Religion and Politics

The Rise and Fall of Carl Lentz, the Celebrity Pastor of Hillsong Church

The New York Times‘ Ruth Graham reports on the culture of Hillsong Church after the downfall of Carl Lentz, who led the group’s East Coast locations. Lentz was fired recently after an affair came to light. “But sexual infidelity was only one piece of the story,” Graham writes. Brian Houston, the founder of the global church, said Lentz’s dismissal was also due to “’general narcissistic behavior, manipulating, mistreating people,’ as well as ‘breaches of trust connected to lying.'” Graham writes, “The church seemed to go out of its way to cultivate a hierarchy of coolness.” It had reserved seating for V.I.P.s, and Lentz cultivated relationships with celebrities, as well as growing his own fame.

Read at The New York Times

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