Reporting what happened was the issue, not what happened to me, Crenshaw says. He phrased it carefully. Houston describes Hillsong as one house with many rooms; each is imprinted in his image in some way. 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. Pastors Reed and Jess Bogard met at Hillsong College, and Reed later established the church that would become Hillsong NYC. 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. Lance Vivar, a pediatric ICU nurse in New Jersey, says that the church is just too important for him. 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. 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,. 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. Roxanne Stone. In her statement Kimes wrote that, prior to becoming a pastor in Boston, she worked in the Lentz home. Whats happening with the payment I was promised? Brett Sengstock, who was allegedly abused between ages 7 and 12, asked the younger Houston. It was first launched in India on March 23, 2020. 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. All rights reserved. COVID slowed its expansion efforts, but it has laid plans for a church in Atlanta and another in South Africa. She noticed a staff administrator and volunteer singer named Jason Mays, son of the Australian churchs human resources head, John Mays, drinking heavily. The effects of the split between the churchs founder and his most famous acolyte went far beyond the two mens relationship. (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. 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. ), Still, many Hillsong faithful remain. 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. Then the physical encounters escalated, she wrote, and Lentz allegedly began sexually touching her. Crenshaw says the church notified Mays three months after her first report and took no action for two months after that. 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. The only people who need to know are me and your psychiatrist. (A spokesperson said the church was unaware of the incident.) Ad Choices. The drivers made sure crowds didnt mob him on city streets. 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 They joined a pool club and hosted cookouts with plenty to drink. 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. 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 . We negotiated a promote free partnership with the developer and invested one million dollars into the project.. Aghajanian asked Crenshaw to repeat her statement twice more. On May 31, 2021, the former nanny of Lentz's children accused him of bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse. While working for the Lentzes, V.F. Former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz has been spotted for the first time since finishing his 30-day stint in rehab He spent Christmas and New Years Day in rehab in a program for 'depression,. NEW YORK (RNS) The streaming channel Discovery+ has announced plans for a documentary series on Hillsong Church and its disgraced former pastor, Carl Lentz . Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. After firing Lentz, Brian Houston announced an independent investigation into the inner workings of Hillsong East Coast. Inside Wealth-Conference Con Man Anthony Ritossas Wild Web of Lies, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. The message denied only one scandal specifically. 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. Net worth: $3 Million Carl Lentz founded the New York City branch of Hillsong Church in 2010. 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. If you dont complain, you can climb the ladder.. Lentz, the pastor from global megachurch Hillsong, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and a bevy of other celebrities. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the role of the person who abused Anna Crenshaw when she was a child. 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.. On March 28, 2023, news broke that Carl Lentz was hired by Transformation Church, a predominantly Black, nondenominational megachurch in Tulsa, Okla. 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. 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. We commend her for her courage and have assured her of our utmost compassion in their journey forward, they wrote, adding, As a church, we are committed to learning more about how to identify such trauma and bring meaningful support to anyone who has experienced it.. Eventually William (a pseudonym) emailed a pastor with a list of concerns, including leaders sending nude photos to female volunteers. The Lentzes arrived in New York City in 2010 from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Carls hometown. June 23, 2021. While the reply upset Jones, she backed down before nodding to Lentz that she recognized his tactics. Carl Lentz was an integral part of the Hillsong church family before his firing in early November of 2020. Carl Lentz has not publicly addressed his firing yet. Ad Choices. (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.). The churchs doors were still open to him, Keatinge wrote, if he were to contact Hillsong on his own. We need a solid foundation for a fresh start and new beginning, he said. Sometimes, exhausted from her weekend volunteer work, Austen had to move her day off at her paying job. 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. She froze. 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.. FILE - Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. Some have suggested that Lentz's missteps were a reflection of Houston and the culture he created . With prayerful consideration, our lead pastors, local team and international board saw this as a moment for us to invest where we will live, the report continued. One Sunday, Lentz informed the congregation of the new course. Kane came out and he looked me right in the eye. Assistants answered his emails. At the school, Lentz made fast friends with Brian Houstons son Joel. My relationship with Jesus carries over into every sphere of my life, Vivar says. Tens of thousands of urban evangelical professionals followed Lentz for his soaring sermons at weekly services that resembled rock concerts. When Jesus went up the mountain, he only brought two disciples, she said. 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. 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. Tweet. He was ultimately accused of abusing nine young boys at his ministries. In casting Lentz out, Houston exiled not only the leading avatar of the culture he built, but something of a son as well. In January 2020, Mays pleaded guilty to indecent assault and received two years probation and mandatory counseling. But the proposed rental eventually became a purchase. a Photo of The Disgraced Pastor with Wild, Long, Curly Hair Appeared Online in March 2022, Despite the fact that He Has Been Keeping a Low Profile Since Then. 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." In 2017, a New York connect group leader caught word of some troubling claims. In September 2013, following two years forfeiting shifts at her paying job to serve on the host team, former volunteer Ashley Jones earned a promotion: spearheading the launch of Hillsong NYCs choir. Frank Houston, Brian Houstons father, started Sydney Christian Life Centre, the forerunner to Hillsong Church, in 1977. Where is Carl Lentz now? 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. 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. In 2010 filings he claimed that he earned $300,000 a year. EX-MEMBERS of disgraced pastor Carl Lentz's Hillsong Church have spoken out against the organization's stringent dating and sex restrictions. Kimes said that she twice discussed the alleged abuse with the Lentzes. All rights reserved. (A church spokesperson said it was unaware if this occurred. News of the relocation shocked Hillsong NYC congregants, who felt the Lentzes had just picked up and left. A version of this story appears in the 2021 Hollywood issue. (A Hillsong spokesperson said Keatinge has been suspended pending an investigation and would not answer Vanity Fairs questions on his behalf. 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. (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.). According to Jones, Keatinge brought the proposal to Lentz and returned with news that the idea had been approved. Why Meghan and Harrys Revelations About Racism Within the Royal Family Were So Devastating After the Year of No Bras, Things Are Looking Up The Hamptons Rids Itself of Donald Trump Jr. One pastor routinely asked Jones to replace singers, who had rehearsed, with celebrities (including, once, Vanessa Hudgens) and potential paramours. Meghan and Harrys Revelations About Racism, the Rift Between Prince William and Prince Harry, Three-Way Sex Has Made Me a Better Person. 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. Where Is Carl Lentz Now 2022? 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. Open main entertainment navigation Entertainment 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 Hillsong Church's global senior pastor Brian Houston released a statement on the church's website announcing that Lentz had been fired. 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. 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. 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. Wracked with guilt and confusion, Abreu opened up to a youth pastor and social worker. He responded, in part, Im not sure if you realize this either: cliquism, [cronyism], overworking volunteersthese are subjective social constructs.. In January, Reed and Jess Bogard, who helped found Hillsong NYC, announced their departure. When Lentz returned Stateside in 2005, he brought his wife with him. I dont know what happened to me, I mean Ive done that before, but something clicked, Lentz later said. 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 the Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed premiere, former Hillsong contestant Jaclyn Hayes opened up about Carl's alleged sex and dating rules. 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. Those guys were dicking down! says a former Hillsong volunteer who spent time at the building. The email summed up what he had heard over weeks and months. A 2009 Virginian-Pilot report noted that the service, Soul Central, kicked off at 8 p.m., just as happy hours wound down. (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.) According to the same report, however, many of Lentzs powerful celebrity allies had turned their backs. My faith in God is now unshaken by the heinous . Here are 7 facts you should know: Pastor Carl Lentz ran from speaking the truth on national TV. As Lentzs celebrity and the churchs profile grew, his congregants developed a tortured relationship with fame. Carl Lentz is a former Hillsong pastor who was previously involved in an adultery scandal. 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. Since. On Monday, June 21, it was reported that Discovery+ is moving forward with a three-episode . It took some time, but one of the men at the house caught on; he said he needed to take the girls home. The Secret to Owen Wilsons Infinite Chill? In the meantime, Crenshaw says, Mayss wife became Crenshaws volunteer group leader. Pictures of the family appeared on gossip sites: Carl, shirtless in cornrows, performing Sun Salutations on the beach; Laura beelining into a tanning salon. The pastor, a former real estate broker, is the developer Abram Shnays son-in-law. William doesnt have a sister. (A church spokesperson said its leadership was unaware of any inappropriate activity at the Kent Avenue address. November 7, 2014: The first time Hailey and Justin are seen one on one, they're leaving a birthday party for Lentz. The presence of Lauras wedding ring also registered as significant. The incident joined a growing list of things that upset Jones about the church: cliques, favoritism, a general lack of diversity. Following months of scandal surrounding Hillsong, a pastor at the megachurch alleged on Monday that Carl Lentz repeatedly sexually abused her and threatened her during conversations about his conduct. You tempted my father.. 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. In November, Houston announced an investigation of the Hillsong East Coast locations that Lentz led, and in February, he said the investigation was complete, though the results were not publicly disclosed. Of all the ARC pastors invited to Hillsong, Gray seems to have commanded the largest honorarium. In the churchs early days, Brian Houston worked with the musician Geoff Bullock to develop the Hillsong sound. Im sure hes really sorry. But he never apologized and denied assaulting her. This broker sells houses and God, too. The case has continued to plague Hillsong. Volunteers with jobs farthest from the backstage areas occupy the lowest rungs of the Hillsong hierarchy, which, leaders often remind, is scalable. 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. But in late 2020, Lentz needed a new path. During a New Years Eve 2009 hangout, Joel Houston pitched Lentz the idea of standing up their dream church. My counselor encouraged me to report the assault instead of letting Jason just ignore it, she says. Get the latest chatter, from Kensington Palace and beyond, straight to your inbox. (The New York Post first reported the letters existence. She often shares her mental health struggles amid the scandals and allegations regarding her husband. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Youre Mary Jones! Jones recalls him saying. One Hillsong NYC congregant, Ashley Jones (right), stuck with the church for years despite misgivings. Amid the turmoil, Termini is now leaving Hillsong too. 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 . 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 church attracted A-list celebrities like Justin Bieber. She wrote in her statement that I was physically violated by his unwanted and repeated sexual touching of my intimate areas. But on Nov. 4 . Lines snaked around the block. 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.

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