{"id":420869,"date":"2022-03-24T01:22:04","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T22:22:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/bombshell-hillsong-doc-details-carl-lentz-scandal-churchs-cover-ups\/"},"modified":"2022-03-24T01:22:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T22:22:04","slug":"bombshell-hillsong-doc-details-carl-lentz-scandal-churchs-cover-ups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/bombshell-hillsong-doc-details-carl-lentz-scandal-churchs-cover-ups\/","title":{"rendered":"#Bombshell Hillsong doc details Carl Lentz scandal, church&#8217;s cover ups"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a214b067056e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a214b067056e\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/bombshell-hillsong-doc-details-carl-lentz-scandal-churchs-cover-ups\/#%E2%80%9CBombshell_Hillsong_doc_details_Carl_Lentz_scandal_churchs_cover_ups%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Bombshell Hillsong doc details Carl Lentz scandal, church&#8217;s cover ups&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/bombshell-hillsong-doc-details-carl-lentz-scandal-churchs-cover-ups\/#Overreaching_preacher\" >Overreaching preacher<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/bombshell-hillsong-doc-details-carl-lentz-scandal-churchs-cover-ups\/#Scandal-ridden_scene\" >Scandal-ridden scene<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CBombshell_Hillsong_doc_details_Carl_Lentz_scandal_churchs_cover_ups%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Bombshell Hillsong doc details Carl Lentz scandal, church&#8217;s cover ups&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p><em>\u201cHillsong: A Megachurch Exposed\u201d is produced by Breaklight Pictures in association with New York Post Entertainment for Discovery+. Post reporter Hannah Frishberg is featured in the documentary.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Under celebrity pastor Carl Lentz, international megachurch Hillsong became trendy and influential, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gq.com\/story\/inside-hillsong-church-of-justin-bieber-kevin-durant\">garnering splashy profiles<\/a> in outlets such as GQ, and attracting stars such as Chris Pratt, Kendall Jenner, Nick Jonas and Justin Bieber.<\/p>\n<p>But all was not holy. \u201cHillsong: A Megachurch Exposed,\u201d a new three-part docu<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> premiering March 24 on Discovery+, dives into the jaw-dropping history of the religious institution and its founder Brian Houston, who has been accused of everything from embezzling church funds to covering up child sex abuse. Houston, 68, stepped down as the church\u2019s director in January (amid a court case\u00a0accusing Houston of hiding his late father\u2019s sexual abuse of children \u2014 all of which the church has denied), and he <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hillsong.com\/newsroom\/blog\/2022\/03\/an-important-message-from-the-hillsong-global-board-230322\/#.Yjs7gjfMLPY\">resigned<\/a> for good March 23, after an internal <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-03-23\/hillsong-church-founder-brian-houston-resigns\/100932318\">misconduct investigation<\/a>, which found Houston had behaved in<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriately towards two women. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Brian-Houston-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Brian Houston standing onstage smiling. \" class=\"wp-image-21631920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Brian-Houston-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Brian-Houston-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Brian-Houston-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Hillsong founder Brian Houston, who resigned on March 23, 2022. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz-2-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21634315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz-2-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz-2-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz-2-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Carl Lentz\u2019s aesthetic made the pastor appeal to a younger crowd. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Annie Wermiel\/NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt is a culture of \u2018protect the brand at all costs,\u2019\u201d Elle Hardy, author of \u201cBeyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World,\u201d says in the documentary. \u201cAnd whatever it takes to achieve that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hillsong originated in Australia in 1983, founded by Houston, who grew up in dad Frank Houston\u2019s Sydney-based Pentecostal church. When Houston was looking to expand into America, charismatic young pastor Lentz, now 43, came to his attention in 2010. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt makes you feel like your belief system is valid in the modern world,\u201d Hardy says, referring to Lentz\u2019s cutting-edge haircut, tattoos and clothing, which lured in millennial and Gen Z congregants. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"956\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Justin-Bieber-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Justin Bieber and Carl Lentz smiling together. \" class=\"wp-image-21631961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Justin-Bieber-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Justin-Bieber-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Justin-Bieber-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Justin Bieber with Carl Lentz (right) in 2017. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Kendall-Jenner-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683\" alt=\"Kendall Jenner smiling. \" class=\"wp-image-21631981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Kendall-Jenner-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1366 1366w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Kendall-Jenner-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Kendall-Jenner-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683 683w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Kendall-Jenner-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"\/><figcaption>Kendall Jenner is one of the many celebs who have been associated with Hillsong. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lentz became Hillsong\u2019s shining star, skyrocketing to such fame that he rubbed elbows with the likes of Bieber and Oprah Winfrey. <\/p>\n<p>Ben Kirby, who created the Instagram account <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/preachersnsneakers\/?hl=en\">PreachersNSneakers<\/a>, began noticing Lentz because of his expensive threads. \u201cI posted a picture of him wearing a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gq.com\/story\/hypepriests-pastors-who-dress-like-justin-bieber\">Supreme-Louis Vuitton hoodie<\/a>,\u201d he says in the doc. \u201cThat hoodie at the time was on the resale market for $10[,000] to $15,000. The prices were insane.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Overreaching_preacher\"><\/span>Overreaching preacher<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As the documentary details, Lentz grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and before his decadelong stint as the head of Hillsong NYC from 2010 to 2020, he was a youth pastor at Wave Church in Virginia Beach.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Jaclyn Hayes, a former Wave Church volunteer, describes in the series how Lentz talked about sexual purity, the importance of fathers controlling their daughters, and his \u201crules\u201d for dating \u2014 such as a mandate that a couple should not even kiss for their first year together, and never have sex before marriage.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Carl Lentz stands onstage in front of a sign reading &quot;always only Jesus.&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-21632005\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Carl Lentz preaching in 2013, using aesthetics that appealed to a younger crowd. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/nick-jonas.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683\" alt=\"Nick Jonas stands on a red carpet smiling. \" class=\"wp-image-21632031\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/nick-jonas.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1366 1366w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/nick-jonas.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/nick-jonas.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683 683w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/nick-jonas.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"\/><figcaption>Nick Jonas is among the celebs who have been associated with Hillsong church. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When Hayes and a then-boyfriend had sex and confessed their slip-up to Lentz, she recalled their exchange: \u201cCarl asked, \u2018Did you use protection?\u2019 I interrupted, \u2018Yes, of course.\u2019 And his next response was, \u2018Huh. Well then, it was premeditated.\u2019 I kind of expected a different response from him. I just went from sharing something so personal and \u2026 you\u2019re using it to shame me and condemn me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lentz told Hayes and her then-boyfriend to stop seeing each other, and they did, to their mutual heartbreak. But behind the scenes, he was not practicing what he preached.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A former Wave Church staffer, who appears in the documentary anonymously due to having signed a nondisclosure agreement, says on-screen, \u201cI was at Wave for a few years before Carl left. I remember I would go to leaders\u2019 meetings, and he would hammer in our heads, \u2018Do not have sex before marriage.\u2019 He was aggressive about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the staffer claims, \u201cI had a friend \u2026 Carl tried to sleep with her. This [womanizing] was a very known thing about Carl.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683\" alt=\"Carl Lentz standing in front of a grafittied wall. \" class=\"wp-image-21632047\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1366 1366w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683 683w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"\/><figcaption>Pastor Carl Lentz had a style that made Hillsong trendy to a younger crowd. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Annie Wermiel\/NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ranin Karim, 35, alleges she had a five-month-long affair with Lentz that eventually led to Hillsong ousting him in 2020, as she exclusively told The Post in November 2020. In the documentary, Karim describes how they met in a park and exchanged phone numbers. When she asked for his last name, \u201cHe was like, \u2018When people Google people \u2026 it\u2019s not a good look. It\u2019s better to get to know the person before you look them up.\u2019 That was the weirdest answer I had ever heard,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Later, Karim learned that Lentz was married, and she asked if something was wrong with his relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said, \u2018I\u2019ve never done this before, there\u2019s nothing wrong with my relationship \u2026 but you have everything I want in a woman.\u2019 This was very odd,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-014-.jpg-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Ranin Karim. \" class=\"wp-image-21632084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-014-.jpg-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-014-.jpg-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-014-.jpg-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Ranin Karim alleges she had a \u201ctoxic\u201d affair with Carl Lentz.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Credit: Discovery+<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Chris-Pratt.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683\" alt=\"Chris Pratt smiles on the red carpet. \" class=\"wp-image-21632274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Chris-Pratt.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1366 1366w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Chris-Pratt.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Chris-Pratt.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683 683w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Chris-Pratt.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"\/><figcaption>Chris Pratt is among the many celebs who have been associated with Hillsong. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to Karim, over the course of their affair, Lentz cried in front of her, which she took as a sign of his vulnerability. But, \u201cLater on, I realized it was bulls\u2013t,\u201d Karim says. \u201cPeople at the church said he cried all the time onstage. Through the months that we were seeing each other, I started to realize that \u2026 it was always his way or no way. I started to pull back and say, \u2018I don\u2019t want this anymore, leave me alone.\u2019 But, the more you say \u2018no\u2019 to him, the more he keeps coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Karim describes her relationship with Lentz as \u201cthe most toxic thing I\u2019ve ever had to deal with. If I could go back and never meet Carl, I would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After Lentz\u2019s alleged\u00a0affair with Karim made headlines, Hayes watched the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> and remembered how Lentz split her from her boyfriend, simply because they had had premarital sex.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen all of this came out, I was really mad,\u201d she says. \u201cIt just makes you very angry that the same thing you were shamed with is the same thing that [he did]. It\u2019s literally the definition of a hypocrite.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"743\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Lauren-Lentz-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=743\" alt=\"Carl Lentz smiling with his wife, Laura. \" class=\"wp-image-21632110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Lauren-Lentz-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1486 1486w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Lauren-Lentz-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1115 1114w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Lauren-Lentz-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=743 743w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Lauren-Lentz-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=372 371w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Lauren-Lentz-Carl-Lentz.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\"\/><figcaption>Carl Lentz with his wife, Laura. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Charley Gallay<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"731\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-011-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=731\" alt=\"Ranin Karim smiles and sits in a church. \" class=\"wp-image-21632294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-011-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1462 1462w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-011-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1097 1096w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-011-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=731 731w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-011-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=366 365w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ranin-Karim-HILLSONG-011-.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px\"\/><figcaption>Carl Lentz\u2019s alleged mistress, Ranin Karim, speaks out in this new \u201cHillsong\u201d docuseries. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Credit: Discovery+<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scandal-ridden_scene\"><\/span>Scandal-ridden scene<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Lentz was fired from Hillsong in November 2020, with Houston citing his \u201cmoral failures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe rumor is that Carl and his wife were going to make their exit from Hillsong, and I think that Brian [Houston] knew his profile was too high and that people would follow him \u2026 so I think it was just kind of getting rid of him and trying to tarnish his brand,\u201d Janice Lagata, a former Hillsong student and volunteer who worked with Hillsong NYC church leadership, speculates in the doc. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey can blame Carl, and not the culture in the church,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Janice-Lagata.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=819\" alt=\"Janice Lagata. \" class=\"wp-image-21632215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Janice-Lagata.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1638 1638w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Janice-Lagata.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1229 1228w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Janice-Lagata.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=819 819w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Janice-Lagata.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=410 409w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Janice-Lagata.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\"\/><figcaption>Janice Lagata, who worked closely with Hillsong NYC leadership, speaks out in the \u201cHillsong\u201d doc. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Credit: godhasnotgiven\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>But according to the documentary, Lentz\u2019s behavior was not an anomaly within the larger organization.<\/p>\n<p>Anna Crenshaw, a preacher\u2019s daughter who was studying at Hillsong College in 2016, appears in the doc to describe an instance in which she alleges that she was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianpost.com\/news\/after-assault-by-hillsong-church-administrator-she-fought-back.html\">assaulted by a Hillsong staffer<\/a>, who groped her at a house party in front of other people. She reported the incident to church leadership in December 2018. But when they questioned her about it, Crenshaw says, \u201cIt fel[t] like an interrogation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were definitely checking for mix-ups or errors. I just knew, \u2018OK, they are not on my side,\u2019 \u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>The documentary also includes footage of testimony from Brett Sengstock, who alleges that Frank Houston sexually abused him in the 1970s when Sengstock was 7 and 8 years old. <\/p>\n<p>Sengstock claims that when he reported this to church leadership, they tried to pay him off with hush money. He claims Brian Houston told him, \u201cYou know, it\u2019s your fault all of this happened. You tempted my father.\u201d (Brian Houston <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/2021\/02\/carl-lentz-and-the-trouble-at-hillsong\">has denied<\/a> he said the abuse was Sengstock\u2019s fault.)<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"566\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/hillsong-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Hillsong church building from the outside. \" class=\"wp-image-21632253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/hillsong-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/hillsong-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/hillsong-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Hillsong church\u2019s scandals are explored in this explosive docuseries.  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Houston, who is not interviewed in the documentary, has since pleaded not guilty to concealing his father\u2019s child sexual abuse when New South Wales police brought charges against him in August 2021.<\/p>\n<p>But former students at Hillsong College \u2014\u00a0the megachurch\u2019s version of ministerial training \u2014 claim in the doc that coverups were a part of the culture, where they claim students were used for free labor and required to sign NDAs.<\/p>\n<p>Former Hillsong College student Yolandi Bosch says, \u201cIf you were a church that was open and trusting, why would you get your members to sign an NDA? Unless you\u2019re hiding something.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/03\/23\/bombshell-hillsong-doc-details-carl-lentz-scandal-churchs-cover-ups\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Bombshell Hillsong doc details Carl Lentz scandal, church&#8217;s cover ups&#8221; \u201cHillsong: A Megachurch Exposed\u201d is produced by Breaklight Pictures in association with New York Post Entertainment for Discovery+. Post reporter Hannah Frishberg is featured in the documentary. Under celebrity pastor Carl Lentz, international megachurch Hillsong became trendy and influential, garnering splashy profiles in outlets such&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":420870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/hillsong.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[127098,78763,72637,76511,65799,78764],"class_list":["post-420869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-3-23-22","tag-carl-lentz","tag-christianity","tag-discovery","tag-documentaries","tag-hillsong-church"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/420870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}