On his INSTAGRAM account, Carl Lentz, the former senior pastor of Hillsong NYC, talks about the reasons that he was fired.
“Our time at HillsongNYC has come to an end,” he wrote next to a photo of his family together. “This is a hard ending to what has been the most amazing, impacting and special chapter of our lives.”
Yesterday, Hillsong Church Global Senior Pastor Brian Houston announced, “Hillsong Church East Coast advised our congregation that we have terminated the employment of Pastor Carl Lentz. …This action has been taken following ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.”
Lentz said that his leadership did not honor the church and 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.”
The pastor suggests that he neglected his spiritual life leading to life in “a spiritually empty place” and also didn’t reach out for help when he started falling into sin. Internet rumors have been rife with demands for more transparency about what happened. In his statement, Lentz filled in some of the details.
“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.”
Lentz says that he is seeking out help and working on healing his relationship with his wife Laura and children. He asks for forgiveness from his flock and hopes that he can “live a life where trust is earned again.” He thanked the leaders of Hillsong United for giving “us a voice that you have me never stifled or tried to silence.” Lentz says he doesn’t know what he and his family will be doing in the future.
Hillsong’s Houston wrote, They have a heart for people and we are confident that after a time of rest and restoration, God will use Carl in another way outside of Hillsong church.”
The New York City church is starting the process of selecting a new senior pastor.
Read his whole statement on INSTAGRAM.
