A royal commission in Australia found in 2015 that Brian Houston failed to notify authorities about the allegations upon learning of them. Abreu crowdfunded a trip to Sydney to start at Hillsong College in 2015 around the time of Josh Canfields Survivor appearance. their relationship was consensual.) Carl Lentz has not publicly addressed his firing yet. If so, the spokesperson said, it was unacceptable and not an accurate reflection of our desired global culture.). February 5, 2023. A few months later, Jones decided to leave Hillsong. 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. Gossip blogs noted the shots were the first time Lentz had been spotted in public since entering rehab. We were growing so quickly that we didnt really have the things that are supposed to protect against situations like this, Kimes wrote in her statement. When questioned, Mays denied the incident. 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 imagined herself as leader of the class, answering Jesuss call. Kimes later confirmed that her statement was about Lentz. 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. 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. Didn't expect this guy to get a bailout from Madea, did you? Exiting Irving Plaza following one Sunday service, Lentz and Mary struck up a conversation. We will have to reevaluate if youre fit for leadership positions, she recalled Keatinge replying. William started to notice pastors watching him and staying close to him on Sundays. But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. Lentz, the pastor from global megachurch Hillsong, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and a bevy of other . During this time, he was finishing his first book and being celebrated as he reached a new level of success, she wrote. The crew team unloads trucks. While the reply upset Jones, she backed down before nodding to Lentz that she recognized his tactics. In leaving Hillsong, Termini joins a growing group of Lentz-connected pastors. The disgraced religious leader was fired from the New York-based church for "moral failures" in 2020, before moving to California and then disappearing from the public eye. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. 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. 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. 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 . 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. 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 popularity of the church Hillsong soared in the U.S. thanks in part to Carl Lentz, its New York lead pastor, whose ties to Justin Bieber and pro athletes made him a celebrity until he was. The daughter of Lionel Richie said the process has been one of the greatest experiences of her life. 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. I was completely overwhelmed the first time I went, says one longtime worshipper. And New York City had a reputation as a wasteland for new churches. 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 . ), When there are problems in the flock, you bring it to the shepherds, the letters authors wrote. Many noticed that Justin Bieber stayed silent this fall as scandal overwhelmed the church he attends,. 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. Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith Call Off Their Engagement. In the months after the Lentz affair broke, the church came under new media scrutiny. On March 28, 2023, news broke that Carl Lentz was hired by Transformation Church, a predominantly Black, nondenominational megachurch in Tulsa, Okla. 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 (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. Lance Vivar, a pediatric ICU nurse in New Jersey, says that the church is just too important for him. In the Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed premiere, former Hillsong contestant Jaclyn Hayes opened up about Carl's alleged sex and dating rules. From The Sydney Morning Herald/Getty Images. The name of Carl's wife is Laura Lentz and she has stayed by his side after his infidelity and immediate termination from Hillsong. Keatinge prompted her to tell her story. But I can point you to a person that never will.. That came to a. In 2020, Lentz was fired from the. Take the volunteers away from Hillsong and the services absolutely will not run, says the longtime worshipper. November 10, 2014: Hailey attends . In May 2021, Lentz's former nanny, Leona Kimes, accused him of sexual abuse and bullying in an essay published on Medium. Church officials de-rostered her daughter from her weekly volunteer commitments. His elevated status made me feel like he had all the power, and I had no voice.. Since. to the churchs spokesperson. Discovery+ is a streaming service owned and operated by Warner Bros. Before they left Hillsong for good, Abreu decided to work one last conference at Barclays Center to confirm something theyd been curious about. The members of the group were then given a simple choice: William or the church. 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. 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." Her friendship with Lentz and her self-possession made Mary Jones a person to be respected but came with extra attention. Keatinge removed William from his connect group. May 18, 202100:49. 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. Still, the churchand Lentzcould be welcoming. When she once faced eviction, Lentz and Hillsong helped with the rent. 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. 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 Hollywood Fix featured a video of the singer bonding with his new church Churchome. 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. William thought it would be a one-on-one, but other church leaders showed. Nobody from the gathering acknowledged the assault afterward. The case has continued to plague Hillsong. Those guys were dicking down! says a former Hillsong volunteer who spent time at the building. He landed a new gig. I will fail you. Its a spiritual investment and a literal one. 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. 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. Crenshaws father, a pastor in Pennsylvania, intervened and then the police became involved. Over months of follow-up meetings, William says, his character was continually attacked and he was called a liar. 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. 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. Assistants answered his emails. Joness supervisor was pastor Kane Keatinge, a longtime friend of Lentz and Joel Houstons from Australia who had moved to New York. Lentz brought the Hillsong megachurch to the US from Australia and led a charmed life in a $1.5 million home in New Jersey as lead pastor of New York City before his world came crashing down. ), Aspiring pastors, typically dressed in some permutation of the Lentz uniform, served as members of the drive team. Nominally, they ferried pastors to and from services on busy Sundays, but they were on call 24/7 for Lentz, former volunteers said. It was first launched in India on March 23, 2020. 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. Houston and Hillsong have falsely claimed that Frank Houston, who retired with a pension, didnt preach after his son learned of the abuse. 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. I felt his arms and hands wrapped around my legs making contact with my inner thigh, butt and crotch. She tried to make her way to the door, but Mays wouldnt let go. But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. Also pictured were Terminis brother Joe and Joes wife, the star professional surfer Kelia Moniz. Later, he said that Williams voice lost meaning to him. Hillsong told V.F. The church offers a version of the gospel that can cohere with the rest of your urban professional life. 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. On Monday, June 21, it was reported that Discovery+ is moving forward with a three-episode . 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.. Houston describes Hillsong as one house with many rooms; each is imprinted in his image in some way. 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. Hed interrupt lectures from the back of the room to pose counterarguments at length. Then he goes onstage. Kimes wrote that Lentz initially made flirtatious and suggestive comments to her in person and over text message. 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. Volunteers with jobs farthest from the backstage areas occupy the lowest rungs of the Hillsong hierarchy, which, leaders often remind, is scalable. Brian Houston has denied he said the abuse had been Sengstocks fault. When she declined, he appeared at her Brooklyn apartment. I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that. When reached for comment, Keatinge referred V.F. 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. When its time for the service to begin, he sits in a special section, surrounded by his people, the staffer says. He and Joel grew a joint reputation for their nightlife exploits. Where Is Carl Lentz Now 2022? He's 20 and she's 17, but not for long. (Emails provided to V.F. 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. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. A new TLC documentary about the church and the minister, which debuted on Wednesday, featured the claims. ), Keatinge, they wrote, was bullying and yelling at a wide breadth of volunteers and leaders. Team operations manager Mike Fabian, the letter said, regularly accused team leaders of being nonsubmissive. The letter said that one church leader and Keatinge friend had engaged in bullying behavior, and that in at least two instances this leader didnt respect physical and sexual boundaries within dating relationships with female church volunteers, including having sex with a 19-20 year old female team leader. (A Hillsong spokesperson said the leader no longer worked for the church. The presence of Lauras wedding ring also registered as significant. FILE - Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. John Termini, Lentzs successor at Hillsong NYC, told William that he needed to defend the church the way that Termini would defend his wife. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. A story arose that William had accused Lentz of rape and had video evidence, claims William says he hadnt made. In September 2022, Laura shared a relationship update. She objected, noting that Lentz appeared at other churches all the time. 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 person was a youth leader, not a youth pastor. Although she did not mention. For several years of his Hillsong tenure, Termini was a central presence at what congregants and volunteers came to call the compound. Lentz and other Hillsong NYC pastors lived, worked, and partied at the building, a converted warehouse of luxury condos along the Williamsburg waterfront. The churchs doors were still open to him, Keatinge wrote, if he were to contact Hillsong on his own. The church has 131 locations across the world, mostly in large cities. Another Hillsong pastor named Leona Kimes ran Lauras life while enlisting a former Hillsong College student to look after her own daughter for $150 a week. Shed get angry when Brian Houston would praise Mays on the stage. With the tabloids feasting on his humiliation, Lentzs new P.R. Crenshaw left Hillsong College and the church, enrolling at a different Australian Bible college. 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. 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. The ex-leader and the woman, who is now his girlfriend, told V.F. The doctrine, popularized by American televangelists, holds that Jesus wanted health and wealth for his followers. After a few conversations where she outlined some preliminary stepsincluding leaving their role working with childrenshe proposed a longer-term path. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now. Through tears, she challenged Williams account. 2023 Cond Nast. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. I prayed about it and I was heartbroken, she says. 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 proposed rental eventually became a purchase. Leona Kimes and her husband, Josh, both worked under Lentz at Hillsong NYC and are currently pastors at Hillsong Boston. Carl Lentz. In the churchs early days, Brian Houston worked with the musician Geoff Bullock to develop the Hillsong sound. In the meantime, Crenshaw says, Mayss wife became Crenshaws volunteer group leader. Hillsong congregants and insiders expressed skepticism about its integrity. 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. 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 ). 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. One Hillsong NYC congregant, Ashley Jones (right), stuck with the church for years despite misgivings. Theyre one of Hollywoods brightest starsand most troubled actors. 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. 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. When Lentz returned Stateside in 2005, he brought his wife with him. William doesnt have a sister. The pastor, a former real estate broker, is the developer Abram Shnays son-in-law. He phrased it carefully. 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. Not a subscriber? You have to choose where your loyalty lies, she recalls him telling her. The Lentzes arrived in New York City in 2010 from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Carls hometown. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry reportedly paid their $16,000 monthly rent. 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.
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