows. I was crushed, Jones says. Carl Lentz. (He later deleted the tweet and apologized for it. ), Still, many Hillsong faithful remain. I do believe God blesses people but I also believe in purpose, he said in a 2018 interview. In six years I never came face-to-face with [Carl], says one former congregant and volunteer. While the reply upset Jones, she backed down before nodding to Lentz that she recognized his tactics. Hed interrupt lectures from the back of the room to pose counterarguments at length. 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. After hearing Williams story, the volunteer reached out to the young woman at the center of the complaint and met her for coffee in December 2017. 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. The creative element, especially in New York, is incredible.. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. It took some time, but one of the men at the house caught on; he said he needed to take the girls home. Kimes later confirmed that her statement was about Lentz. By Andrew White/The New York Times/Redux. Crenshaw felt she couldnt take her complaint to human resources. In 2020, Lentz was fired from the. Since Justin Bieber left the Hillsong megachurch due to Carl Lentz's controversial infidelity, he's found a new space of worship. 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. When Jesus went up the mountain, he only brought two disciples, she said. 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.
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