The staff built this culture, and made them a big deal, Ms. Lagata said. (Mr. Keatinge said he did not recall telling Ms. Zurasky that she was unfit for leadership when he dismissed her.). ", Former Hillsong Sydney member Tanya Levin affirmed, "Music is a really huge department because it's so critical to [the church's power of] hypnosis. ", Years later, Brian Houston first heard of the accusations in 1999. "The goal of Hillsong is to stay current," said Kelsey McKinney, author of God Spare the Girls. Noemi Uribe, former Hillsong Boston volunteer, spoke to the demands on unpaid workers responsible for putting together Hillsong's services, conferences and other events. Draft preview mode. Pastor Art loves giving back to his community and helping our unhoused neighbors in El Sereno and Northeast Los Angeles. On Monday, Bieber posted a screenshot of a Page Six headline from last week to his Instagram Stories, proclaiming that hes studying to be a minister for Hillsong church. He wrote in all caps over the headline: IM [sic] NOT STUDYING TO BE A MINISTER OR ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE TO THAT. ", But Zhenya believes that "church leadership needs to take responsibility for their decisions and for their mistakes. Also concerning for the participants in the series were mandatory non-disclosure agreements students had to sign before matriculating to Hillsong College. But then he said something that triggered me. Inside the Always Online, All-Consuming World of Twin Flames Universe Rudy Giulianis Daughter, Caroline, on How to Accept That Trump Lost Carl Lentz, Ranin Karim, and Hillsongs Unfurling Scandal Billie Eilish Shares How She Spent the Pandemic in Latest Time Capsule The Queen Says Goodbye to Her Beloved Dorgi, Vulcan Barack Obama on His Book, the Election, and What Actually Makes America Great How We Unmasked the Hollywood Con Queen Suspect From the Archive: Her Most Loyal Subjects, a History of the Queens Kennels Not a subscriber? Her attempts to meet with a staff leader were brushed off, she said. All churches rely to some degree on volunteer labor to function. They're in a battle for everything. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. 'Consequently, we seek to gauge whether an applicant is likely to be a safe member of our student body. star Kevin Durant showing up at Sunday services. Youth Pastor Jim Wilson "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. One article reported that at Hillsong, Justin worships in total peace, and at least feels hes treated like a regular person. In another, TMZ said it got our hands on some video of Mr. Lentz dunking a basketball in what appeared to be a near-empty gym. In a statement to Vanity Fair, Hillsong clarified that decision, explaining, Since last weeks announcement of a leadership change at Hillsong East Coast, we have heard from a number of people about their experiences and concerns. Fox News Mostly Avoids Airing How It Paid Out $787 Million For Spreading Election Lies. Ed's daughter Anna said she had had her own experience with sexual abuse at Hillsong, albeit not at the hands of Carl Lentz. When you lead out of an empty place, you make choices that have real and painful consequences. Be a miracle, to everyone, every day, everywhere. What to Know About Hillsong's Star Pastor Carl Lentz, All the Celebrities Who Attended Hillsong Church, Carl Lentz's Alleged Mistress Speaks Out About 'Toxic' Relationship, Hillsong Staffer Accuses Ex-Pastor Carl Lentz of Sexual Abuse as He 'Vehemently' Denies Claims, Hillsong Co-Founder Brian Houston Resigns amid 'Complaints Made Against' Him by 2 Women, Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Says His Family Is 'Together' After Facing a 'Challenging Road', Carl Lentz's Alleged Mistress Speaks Out in Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed Trailer: 'Toxic', Hillsong Founder Says Carl Lentz Had Multiple 'Significant' Affairs in Leaked Audio: Report, Hillsong Church Founder Brian Houston Charged with Concealing Father's Child Sex Offenses in 1970s, Hillsong Pastor and Justin Bieber's One-Time Spiritual Confidant Carl Lentz Fired for 'Moral Failures', Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Enters Treatment for 'Depression, Anxiety and Pastoral Burnout', Hillsong Church Founder Brian Houston Steps Down from 'All Ministry Responsibilities' Until Trial, Ex Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz 'Has No Plans to Open a Church' After Affair, Says Friend, Hillsong Church Founder Brian Houston Speaks Out on Carl Lentz's 'Narcissistic Behavior' After Firing, 'Downfall' of Hillsong Church Will Be Explored in New Discovery+ Doc Series, Woman Alleging Affair with Carl Lentz Talks About Former Hillsong Pastor on 'Ex on the Beach', Woman Claims She and Ex Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Had Affair During Coronavirus Pandemic, Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz's Wife Laura Breaks Silence on Sex Scandal on Wedding Anniversary, Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz, Bieber's One-Time Spiritual Confidant: 'I Was Unfaithful' to My Wife, Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz and Wife 'Continue to Work Through' Effects of Affair, Says Friend, enter treatment for "depression, anxiety and pastoral burnout,", Brian Houston first heard of the accusations in 1999. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "They know that they were sitting on it, hoping that the problem would just go away, minimizing the problem, continuing to question her, continuing to make her tell her story over and over again," said Ed. To our pastors Brian and Bobbie, thank you for allowing us to lead, allowing us to thrive and giving us room to have a voice that you have never stifled or tried to silence. Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed on discovery+ probes the culture and personalities including embattled founder Brian Houston and disgraced pastor Carl Lentz behind the global religious phenomenon. The board said it worked with Pastor Brian to ensure he received professional help to eliminate his dependency on this medication, and this was achieved successfully. Bailey Krawczyk, who attended Hillsong College from 201721, detailed how incoming students were required to provide personal information so they could be "red-lighted" or "green-lighted" to work with children in the community. He stepped away from what happened in New Zealand to expand the market in Australia. Episode 3 dug into some facets of that "poisonous culture," including the code of secrecy and the extreme expectations of both students and volunteers. Those four locations became known as Hillsong East Coast, and the Lentzes were in charge of all of them. Hillsong is a look: neutrals, streetwear, body-conscious fashion. Founded in Australia under a different name in the 1980s, its great innovation was to offer urban Christians a religious environment that did not clash with the rest of their lives. Hillside Church About See all 12319 Hwy 146 Mont Belvieu, TX 77580 We are discovering our identity in God, and influencing our world with the love and message of Jesus Christ. The association with Mr. Bieber catapulted Mr. Lentz, 42, into a new stratosphere of fame, in which he became not just a friend to celebrities but a celebrity himself. Hillside Church Mark Miltimore Current Workplace Mark Miltimore has been working as a Lead Pastor - Pastors at Hillside Church for 17 years. Johnny became Worship Leader at Hillside at the beginning 2018 and has blessed the congregation with a worshipful and compassionate heart along with skillfully leading the worship band. The Lentzes sold their home in Montclair in October. CAROL MADISON. Sunday morning services incorporate a casual atmosphere, a blended style of praise and worship music, and relevant teaching. Brian Houston, the founder of Hillsong, said that leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures were the reasons for Mr. Lentzs dismissal. The docuseries then provided a statement: "Producers of this series spoke with two former volunteers who brought multiple reports of sexual impropriety against Carl Lentz to Hillsong leadership in 2017. The family behind Hillsong Church had been mapping out its course to "take over the world" for decades, an insider explained in the discovery+ docuseries Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, but its reign didn't last long. According to current and former congregants, Mr. Lentz was unusually remote. ", Episode 2 focused, in part, on the downfall of Lentz due to "moral failures.". Ultimately Lentz's undoing at Hillsong came because he was "unfaithful" to his wife of 17 years, Laura, which he publicly acknowledged in 2020. But Mr. Lentz was unusually remote, according to current and former congregants. And that was the meeting, and they signed off on it. He mixed with a jet-setting group of other hip pastors, including Rich Wilkerson Jr., a Miami pastor who performed the wedding ceremony for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. 25 likes. LACPC has been a church that was established in the greater Los Angeles area since January of 1976. ", Calling Lentz's intentions "inherently duplicitous or hypocritical," Coleman continued, "The motivation seems to have been to use celebrity, to use glamor, to amass a following, to amass power, to amass fame. A USC graduate, she joined the Los Angeles Times in 2003 and has 30 years of journalism experience in Southern California. But that opportunity I will not have. But Anna gleaned no satisfaction from seeing Lentz get publicly crucified because, she claimed, her own victimization had been minimized and then weaponized against her. A culture that worshiped wealth, while making volunteers cater to leaders as royalty. When he did appear on Sundays, he rarely mixed with churchgoers. Pastor Wayne would then begin the ordination process with the . He's not," said L.A. volunteer Carson. "We have. The second investigation concerned a complaint the church received in 2019, about behaviour which Hillsong attributed to medication and alcohol. Check-In Give Events Livestream More. Youth Pastor Jonah and his wife Jenna came to Hillside in the Fall of 2021. "When we talk about Carl and purity, wolf in sheep's clothing is honestly the mental picture I get," said Jaclyn Hayes, a former member of Wave Church, the Virginia church where Lentz preached before joining Hillsong. "It was always like, 'Be careful, man,'" remembered Lagata. We are the church. Hillside Church is an exciting, contemporary ministry. The docuseries concluded by drawing a direct line to Frank Houston, who died in 2004. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz's new megachurch accused of 'inappropriate' Easter service, Disgraced Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz hired by new church: 'We believe in Carl', Hillsong megachurch hit with sexual assault lawsuit by student, Hillsong's bombshell Carl Lentz report leaked: sex, lies and manipulation. His Instagram showed him attending the Super Bowl in Florida, and at Mr. Biebers wedding at a South Carolina resort. "Because the only thing everyone likes more than a rising star is a falling star, right? The relationship ended, but the repercussions of it a digital paper trail allegedly left by Lentz on his work computer would be professionally, and personally, devastating. They were photographed together often: at a recording studio in Beverly Hills, a go-kart racetrack in Los Angeles, and ruffling feathers in conservative Christian circles apparently doing shots at a bar in New Zealand. We have sadly been dealing with two complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10 years, the churchs global board said. I would have liked to say this with my voice, to you, in person because you are owed that. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The pastor of Maricopa Community Church has been charged with a felony stemming from allegations he inappropriately touched and kissed a 12-year-old girl while giving her a driving lesson. One Sunday evening a few weeks after Mr. Lentzs departure, John Termini, an executive pastor, spoke to the church about its future, acknowledging its recent difficulties. Thank you for your grace and kindness especially in this season, as you have done so much to protect and love us through this. At Hillsong, living well and looking good are sometimes framed as forms of evangelism. He pleaded not guilty on all charges. "He's doing it to make himself very wealthy. Leave your mark. And you can't help but reflect on the history of Frank Houston in that regard. Two of the megachurch's lead pastors from their Dallas branch, Reed Bogard and his wife Jess Bogard, made an announcement during their Sunday sermon, saying, "We just really feel that it's time to. The pastor and the pop star were inseparable, the gossip site reported. Melyssa Zurasky, a volunteer who helped lead regular meetings of congregants for a year, said she heard rumors about Mr. Lentzs inappropriate behavior with women in 2017. This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions. I now begin a journey of rebuilding trust with my wife, Laura and my children and taking real time to work on and heal my own life and seek out the help that I need., Mr. Houston, who is also the global churchs senior pastor, said in a statement that our heart and care is for our church in Hillsong East Coast and we are saddened that a lot of people are hurting., I want to make it very clear that celebrity culture is not a core value of Hillsong Church, he continued. Rev. Your ministry is now eroded, it's built on sand in a lot of ways," said Kirby. If anything, it is cooler than everyday life, with celebrities like the actor and singer Selena Gomez and the N.B.A. Hillsong, Once a Leader of Christian Cool, Loses Footing in America. Amid a series of crises, including the resignation of its leader, the evangelical powerhouse has shed more than half its . Pastor Sam is often found on campus casually hanging out in his flip flops, laughing really loud and fellowshipping with everyone. This story has been shared 151,315 times. Bieber even lived with Lentzs family for a month and a half. Eventually this stuff is gonna catch up with you. When you accept the calling of being a pastor, you must live in such a way that it honors the mandate. Hillside Community Church Calendar . The. "If we unravel or start to peel back layers of Brian Houston, he's no better.". I now begin a journey of rebuilding trust with my wife, Laura and my children and taking real time to work on and heal my own life and seek out the help that I need. God may be forgiving, but Hillsong Church seems less so.