Photo: Getty Images
Finally, after interminable hours of waiting and wondering and speculating and pacing, an answer to the question keeping the nation on tenterhooks: What ambiguous “moral failings” led to the firing of “rock-star pastor” Carl Lentz from Hillsong Pentecostal megachurch on Wednesday? Was it a “soft” stance on abortion, or his acceptance of LGBTQ+ communities and the Black Lives Matter movement, as some have suggested on our favorite celebrity gossip platform Deux Moi? A rumored penchant for partying, hard? An embarrassment of abs (see below)?
All good guesses, but no! According to Lentz himself, the problem was that he was “unfaithful in [his] marriage,” per a statement posted to Instagram on Thursday.
“When you accept the calling of being a pastor, you must live in such a way that it honors the mandate,” Lentz captioned a photo of him and his family in formalwear. “That it honors the church, and that it honors God. When that does not happen, a change needs to be made and has been made in this case to ensure that standard is upheld.”
Noting that leading Hillsong East Coast has “been the most amazing, impacting and special chapter of our lives,” Lentz continued: “Over the years I did not do an adequate job of protecting my own spirit, refilling my own soul and reaching out for the readily available help that is available. When you lead out of an empty place, you make choices that have real and painful consequences. I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that. This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions.”
The statement is long, and includes an apology “for breaking the trust of many people who we have loved serving.” It follows a tight-lipped yet ominous announcement from Brian Houston, global senior pastor and founder of Hillsong, attributing Lentz’s termination to “ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.”
Historically speaking, though, megachurch leaders have not always been paragons of morality: Allegations of sex abuse, fraud, and general corruption are not entirely uncommon in this space, which may explain some of the rumors surrounding Lentz’s firing. A flashy, label-loving minister, Lentz has been described by GQ as a “hypepriest.” He does not count personal enrichment as a sin, making him a popular choice among Evangelical celebs. For a time, Lentz enjoyed a close personal relationship with Justin Bieber, whom he baptized in 2014 and counseled through a brief 2017 reconciliation with Selena Gomez. (Gomez also belongs to Lentz’s flock, along with Kendall and Kylie Jenner). The pair fell out around the time Bieber proposed to Hailey Bieber (then Baldwin), currently his primary partner in partying and in prayer. But for a while there, Biebs and Lentz were like this:
Bieber has yet to comment on the situation, but we will update if and when more information becomes available.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
See details here >>
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét