Hillsong pastor and former spiritual confidant to Justin Bieber, among other celebrities, Carl Lentz, has been fired from the megachurch for past moral failures.
The founder of the Hillsong megachurch, Brian Houston, announced the news that Lentz had been sent packing on Wednesday.
In a statement to the Hillsong East Coast chapter, Houston confirmed that the “church had terminated the employment of Pastor Carl Lentz.”
While acknowledging that it was a “shock” for the church’s members, he assured the flock that the “action was not taken likely and was done in the best interests of everyone, including Pastor Carl.”
The statement continued: “This action has been taken following ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.”
It’s currently unknown what action Lentz took to have his behavior deemed immoral, and Houston refused to go into any detail; “please understand that it would not be appropriate to go into detail about the events that led to this decision,” he added.
Fans tried to guess Carl Lentz’s ‘moral failure’
Of course, the internet has been rife with rumor about what Lentz’s indiscretion might have been, with accusations ranging from infidelity and homosexuality to political bias. However, none of these accusations have been confirmed so far, and Lentz is yet to comment on the situation.
Twitter fans made some wild and unsubstantiated guesses over what Carl Lentz might have done.
One Twitter user speculated that he might have had an extra-marital affair.
Carl Lentz mixed with celebrity culture
It might have something to do with Lentz’s close association with celebrity culture, and the tattoo-clad, hip-looking, 41-year-old servant of God has been known to harbor the same progressive views as many of his celebrity pals.
Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey Baldwin Bieber were among the most famous for being members of Lentz’s flock, and the Pastor himself actually baptized Bieber. Lentz was so close to the Biebers that he reportedly vacationed with the young couple. Although, the singer reportedly had a major falling out with Lentz in 2018.
According to Newsweek, other big shot celebrities who visited Lentz’s church in Manhattan include U2 frontman Bono, the Jenner sisters, Selena Gomez, and Kevin Durant.
In 2010, Lentz established his Manhattan chapter of the Hillsong megachurch at Irving Plaza, which also hosts rock concerts at night and has seen performances from such big names as The Ramones and Iggy Pop.
Last year, there was tragic news when another well-known pastor, Jarrid Wilson, committed suicide in southern California. The celebrity preacher was known for drawing on his own battle with depression to others with mental health issues.
Earlier this year, Christian rock singer Jon Steingard shocked his fans when he declared that he no longer believed in God. The frontman for Christian rock band Hawk Nelson admitted to having struggled with his beliefs for some time.