Here’s Where Disgraced Celebrity Pastor Carl Lentz Is Now

carl lentz, the secrets of hillsong
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The name "Hillsong" will be familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of pop culture: the megachurch became hugely popular in the mid-2010s, largely thanks to the celebrities in its congregation. A-List stars including Chris Pratt, Bono, Nick Jonas, Austin Butler and Kendall and Kylie Jenner were all linked to the organization, and most notably, pop star Justin Bieber was frequently seen in the company of celebrity pastor Carl Lentz.

But while the famous faces lining the pews lent Hillsong a certain sheen of glamor, the church has since fallen from grace and become mired in all kinds of rumors relating to misappropriation of funds, discrimination within its own ranks, and even allegations of sexual and emotional abuse.

These shady inner goings-on are all explored in the new four-part Hulu docu-series The Secrets of Hillsong, which delves into the conduct of Hillsong founder, Brian Houston, as well as the scandal surrounding Lentz, who left the church under a cloud after admitting to having had extramarital affairs.

[youtube align='center' autoplay='0']https://youtu.be/KSgiyTf5GH8[/youtube

Where is Carl Lentz now?

Lentz, who was fired from Hillsong in 2020, appears in the documentary with a very different image: his hair has grown out and he has eschewed the trendy, expensive clothes he favored during his brief time on the celebrity circuit. He and his wife Laura are still together, and they speak openly in the series about how they have struggled to move on from Lentz's affair and the impact it had on their lives (in addition to Lentz being terminated, Laura was also fired from her own position at Hillsong despite having done nothing wrong.)

Lentz has been working outside of the church for the last two years, however in March 2023 recently took a non-pastor position with the Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahahoma, where he will work as a strategist.

carl lentz, the secrets of hillsong
Courtesy of Hulu

"After two years of Carl being in his own discovery and healing process, he has shown readiness to use his God-given gifts towards the local church again," said Executive Paster Tammy McQuarters said in a statement. "We believe in Carl, his marriage, his skill set, and his restoration. We pray that Carl, Laura, and their family experience not only their own restoration, but help others experience restoration by using their triumphs and failures to create resources for the body of Christ at large. We believe that this is part of what it looks like for the church to be the church."

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