By Andrew White/The New York Times/Redux. 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. Volunteers with jobs farthest from the backstage areas occupy the lowest rungs of the Hillsong hierarchy, which, leaders often remind, is scalable. I froze. Carl caught the culture from Brian, the former staffer says. Although she did not mention. Brian and his wife, Bobbie, worked at SCLC until 1983, when they founded Hills Christian Life Centre in the suburbs of Sydney. (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. It is also a multimedia conglomerate that produces documentaries, books, and chart-topping musical acts. 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.. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now. also reported that in 2017, one volunteer at Hillsong NYC confided in another New York congregant that Lentz had been extremely flirtatious with her and made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and that Lentz had been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with multiple women. If you dont complain, you can climb the ladder.. While working for the Lentzes, V.F. 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. In the meantime, Crenshaw says, Mayss wife became Crenshaws volunteer group leader. While there, Keatinge told the student that he had seen her Instagram photos from Williams prayer meeting. She imagined herself as leader of the class, answering Jesuss call. Kane Keatinge responded to Williams report promptly, setting up a meeting. Houston describes Hillsong as one house with many rooms; each is imprinted in his image in some way. I now begin a journey of rebuilding trust with my wife, . But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. Crenshaw says Aghajanian said, How do you think they feel? 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. And New York City had a reputation as a wasteland for new churches. One night, a friend invited her to hang out at the home of another Hillsong congregant. Though Lentz came from a family of believers, by college at North Carolina State, where he earned a spot on the varsity basketball team, he had just about given up on his faith. Sofia Richie Reveals She Converted to Judaism Ahead of Wedding to Elliot Grainge. Aside from its celebrity congregants, Hillsong, which was founded in Australia in the 1980s and now has 131 locations across the world, has bolstered its visibility with a vast multimedia operation. I prayed about it and I was heartbroken, she says. Where Is Carl Lentz Now 2022? In 2020, Lentz was fired from the. My faith in God is now unshaken by the heinous . Its a spiritual investment and a literal one. A former Hillsong College student and lifelong megachurch goer recalls the kinds of statements shed hear at Hillsong services. I agreed to forgive your father., Yes, okay, Ill get the money to you, Houston responded. 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. Left, photograph by Danielle Levitt; right, by Wagner Az/Backgrid. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. FILE - Carl Lentz appears during an interview on Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. Thats not biblical. Lentz's wife Laura speaks out about his affair for the first time in Vanity Fair and FX's . Every time, I froze. A legal representative for the Lentzes told RNS that the two vehemently deny the allegations and, in addition to that, have irrefutable proof the events did not happen as they are being described.. His wife of nearly two decades, Laura Lentz, also 43, was pictured dropping off Lentz at the airport and taking her son to school. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The churchs leaders and their families have at times seemed to operate under a more fluid set of standards. The tech team sets up the sound and projector. ), She reported the incident to Margaret Aghajanian, Hillsongs head of pastoral care oversight. Ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz's new megachurch accused of 'inappropriate' Easter service . 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. The message denied only one scandal specifically. 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. Gossip blogs noted the shots were the first time Lentz had been spotted in public since entering rehab. I personally thought it was what I was called by Jesus to do. Jones says she watched the group serve as an outlet for cronyism. The Lentzes and Sunshine Sachs parted ways. 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,. When Jesus went up the mountain, he only brought two disciples, she said. Hillsong founder Brian Houston speaks about Carl Lentz in TODAY exclusive. The incident joined a growing list of things that upset Jones about the church: cliques, favoritism, a general lack of diversity. Crowds climbed to 1,000 per night in under a year. After graduating from high school in 2015, Anna Crenshaw moved from Philadelphia to Australia to study at Hillsong College. obtained, was sent through a subordinates account: Most of the things you have said here, I know absolutely nothing about. Kimes said in her statement that Lentz repeatedly physically violated her, including on two occasions, in a movie theater and while she was driving, with one or more of his children present. Lentzs famous followers included Justin and Hailey Bieber. 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. All rights reserved. (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. 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.. My turning point came one night after church at Serendipity, when one of my friends said to me, I just wanna meet Carl, I just wanna touch his coat.. Ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz is one of the main characters in the show. People are not looking for stale religion, Houston wrote in his 2015 book, Live Love Lead. But in late 2020, Lentz needed a new path. May 18, 202100:49. Critics say the church needs greater accountability for its leadership. Ad Choices. News of the relocation shocked Hillsong NYC congregants, who felt the Lentzes had just picked up and left. 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. In his last year of school, Lentz interned for Houston, washing his car and picking up his dry cleaning. 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. Inside Wealth-Conference Con Man Anthony Ritossas Wild Web of Lies, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. In 1989, Brian Houston made a trip to the United States, where he met with pastors preaching the so-called prosperity gospel. I was crushed, Jones says. In January 2020, Mays pleaded guilty to indecent assault and received two years probation and mandatory counseling. Lentz, the pastor from global megachurch Hillsong, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and a bevy of other . Discovery+ is a streaming service owned and operated by Warner Bros. Through tears, she challenged Williams account. Ad Choices. Aghajanian said she believed Crenshaw but expressed shock that Mays could do such a thing. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. corroborate her account. Whats happening with the payment I was promised? Brett Sengstock, who was allegedly abused between ages 7 and 12, asked the younger Houston. According to sources, the church sent a staffer to surveil the Joneses connect meetings. The $16,000 a month rent on the house has reportedly been paid for by one of the only friends that have stood by him throughout this ordeal: Tyler Perry. Hillsong used a nearby hotel to simulcast for overflow crowds. A new TLC documentary about the church and the minister, which debuted on Wednesday, featured the claims. Brian Houston was not informed of these claims prior to the events of late 2020.). February 5, 2023. My relationship with Jesus carries over into every sphere of my life, Vivar says. 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. to the churchs spokesperson. While the reply upset Jones, she backed down before nodding to Lentz that she recognized his tactics. (Keatinges email was obtained by V.F.) Hillsong, like many of its peers, recommends its congregants tithe 10 percent of their earnings. 2:05. Those guys were dicking down! says a former Hillsong volunteer who spent time at the building. We need a solid foundation for a fresh start and new beginning, he said. The Hillsong Church is well-known for its celebrity attendance. Ad Choices. Lower overhead means higher profits. Kimes wrote that she felt guilty about her discomfort and ashamed, and that she questioned whether anyone would believe her. ), If you complain, youll keep cleaning toilets. (Lentz declined to comment for this story.). ), 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. Hes worked with the youth ministry for years, driving all over the state to pick kids up to bring them to meetings. Lance Vivar, a pediatric ICU nurse in New Jersey, says that the church is just too important for him. [1] From 1998 to 2000, he attended North Carolina State University and was a walk-on basketball player on the school's men's basketball team. November 10, 2014: Hailey attends . The doctrine, popularized by American televangelists, holds that Jesus wanted health and wealth for his followers. According to Jones, Keatinge brought the proposal to Lentz and returned with news that the idea had been approved. Cover Story: The Charming Billie Eilish Kobe Bryants Tragic Flight, One Year Later How the PGA Polished Off Donald Trump Could the Monarchy Go Over a Cliff After Queen Elizabeth Dies? 36 Essential Items for Recreating Iconic Billie Eilish Nail Moments Inside 2021s Celebrity-Gossip Renaissance What Will Melania Trumps Legacy Be? From the Archive: The Brant Brothers Quest to Conquer Manhattan Not a subscriber? Then, on December 3, audio surfaced of Houston explaining Lentzs firing in an internal meeting: These issues were more than one affair, they were significant. 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 . 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. Carl Lentz is a former Hillsong pastor who was previously involved in an adultery scandal. All rights reserved. Disgraced Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz and his wife have broken their silence about his scandalous affairs in a new documentary about the secret church. The members of the group were then given a simple choice: William or the church. They call it the Hillsong hangover, she says. My counselor encouraged me to report the assault instead of letting Jason just ignore it, she says. Still, the churchand Lentzcould be welcoming. Hed interrupt lectures from the back of the room to pose counterarguments at length. A version of this story appears in the 2021 Hollywood issue. . In September 2022, Laura shared a relationship update. ), One of the most delicate conversations I had with a former volunteer deals with Pastor Carl, William wrote in the complaint, the existence of which The New York Times first reported in December. She objected, noting that Lentz appeared at other churches all the time. Pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura, seen with their three children, Ava, Charlie and Roman on March 22,. Of all the ARC pastors invited to Hillsong, Gray seems to have commanded the largest honorarium. 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. Before Termini became Lentzs interim replacement at Hillsong, he held jobs as the churchs head of global real estate and director of business development. 2 min read. Lentz implored her to stay. Brian Houston founded the church that would become Hillsong in Australia in 1983. 2023 Cond Nast. 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 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. 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. In 2019, Hillsong paid Gray $14,178 (AUD). 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. But I can point you to a person that never will.. 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. 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. In six years I never came face-to-face with [Carl], says one former congregant and volunteer. Crenshaw says the church notified Mays three months after her first report and took no action for two months after that. 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. It took some time, but one of the men at the house caught on; he said he needed to take the girls home. Crenshaw felt frozen out of the service role shed held for three years. He frequently responded to her social media posts and invited her to staff meetings and special events. Lentz allegedly asked her for massages, and Kimes felt that she couldnt decline. 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.. By. A rumor spread that Lentz had sex with Williams sister. 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. Kimes said in her statement that she told her husband about the alleged abuse after she learned of Lentzs departure from Hillsong, and she told Religion News Service that she had previously kept quiet because she feared both losing her family and Josh losing his job. 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. You know, its your fault all of this happened. Other people at the house, occupied with video games, didnt notice as Mays moved closer to Crenshaw and put his hand on her inner thigh. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the role of the person who abused Anna Crenshaw when she was a child. (It's unclear whether these amounts were AUD or USD). When God blesses a business person its for Gods own purposes. (A Hillsong spokesperson said financial integrity is a value of the church, that it regularly audits its financial records and expenses, and that no staff member has unrestricted access to church funds.). 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 church offers a version of the gospel that can cohere with the rest of your urban professional life. The email summed up what he had heard over weeks and months. Before they left Hillsong for good, Abreu decided to work one last conference at Barclays Center to confirm something theyd been curious about. At age twenty, he discovered his calling and enrolled in . Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz stands backstage at the Hillsong Conference at Allphones Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, July 3, 2015. 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. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. Discovery, which features a catalog of programming from Warner Bros. Discovery's factual networks. 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 From The Sydney Morning Herald/Getty Images. They joined a pool club and hosted cookouts with plenty to drink. The pastor, a former real estate broker, is the developer Abram Shnays son-in-law. The Secret to Owen Wilsons Infinite Chill? 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. 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. 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. Leona Kimes and her husband, Josh, both worked under Lentz at Hillsong NYC and are currently pastors at Hillsong Boston. advisers believed his return began with three months out of public view, followed by a news cycle dominating mea maxima culpaperhaps, as suggested for a time, in this magazine. 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. One pastor routinely asked Jones to replace singers, who had rehearsed, with celebrities (including, once, Vanessa Hudgens) and potential paramours. The effects of the split between the churchs founder and his most famous acolyte went far beyond the two mens relationship. 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. 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. But now, he wants to milk the clout and attention he is currently getting by going into the entertainment industry. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. Crenshaw learned Mays had a wife, and she felt overwhelmed by guilt and traumatic memories. Lentzs reply to the letter, which V.F. 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 few months after Lentz was fired and the megachurchs scandals cascaded, John Termini confirmed his departure. Now, I love Hillsong music it's anointed, it's powerful. Crenshaws father, a pastor in Pennsylvania, intervened and then the police became involved. Lentz, the pastor from global megachurch Hillsong, who once ministered to Justin Bieber and a bevy of other celebrities. 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. 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 writers bccd the Houstons. Shed get angry when Brian Houston would praise Mays on the stage. He responded, in part, Im not sure if you realize this either: cliquism, [cronyism], overworking volunteersthese are subjective social constructs.. In 2010 filings he claimed that he earned $300,000 a year. 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,. Pictures of the family appeared on gossip sites: Carl, shirtless in cornrows, performing Sun Salutations on the beach; Laura beelining into a tanning salon. On May 31, 2021, the former nanny of Lentz's children accused him of bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse. Keatinge also brought two affidavits, William says, asserting that he had lied. 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.. In 2015, she said, he began making unwanted sexual advances on her. 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. Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry reportedly paid their $16,000 monthly rent. In leaving Hillsong, Termini joins a growing group of Lentz-connected pastors. 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. The Daily Mail reported that the Lentzes were in intense couples therapy. The ex-president is expected to enter a plea of not guilty later today, after having his fingerprints and possibly his mug shot taken. In her statement Kimes wrote that, prior to becoming a pastor in Boston, she worked in the Lentz home. Back in New York, they tried going to services again; their best friends were and still are part of the church. Omar Abreu was in high school when they found Hillsong. 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. Mayss wife had just had a baby, and he told his lawyer that Crenshaw went out of her way to be around his family. She wrote in her statement that I was physically violated by his unwanted and repeated sexual touching of my intimate areas. Later, he said that Williams voice lost meaning to him. During this time, he was finishing his first book and being celebrated as he reached a new level of success, she wrote. He landed a new gig. Whistleblower documents show Hillsong paid Gray $18,000 in 2014 and $38,649 in 2015. We value each member of our team, especially volunteers.. A Lentz family insider provided People.com with updates: family nights on the beach and Thanksgiving plans. But the proposed rental eventually became a purchase. As college students, Crenshaw and her friend couldnt drink alcohol, but some of the men could. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Termini and his family shared in some of these relationships. (In my opinion theyre just looking for dirt on Carl, says one. In 1999 Frank Houston, who died in 2004, confessed that he committed child sex abuse. 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. I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that.
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