Carl Lentz
Carl Lentz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Stephen Carl Lentz Virginia Beach, Virginia, US |
| Education | North Carolina State University (1998–2000) Hillsong International Leadership College |
| Spouse |
Laura Lentz (m. 2003) |
| Children | 3 |
| Religion | Christian |
Offices held | Lead Pastor of Hillsong Church, New York City |
Stephen Carl Lentz is an American pastor. He was the lead pastor of Hillsong NYC from 2010 until November 4, 2020, when he was fired for "leadership issues", "breaches of trust", and "a recent revelation of moral failures". On May 31, 2021, Lentz's former nanny accused him of sexual assault; Lentz denied the allegation.
Early life and education
Carl Lentz was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[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.[2][3][4] As an adult, he moved to Los Angeles to study at The King's College and Seminary.[5] He then went on to study at Hillsong International Leadership College of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. It was during his studies, at the age of 20, that he and Joel Houston, Hillsong founder Brian Houston's son, had the idea to plant a campus of Hillsong Church in New York City.[6] He graduated in theology in 2003 and returned to Virginia Beach. He then became a youth pastor after being ordained.[citation needed]
Hillsong NYC
In 2010, Lentz co-founded Hillsong NYC in New York City with Joel Houston.[7] In 2017, Hillsong NYC expanded to campuses in Connecticut and Boston.[citation needed]
Hillsong NYC had about 9,000 attendees among its six weekly services held at the United Palace Theater in Manhattan and the Welmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey before 2020 COVID-19 restrictions forced those services to move online.[citation needed]
Lentz baptized Justin Bieber, was present at the baptism of Kevin Durant, and has befriended various other well-known people.[8][9]
On October 30, 2017, while on The View, Lentz was asked if he believed abortion was a sin; he did not answer the question directly.[10][11][better source needed] Eight days later, Lentz released a statement via Twitter saying "I do believe abortion is sinful."[12] In January 2019, he strongly opposed the passage of the Reproductive Health Act in the State of New York, which allows abortion after 24 weeks when a fetus is unviable or the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother's health, calling it "evil, shameful and demonic".[13]
Affair and dismissal
On November 4, 2020, Brian Houston, Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong announced through a church newsletter that he fired Lentz. The stated reasons for Lentz's removal were "leadership issues and breaches of trust", along with "a recent revelation of moral failures".[14][15] Lentz admitted on Instagram that he had been unfaithful to his wife, Laura.[16] Laura Lentz, who worked at the church, was also fired.[17][18] The following month, Houston accused Lentz of having had multiple extramarital affairs.[19]
Personal life
Lentz and his wife, Laura, were married in 2003.[16] They have three children.[20] In 2020, Lentz admitted on Instagram that he had been unfaithful to Laura.[16]
Sexual assault allegation
On May 31, 2021, Leona Kimes accused Carl of repeatedly sexually assaulting her during the period of her employment.[21][22][21] Kimes served as the Lentz family nanny, and alleges that the assaults happened from 2011 to 2017.[22] The same day, the allegation was acknowledged by the senior pastors of Hillsong Church, Brian and Bobbie Houston, in an official press release.[23] Through their attorney, Carl and Laura Lentz have "vehemently" denied Kimes's allegation.[24]
Published works
- Own the Moment (Simon & Schuster, 2017) ISBN 1501177001
References
- ^ Haigh, Phil (August 2, 2017). "Who is Carl Lentz? The Hillsong pastor who is close friends with Justin Bieber".
- ^ "Carl Lentz College Stats".
- ^ "Carl Lentz – 1998–99 – Men's Basketball".
- ^ "Carl Lentz – 1999-00 – Men's Basketball".
- ^ Schuster, Dana (November 14, 2014). "Justin Bieber's hipster pastor: 'I'm praying for this boy to make it'". New York Post.
- ^ Phan, Katherine (February 17, 2011). "Interview: Pastor Carl Lentz on Hillsong New York City". The Christian Post.
- ^ "Fresh approach to faith draws thousands in NYC". www.cbsnews.com. December 25, 2014.
- ^ Nast, Condé (December 17, 2015). "Inside Hillsong, the Church of Choice for Justin Bieber and Kevin Durant". GQ.
- ^ "Hillsong Church: All the Celebrities Who've Attended". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ "Handling the Word of Truth "Men who must be silenced"". Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ "Carl Lentz: Justin Bieber Is "Getting Better Day By Day" – Watch "The View" Video". October 30, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ "Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Clarifies, Calls Abortion 'Sinful'". CBN News. November 8, 2017.
- ^ "Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz says New York's new abortion law is 'demonic'". christiantoday.com. January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ "Carl Lentz, pastor of Hillsong East Coast and Justin Bieber, terminated for 'moral failures' says church". Religion News Service. November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ Graham, Ruth. "The Rise and Fall of Carl Lentz, the Celebrity Pastor of Hillsong Church". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ a b c Italien, Leanne (November 5, 2020). "Megachurch Pastor Carl Lentz fired, admits cheating on wife". AP News. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Gardner, Abby (November 11, 2020). "Hillsong Church Pastor Carl Lentz's Wife, Laura, Was Also Reportedly Fired". Glamour. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ French, Alex (February 11, 2021). "Carl Lentz and the Trouble at Hillsong" – via Vanity Fair.
- ^ "Bieber's pastor hit with fresh sex claims". December 4, 2020.
- ^ DeSantis, Rachel; McNeil, Liz (November 26, 2020). "How Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz and Wife Laura Are Spending Thanksgiving amid Scandal: 'It's New'". People.com. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "Exclusive: Sex abuse allegations by Carl Lentz's former nanny put spotlight on Hillsong culture". Religion News Service. May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Kimes, Leona (May 31, 2021). "Writing My Voice Back". Medium. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "Letter from Brian and Bobbie Houston Regarding Medium Post". hillsong.com. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "Hillsong Staffer Accuses Ex-Pastor Carl Lentz of Sexual Abuse as He 'Vehemently' Denies Claims". PEOPLE.com.
External links
- Carl Lentz at the Wayback Machine (archived October 27, 2020)