During a New Years Eve 2009 hangout, Joel Houston pitched Lentz the idea of standing up their dream church. 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. 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. 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. He kept a low profile for a while and was allegedly working on his mental health. She wrote that she told Carl that she would find a new job outside Hillsong, and that he responded by asking me who would possibly hire me. I wont forget how that made me feel, Kimes wrote, so alone, so worth absolutely nothing, so fearful of my future, so fearful for my husbands future. A year later, she said, Lentz told her he took full responsibility for taking advantage of me and putting me in a situation that was so heavy for me. According to Kimes, Lentz said that he discussed the matter with Laura and that the couple decided not to confess his conduct to church leadership. 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. He returned wearing the loudest shirts we had ever seen, Bullock, who left Hillsong in 1995, has said. Watching from her seat, Jones filled with anticipation. Houston contacted his New York pastor right away. The Hillsong Church's global senior pastor Brian Houston released a statement on the church's website announcing that Lentz had been fired. (It's unclear whether these amounts were AUD or USD). Human Resources, whistleblower policies, or any sort of safe place to share concerns., In 2018 a group of Hillsong volunteers emailed the Lentzes and the Houstons claiming that church staffers were engaging in unchecked sexual misconduct and bullying. It was first launched in India on March 23, 2020. That came to a. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the role of the person who abused Anna Crenshaw when she was a child. 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. Where Is Carl Lentz Now 2022? 2 min read. When its time for the service to begin, he sits in a special section, surrounded by his people, the staffer says. You have to choose where your loyalty lies, she recalls him telling her. Hillsong is an Australia-based megachurch that averages more than 150,000 weekly congregants at satellites in 30 countries. My faith in God is now unshaken by the heinous . Kimes provided the domestic help with the same clear instructions Hillsong volunteers received: Dont talk to him, dont look at him, dont be in his way., If this occurred, it was extremely inappropriate and not in keeping with the culture or the expectations of Hillsong Church, Brian Houston said in a statement. The creative element, especially in New York, is incredible.. It took some time, but one of the men at the house caught on; he said he needed to take the girls home. The pair shares three kids: two daughters and one son. Ashleys mother, Mary Jones, grew up in segregation-era Baltimore and lived an entire lifetime before arriving at Hillsong in 2010, several years after her daughter moved to New York. 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. As college students, Crenshaw and her friend couldnt drink alcohol, but some of the men could. 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. Before greeting guests and distributing literature, the host team checks the theater seats for vomit left over from the night before. to the churchs spokesperson. 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. Hillsong permitted Canfield, who declined an interview request for this story, to remain a coach but banned him from singing. The Hillsong Church is well-known for its celebrity attendance. In September 2016, Jones emailed Lentz asking that Hillsong address some of the things that bothered her about the church: its racial disparity, cliques, cronyism, overworked volunteers. The first two rows at church were reserved every week for VIPs and close friends. Before Termini became Lentzs interim replacement at Hillsong, he held jobs as the churchs head of global real estate and director of business development. From Spot/Vasquez-Max Lopes/Maciel/Backgrid. 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 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. 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. Then In July 2021, they relocated to a $70,000 home south of Tampa, Florida. After a few conversations where she outlined some preliminary stepsincluding leaving their role working with childrenshe proposed a longer-term path. Didn't expect this guy to get a bailout from Madea, did you? (A Hillsong spokesperson said Crenshaws complaint led to an internal investigation which did take some time to complete as there were multiple parties present at the time of the alleged behavior. Mays was stood down from his positions during the investigation.). Sofia Richie Reveals She Converted to Judaism Ahead of Wedding to Elliot Grainge. The Bogards said their 15 years with Hillsong had taken a toll. He's 20 and she's 17, but not for long. 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. The Lentzes and Sunshine Sachs parted ways. Lentz moved his family to the Williamsburg waterfront. Here are 7 facts you should know: Pastor Carl Lentz ran from speaking the truth on national TV. While working for the Lentzes, V.F. Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz stands backstage at the Hillsong Conference at Allphones Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, July 3, 2015. A story arose that William had accused Lentz of rape and had video evidence, claims William says he hadnt made. Abreu left Sydney 11 months after arriving. Carl has his impressive views towards god and abortion towards young pastors. Sometimes, exhausted from her weekend volunteer work, Austen had to move her day off at her paying job. Many noticed that Justin Bieber stayed silent this fall as scandal overwhelmed the church he attends,. 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. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. Through tears, she challenged Williams account. When he couldnt convince Jones to stay, Lentz wept. According to the same report, however, many of Lentzs powerful celebrity allies had turned their backs. She objected, noting that Lentz appeared at other churches all the time. 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 loved Virginia BeachCarls parents lived there; they had a house and friends. Lentz, an alumnus of Houston car wash duties, extended the tradition by elevating preferred members of his drive team to leadership roles. 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. He phrased it carefully. 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. When reached for comment, Keatinge referred V.F. Lentz's wife Laura speaks out about his affair for the first time in Vanity Fair and FX's . Carl Lentz pastors Hillsong Church NYC, a thriving Christian congregation with locations in Manhattan and New Jersey. Rumors of Lentz sleeping around were nothing new, but William says he didnt think they could be true. 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. (Protestia) Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, called out deceased and disgraced renown apologist Ravi Zacharias and disgraced ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz during a January 17th sermon. I was completely overwhelmed the first time I went, says one longtime worshipper. Archive Footage: Code Orange Revival. That felt like a nonanswer. (A church spokesperson said, We are unaware of this situation occurring.). 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.. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Brian Houston was not informed of these claims prior to the events of late 2020.). 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 volunteer said that leadership already knew about Lentzs actions from previous reports but failed to act. During this time, he was finishing his first book and being celebrated as he reached a new level of success, she wrote. According to the Times reporting, Williams connect group coleader also lost her leadership role. . Amid the turmoil, Termini is now leaving Hillsong too. 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. But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. 8 While the source suggested that Termini had grown tired of Hillsongs controversies, the pastor struck a more sanguine tone when reached by text message. 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. November 7, 2014: The first time Hailey and Justin are seen one on one, they're leaving a birthday party for Lentz. Get ready to dive into the world of the Hillsong Church. The incident joined a growing list of things that upset Jones about the church: cliques, favoritism, a general lack of diversity. He landed a new gig. 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. 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. Ranin Karim, a woman who alleges she had a relationship with Lentz earlier this year, recently spoke out to Vanity Fair in an interview. February 5, 2023. Its a spiritual investment and a literal one. But Lentzs scandal and subsequent departure caused many of its congregants to reevaluate their relationship with the church. Nobody from the gathering acknowledged the assault afterward. By Brendan Esposito/Fairfax Media/Getty Images. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. later obtained it. People are not looking for stale religion, Houston wrote in his 2015 book, Live Love Lead. A flurry of Twitter flare-ups and Slack spats involving. 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. Crenshaw left Hillsong College and the church, enrolling at a different Australian Bible college. Carl Lentz. The churchs leaders and their families have at times seemed to operate under a more fluid set of standards. 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. My counselor encouraged me to report the assault instead of letting Jason just ignore it, she says. But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. 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. In the months after Lentzs ouster, former congregants and volunteers spoke out about scores of experiences of exploitation at the church. While the reply upset Jones, she backed down before nodding to Lentz that she recognized his tactics. Everyone Knows It Now. Exclusive Excerpt: An Icy Death at the Bottom of the World Lolita, Blake Bailey, and Me Kate Middleton and the Future of the Monarchy The Occasional Terror of Dating in the Digital Age The 13 Best Face Oils for Healthy, Balanced Skin From the Archive: Tinder and the Dawn of the Dating Apocalypse Sign up for the Royal Watch newsletter to receive all the chatter from Kensington Palace and beyond. FILE - Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. His name is bigger than ever and he knows that, the friend said. 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 A 2009 Virginian-Pilot report noted that the service, Soul Central, kicked off at 8 p.m., just as happy hours wound down. Entering Montclairs Wellmont Theater for Sunday service, Lentzs three young children were gawked at like they were, one observer said, Jesus come down from heaven. Grown men and women aborted selfie attempts with the Lentz kids when security was called. He also met Laura, a native Australian whose parents are longtime friends of the Houstons. A royal commission in Australia found in 2015 that Brian Houston failed to notify authorities about the allegations upon learning of them. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. According to sources, the church sent a staffer to surveil the Joneses connect meetings. Vanity Fair reported in February that Jason Mays, a Hillsong staffer who is the son of the churchs head of human resources, indecently assaulted a Hillsong College student in 2016. On Sundays Lentz sometimes delivered six sermons a day, ducking out between services to minister to the homeless. 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. 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. Crenshaw says the church notified Mays three months after her first report and took no action for two months after that. 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). (Later that year, Houston attended a prayer meeting for Donald Trump at the White House.) There have been no additional concerns, the church said. 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. 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. Neither Hillsong nor Lentz immediately returned The Post's request for comment. 2023 Cond Nast. Her friendship with Lentz and her self-possession made Mary Jones a person to be respected but came with extra attention. What do you do when you discover the shepherds are part of the problem and even the problem itself?. 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. Of all the ARC pastors invited to Hillsong, Gray seems to have commanded the largest honorarium. 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. When questioned, Mays denied the incident. They joined a pool club and hosted cookouts with plenty to drink. They call it the Hillsong hangover, she says. Abreu summed up their experience as a queer Hillsong attendee: How do we get people to come to the church and make them feel safe and still remind them that they suck and are headed to hell?, Other congregants and their family members told similar stories of acceptance only on the churchs steeply qualified terms. She froze. (A church spokesperson acknowledged the accusation and said: This claim was investigated thoroughly by senior Hillsong East Coast staff and internal legal counsel, but remained unsubstantiated claims only, lacking evidence or proof. Kimes said that she twice discussed the alleged abuse with the Lentzes. Hillsong told V.F. Assistants answered his emails. 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. The effects of the split between the churchs founder and his most famous acolyte went far beyond the two mens relationship. When I stood up, Jason grabbed me, putting his hand between my legs and his head on my stomach and began kissing my stomach, Crenshaw later wrote in a statement. 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 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. While there, Keatinge told the student that he had seen her Instagram photos from Williams prayer meeting. The pastor, a former real estate broker, is the developer Abram Shnays son-in-law. We value each member of our team, especially volunteers.. The presence of Lauras wedding ring also registered as significant. 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. According to a 2011 interview with Lentz in The Christian Post, as early 20-something students, Lentz and the younger Houston fantasized about someday teaming up to establish a Hillsong church in New York. Kane came out and he looked me right in the eye. (The email was provided to V.F. 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 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. When she reported that a volunteer in the vocal group sent her a sexually threatening text message late one night, the man was simply moved to a different volunteer team. Im sure hes really sorry. But he never apologized and denied assaulting her. Logging onto Grindr backstage, Abreu saw a screen dotted with fellow volunteers. This is up from about one-quarter in 2021, . 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.. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. As the New York head of celebrity-favorite megachurch Hillsong, Lentz achieved his own kind of stardom. Australia-based megachurch Hillsong has been engulfed in scandal since November when celebrity-beloved Carl Lentz was fired from his position as the NYC branc Pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura, seen with their three children, Ava, Charlie and Roman on March 22,. Critics say the church needs greater accountability for its leadership. The prosperity doctrine is partly a financial proposition: If you donate to Hillsong, God will give you that money back. 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. 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 Lentzes home in the tony suburb became a hub of social activity. Bri Austen, a single mother in Los Angeles, attended services with her three kids. Hed interrupt lectures from the back of the room to pose counterarguments at length. But Lentzs infidelity, the apparent cause of his ouster, also led to broader scrutiny of Hillsong as congregants and volunteers recounted a pattern of exploitation and alienation within the church. In 2017, a New York connect group leader caught word of some troubling claims. Hillsong congregants and insiders expressed skepticism about its integrity. 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. Hes worked with the youth ministry for years, driving all over the state to pick kids up to bring them to meetings. Since Justin Bieber left the Hillsong megachurch due to Carl Lentz's controversial infidelity, he's found a new space of worship. Kane Keatinge responded to Williams report promptly, setting up a meeting. 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. Crenshaw felt she couldnt take her complaint to human resources. 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. 2023 Cond Nast. 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. PUBLISHED: January 5, 2021 at 8:31 a.m. | UPDATED: January 5, 2021 at 8:50 a.m. Before they left Hillsong for good, Abreu decided to work one last conference at Barclays Center to confirm something theyd been curious about. 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. Get the latest chatter, from Kensington Palace and beyond, straight to your inbox. Ad Choices. 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.. Chief among them was Justin Bieber, whom Lentz baptized, and whose association with the pastor became the subject of scores of tabloid stories. Before his recent downfall, Lentzs visible friendships with celebrities helped propel him to fame beyond Hillsongs walls. 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. After graduating from high school in 2015, Anna Crenshaw moved from Philadelphia to Australia to study at Hillsong College. In the second week of January, paparazzi spotted Carl and Laura, linked at the arm in the Redondo Beach Target parking lot. 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. However, controversy followed him in May 2021 when Leona Kimes, who worked as a nanny at the Lentz home for over seven years, claimedthat Carl subjected her to "bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse." 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. 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. She tracked down a pastor. But after the other witnesses corroborated Crenshaws account, Hillsong placed Mays on paid leave. 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. 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. 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. Wed, 05 May 2021. Wracked with guilt and confusion, Abreu opened up to a youth pastor and social worker. 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. For a few weeks it seemed as if redemption might be possible. 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. At age twenty, he discovered his calling and enrolled in . The members of the group were then given a simple choice: William or the church. Lentz found himself in rarefied territory for a Hillsong student, hanging out at the Houston family home and in Brians ultraprivate church greenroom.
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