Former Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Speaks Out for the First Time Since Sex Scandal

Carl Lentz, the former pastor of Hillsong NYC, broke his silence for the first time since he was fired from Hillsong in November 2020 and confessed that he had been involved in an extramarital affair.

On Wednesday, Lentz wrote his first post on social media since November 2020. In the post, he opened up about how he and his family are doing.

“It’s been a challenging road, but we are alive, we are at peace and thanks to the grace of God, we are TOGETHER. Not sure what the future holds for us, but we do know that we face it as a family and for that, I am so thankful,” Lentz wrote.

“My deepest thanks to our friends and family that have shown us such unconditional love and grace when we have desperately needed it. Forever grateful.. we are hopeful about what is ahead!” he concluded.

Lentz, who co-founded Hillsong NYC in 2010, served as the church’s lead pastor until his firing in November 2020 for leadership issues and moral failures. Shortly afterward, Lentz admitted to cheating on his wife, Laura. His rise and fall was recently highlighted in the Discovery+ docuseries, Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed.

As Christian Headlines previously reported, an internal investigation published in April concluded that Lentz had engaged in multiple affairs with women and that several Hillsong members suffered from mental illness due to his abusive behavior.

In her own post on Wednesday, Laura shared that she and her husband have been doing “a LOT of work” on their marriage in the past 22 months.

“And we will never stop working on ourselves, for this marriage and for our kids! I know there are many that don’t or would never do what I chose to do, and that’s ok, it’s not for everyone!! I look forward to sharing our story, how I came to that conclusion, and I think it’s going to help a lot of people,” she wrote.

“But I am so proud of my husband & for the responsibility he’s taken! Mostly I’m grateful for a man who humbled himself & didn’t try to defend himself, he has kept quiet publicly, and he has remained focused on the one thing that matters most-our family!” she concluded.

Since Lentz’s firing, several Hillsong leaders resigned from their positions because they had either been involved in a scandal or decided to step away in light of the scandals that have taken place.

Earlier this year, Hillsong founder Brian Houston stepped down from his role as global senior pastor following revelations of alleged misconduct with two women. He is also currently facing legal charges of covering up his late father’s sexual abuse crimes on children.

Photo courtesy: Unsplash

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer. He is also the co-hosts of the For Your Soul podcast, which seeks to equip the church with biblical truth and sound doctrine. Visit his blog Blessed Are The Forgiven.

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