A senior pastor at celebrity-loved mega-church Hillsong has been sensationally sacked over alleged ‘breaches of trust’ and ‘moral failures’ – six years after he baptized close friend Justin Bieber.
Carl Lentz, 41, who co-founded the New York City branch of the Australian church back in 2010, was fired by the organization’s leader Brian Houston, Hillsong confirmed in a statement issued on Wednesday.
‘This action has been taken following ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures,’ Mr Houston revealed, however he claimed that it would ‘not be appropriate’ to share more details of Lentz’s alleged offences.
Mr Houston added that this course of action was ‘not taken lightly and was done in the best interests of everyone, including Pastor Carl’.
Carl Lentz, a pastor at celebrity-loved mega-church Hillsong, has been fire by its founder – six years after he baptized close friend Justin Bieber (seen together in 2017)
The 41-year-old, who is pictured with his Australian wife Laura, has been accused of ‘breaches of trust’ and ‘moral failures’ in a statement issued by the church
Lentz is understood to have first met Bieber back in 2008, when the popstar was just 14 years old, and the two formed a close friendship, with Lentz serving as a mentor for the singer
Lentz, who was born in Virginia Beach first began working with Hillsong in Australia after relocating there from Los Angeles, where he spent time studying at The King’s College and Seminary.
The father-of-three rose quickly within Hillsong’s ranks and formed a close friendship with Houston and his son Joel while training at the church’s International Leadership College in Sydney, where he met his wife, Laura.
In 2010, he moved back to the US in order to co-found the New York City chapter of Hillsong, which soon amassed a major celebrity following, with Lentz preaching to the likes of Bieber, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, and several NBA stars including Carmelo Anthony, David Lee, Kevin Durant, and Jeremy Lin.
However it was Lentz’s close relationship with Bieber, now 26, that gained him the most notoriety, particularly after it was revealed that the popstar had been baptized by the pastor in 2014.
Speaking to the GQ in 2015, Lentz – who first met the popstar in 2008, when the singer was just 14 – recalled the moment Bieber got down on his knees, ‘ravaged by loss’ and sobbed, telling the pastor: ‘I want to know Jesus’.
According to the magazine account, the baptism finished with Bieber ‘wet and sobbing against Pastor Carl’s chest… born anew’.
It played a central role in transforming Bieber’s image from a partying ladies’ man to a clean-cut Christian devotee. His wife, Hailey Bieber, is also a believer, and the two are frequently spotted in church together.
In 2017, it was reported by People that Lentz had been enlisted by Bieber and his ex-girlfriend Gomez to offer spiritual guidance and counselling about their relationship after they briefly rekindled their romance.
Lentz’s celebrity connections and close friendship with Bieber have helped him to become something of a star in his own right, skyrocketing him to prominence on Instagram, where he boasts more than 679,000 followers.
Bieber formed a very close relationship with the pastor (seen together in Australia), who counselled the star and ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez when they rekindled their romance in 2017
Now a father-of-three, Lentz has previously said that he and Bieber (pictured together with Lil Wayne) are ‘regular friends who talk all the time’
His sudden sacking therefore sparked a flurry of speculation on social media, with many calling for Hillsong to reveal more information about Lentz’s alleged offences – while others suggested that the pastor may have been fired over his open support of the Black Lives Matter movement, although these rumors have not been confirmed.
Lentz caused controversy in September when he publicly declared his support for BLM on the official Hillsong NYC Facebook page, writing in a statement: ‘At THIS church, we are not saying “all lives matter” right now because this is a logical assumption that most reasonable people agree with.
‘All lives are not at risk right now. We ARE saying BLACK LIVES MATTER. Because, right now, black lives apparently are worth LESS on our streets. It’s “our fight” not “their fight.”‘
Hillsong founder Brian Houston (pictured) said it ‘would not be appropriate’ to provide details on the events which led to the church’s decision
Despite Hillsong founder Houston’s refusal to reveal more details about Lentz’s firing, some Twitter users have pointed the finger at the pastor’s support of BLM, noting that his opinions may well have been at odds with others within the church.
‘Carl Lentz from Hillsong has been open and transparent about his beliefs and values regarding BLM,’ one person wrote. ‘I’m convinced his termination was due to his conflict with protecting black lives. This is why black people turn away from church (and God).’
Another added: ‘Hugely suspicious because Carl Lentz has always very HEAVILY supported the BLM movement, even when I used to see him preach when I was a teen. He’s also always been quite anti-right wing (he’s been vocal in the past about past elections), so curious as to what’s happening here.’
Writing in to celebrity gossip Instagram account Deux Moi, one person speculated: ‘Carl was the only one of the 80 Hillsong pastors who was vocal on BLM. He was “soft” on abortion and LGBTQ+. That must be it.’
However another follower who claimed to have ‘first hand knowledge’ of Hillsong’s inner workings insisted that Lentz’s sacking ‘had nothing to do’ with his support of BLM, writing: ‘I do know the reason and I can’t say. It is bad but could happen to anyone.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to Hillsong for comment.
Lentz’s sacking also comes several months after he revealed in March that he had tested positive for COVID-19, having sparked outrage just days earlier by holding a 200-person Hillsong NYC service, despite churches at the time being discouraged to hold large in-person meetings in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.
Lentz documented the moment Bieber got down on his knees, ‘ravaged by loss’ and sobbed: ‘I want to know Jesus’. Pictured with Lentz’s son
Bieber’s wife, Hailey Baldwin, is also a believer, and are frequently spotted in church together
It is not known how many attendees may have been infected, nor how many people were tested for the virus after the service – which was also broadcast to church members at home – took place.
In his official statement, Houston paid tribute to Lentz and his wife, noting that they have ‘served faithfully and sacrificially’.
‘They have a heart for people and we are confident that after a time of rest and restoration, God will use Carl in another way outside of Hillsong church,’ the statement continued.
‘In terminating his tenure, we in no way want to diminish the good work he did here.
‘It would not be appropriate for us to go into detail about the events that led to this decision. Our focus at this time is to honor God and pastorally care for our East Coast church community as well as the Lentz family.
‘…While I have no doubt that this is the right course of action, I must mention Bobbie’s and my personal sadness, as we have known Laura her entire life and Carl for well over 20 years.’
Lentz has not yet publicly addressed his sacking, however he has not uploaded any posts to his Instagram account since September 18. He last promoted his work with Hillsong on social media on September 12, when he shared a video of himself urging people to tune into his virtual church services.
His wife Laura has also not yet commented on Lentz’s termination, however she uploaded a post to her Instagram on October 28, sharing an image of a ‘rhythms for life’ planner and journal, alongside which she commented: ‘2020 has been quite the year…’