PHOTOSWho Is Carl Lentz? Learn About The Hillsong Pastor & Justin Bieber's Former Pal
New York megachurch pastor Carl Lentz — known for advising A-list celebrities — was fired earlier this week from his position at Hillsong because of “moral failures.”
Most notably Lentz was the spiritual adviser to pop royalty Justin Bieber for many years. The “Yummy” singer lived with the pastor for a brief time in Lentz’s New Jersey home in 2014 while he tried to overcome his addictions to Xanax and women.
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“I grieved very intensely over the whole situation,” Hailey Bieber told Vogue about her husband's struggles with addiction. “I just wanted him to be happy and be good and be safe and feel joy. But I’m really proud of him. To do it without a program, and to stick with it without a sober coach or AA or classes — I think it’s extraordinary. He is, in ways, a walking miracle.”
Lentz was fired from Hillsong’s New York City location, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Hillsong Church Senior Pastor Brian Houston.
“This action has been taken following ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust,” it read.
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Houston thanked Lentz and his wife, Laura, who was also a pastor at the church, for their service, adding, “After a time of rest and restoration, God will use Carl in another way outside of Hillsong Church.”
Hillsong did not go into specific details as to why they terminated Lentz and said they would not be making any more public comments on the ordeal: “It would not be appropriate for us to go into detail about the events that led to this decision.”
So who is Carl Lentz? Scroll through to get to know the Hillsong pastor and former adviser to Justin Bieber.
He Has Three Children
Lentz is a family man. He has two daughters, Ava and Roman, and one son, Charlie.
He Is A Former Athlete
The pastor attended North Carolina State University and was a walk-on player for the school's men's basketball team.
He Was Very Young When He Started Hillsong NYC
He met Joel Houston, Hillsong founder Brian Houston's son, when he was 20-years-old. That is when he had the idea of opening a Hillsong campus in New York City.
He’s Had Many A-list Followers
Justin Bieber wasn't his only A-list celebrity worshiper. Lentz also advised Kylie and Kendall Jenner as well at Brooklyn Nets stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, according to GQ.
He’s An Advocate For Racial Equality
Lentz is consistently posting on his Instagram touting support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
