Selena Gomez quits Hillsong church amid scandal

Lentz admitted on Instagram that he cheated on his wife Laura, with whom he shares three children. Brian Houston, founder of Hillsong, said in a message to HillsongNYC congregants that Lentz was fired “following ongoing discussions in relationship to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures."

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Carl Lentz -

Lentz, often called a "hypepriest" for his designer clothes and celebrity connections, wrote, "I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life ... This failure is on me, and me alone ... 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."

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Carl and Laura Lentz - The charismatic Hillsong Church pastor and his wife Laura were the spiritual force behind Hillsong NYC. Launched in 2010 and already a 6,000-strong parish, the leaders of this group were thrust into the world of celebrity.

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An unconventional pastor - For an unconventional church, no less. Lentz was profiled in GQ, and he could easily pass as a fashion stylist or rock-band member with his edgy hairstyles, leather jackets, and tattoos.

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He personally baptized Justin Bieber - On Oprah’s SuperSoul Sunday, Lentz spoke about receiving a late-night and panicked called from Bieber, asking to be baptized right then. After being chased from four different spots by paparazzi, Lentz and Judah Smith (City Church pastor) baptized Justin in NBA star Tyson Chandler’s bathtub—since, as Lentz explained to Oprah, the athlete has custom 7-foot tubs.

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Justin Bieber - As a young man growing up under constant public scrutiny, Bieber has had a multitude of screw-ups including DUIs, and things even got so difficult for his City Church pastor Judah Smith that he called in some extra help:Carl Lentz

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Justin Bieber - The young pop star first drew attention to Hillsong after he abruptly canceled his Purpose Tour, and rumors surfaced that it was due to a religious awakening shepherded by Pastors Carl and Laura Lentz of Hillsong NY. But his relationship with the church goes further back.

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Justin Bieber - Bieber actually lived with Carl and Laura for over a month, getting back on his feet. He's often said to have been saved by his religious faith and his new wife.

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Hailey Baldwin - It seems one of the Biebers’ favorite date nights is at the church. Who better to go with him than the spiritually devout Mrs. Bieber? The young model told The Cut that Hillsong is "intense and it’s loud and it’s in your face."

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Selena Gomez - As a seeming requirement of dating Bieber, Gomez also went to Hillsong with Bieber, but after they broke up she continued to go to their LA branch.

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Selena Gomez -

The church has its own record label, Hillsong Music Australia, which has signed several Hillsong groups who have recorded Billboard-charting albums. Gomez covered the Hillsong UNITED's 'Transfiguration' in a teary-eyed tribute to the late 'The Voice' artist Christina Grimmie back in 2016.

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Chris Pratt - The actor “found God” when a stranger approached him outside a grocery store and followed him to church. Pratt told Vanity Fair he believes God is responsible even for his acting career, so he goes to Hillsong to celebrate alongside other A-listers who have God to thank.

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Chris Pratt - He even brought his new flame Katherine Schwarzenegger and her brother Patrick to check it out.

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Taylor Lautner - The 'Twilight' actor and his female companions are often spotted leaving the Church, and it seems the grace of religion has made celebrities kind to paparazzi, giving them peaceful hand signs instead of the bird.

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Kourtney Kardashian - The eldest of the Kardashian siblings is no stranger to Hillsong Hollywood, occasionally joining her friend Justin Bieber and bringing along some gal pals for a good ol' night mass.

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West - Kardashian and West are tied to Hillsong as their favored pastor, Rich Wilkerson Jr, who officiated their wedding, often guest speaks at Hillsong.

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Kendall and Kylie Jenner - The two were snapped alongside Carl and Laura Lentz in their close friend Hailey Baldwin's Instagram photo.

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NBA superstars - Carl Lentz is often name-dropped by the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Jeremy Lin, Tyson Chandler, David Lee, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Landry Fields, and many more.

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Kevin Durant - Durant was actually baptized by Lentz at a spot unique to Hillsong—the Gansevoort Hotel’s rooftop pool.

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Vanessa Hudgens - Vanessa Hudgens loves the musical component of the service. "It feels like Arcade Fire—it’s epic like that," she told the New York Times.

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Vanessa Hudgens - Hudgens and her now ex-boyfriend Austin Butler have also been photographed with the Lentzs, volunteering to give out meals and warm clothes to people in the winter.

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Nick Jonas - Nick Jonas was also spotted at a Hillsong service in 2012, and while his regular attendance is not confirmed, everyone remembers the JoBro's religious commitment to promise rings.

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Hailee Steinfeld - The singer has also been spotted attending Hillsong, leading many to suspect that she and Bieber were dating at one point. But she's quite private about her relationship with the church, and has said that she doesn't have time for men.

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Lil Wayne - Carl Lentz posted a photo of himself, Bieber, and Lil Wayne, and in the caption he wrote, "Some of the most consistent and faithful people I have ever been around!"

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On-trend - As a relatively new church founded by Brian and Bobbie Houston in the early ‘80s, they have grown to include an app, a cool website, Grammy-award-winning music groups (pictured are Hillsong members with their Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song award for 'What a Beautiful Name'), beach days, and trendy apparel for sale including beanies, hoodies, denim jackets, tote bags, and track pants.

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Giving "Sunday best" a new look - Baseball caps, ripped jeans, socks, and sandals are completely acceptable looks at Hillsong, which may be appropriate since they don’t meet in a chapel or sanctuary but rather popular music venues. In New York, the church has hosted services at Irving Plaza and Hammerstein Ballroom.

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Why does Hillsong attract A-listers? - Lentz said that the elite are drawn to him because he understands the pressures and pitfalls of high-caliber performance, and because he acknowledges how isolated and spiritually neglected the world of celebrity can feel. It's said that Lentz never loses his cool when he meets a star.

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There’s clearly no “vow of poverty” -

Hillsong is undeniably prosperous, and its followers and pastors clearly have money, though unlike celebrities, the pastor salaries are not disclosed. It is estimated that the Church has made US$100 million in capital in a single year, with the help of record and book sales and the standard ask of a 10% tithe. Pictured is Hillsong's sold-out anniversary event at London's O2 Arena.

(Photo: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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LGBTQ controversy - Years after outcry about the revelation that Hillsong referred many of its gay members into conversion therapy, Lentz told GQ that he would still never allow an openly gay member to hold a church leadership position, and that he still considers homosexuality a sin. Both Lentz and Brian Houston, the founder, maintain that “Hillsong Church welcomes ALL people but does not affirm all lifestyles. Put clearly, we do not affirm a gay lifestyle,” Houston wrote in a 2015 blog post.

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LGBTQ controversy -

Chris Pratt and Elliot Page traded words on Twitter and Instagram regarding the church's stance on LGBTQ issues.

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Elliot Page's tweet - It all started after Pratt talked about Hillsong Church in an interview on the 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' describing how the church helped him deal with fame. In response, Page tweeted that Hillsong is "infamously anti LGBTQ," adding in a later tweet that "if you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed."

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Chris Pratt response - Pratt defended the church against these anti-LGBTQ claims, stating that they opened their doors to "absolutely everyone," and expounding on the fact that despite the Bible's view on divorce, Hillsong was very supportive through his own. He also added that he was not a spokesperson for the church, and that everyone should be "entitled to love who they want free from the judgment of their fellow man."

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Sexual abuse scandal in Australia -

Founder Brian Houston (pictured) was investigated by a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse over sexual abuses perpetrated by his father Frank (also a Pentecostal pastor who, in 2000, admitted to sexually abusing a boy years earlier). The commission found that, among other things, Brian did not report the abuse to police.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 2.5)

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Post Malone is against it -

In a Rolling Stone profile, Post Malone, rapper and friend of Bieber, said that Bieber had gotten "super-religious recently. Real culty" referring to Hillsong. He claimed that Bieber had already given them US$10 million, and that he used to be religious but that he now sees through it all. Malone called people like Lentz "the worst" and added, "It’s nice to support something you believe in, I guess, but people are spending so much money, and God doesn’t care that your church has a f*****g gold roof."

It's certainly a different kind of worship.

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Selena Gomez quits Hillsong church amid scandal

The downfall of what was once the celebrity church of choice

16/12/20 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Curiosity

Hillsong Church, the still relatively new Pentecostal megachurch that swept up celebrities faster than Kabbalah, is based in Australia and claims over 150,000 weekly worshipers across locations in 28 countries. Hillsong made headlines with its roster of A-list attendees, including the Biebers, the Kardashian-Jenners, Chris Pratt, and various NBA superstars. However, it is not without its controversy.

In the wake of the scandal involving the firing of Carl Lentz, the celebrity pastor who personally baptized stars like Justin Bieber, the church is witnessing its own downfall. Even longtime supporter Selena Gomez is moving on, according to the Daily Mail. She is still Christian, but "she believes this is not how God wants us to operate, she’s disillusioned.”

Lentz was fired due to "breaches of trust" and "moral failures," which include his own infidelity to his wife. Gomez was once close with him, and she was also reportedly close with Hillsong founder Brian Houston's family, but now she wants nothing to do with them. This also comes in the wake of celebrity controversy over the church's homophobia.

Check out this gallery to read about the drama and see more celebrities who’ve chosen to pray at the quite unconventional Hillsong altar.