Carl Lentz Issues New Statement ‘I’m Not Preaching…My Role is to Help Give Perspective’
In a new statement from disgraced pastor Carl Lentz, the former head of Hillsong NY revealed that he and his wife are in a great place, that he’s been ignoring all the lies and half-truths about him for the last three years to focus on his family, and that he’s eager to begin working at Transformation church to help others on the same path as him.
In November 2020, Carl Lentz was ousted from the pastorate after it was revealed that he was having an adulterous affair with a New York City-based designer named Ranin Karim. Though his bombshell got him fired ( he should have been terminated a long time ago for having wretched theology and spending church money like a drunken pirate), it was only one of many affairs, according to leaked audio from Hillsong leadership.
Rather than a so-called “one-time mistake,” which is inexcusable but at least partially understandable, Lentz exemplified predatory sexual behavior for years, including long-term grooming behavior and allegations of sexual abuse, which resulted in several sexual encounters and acts of deviance that he instigated.
Last month it was announced that Lentz, who for the previous 30 months had been quiet on all his social media channels, was joining Mike Todd’s Transformation Church in the role of Church strategist, with Executive Pastor Tammy McQuarters offering:” After two years of Carl being in his own discovery and healing process, he has shown readiness to use his God-given gifts towards the local church again. We believe in Carl, his marriage, his skill set, and his restoration.
In a new statement posted to his Instagram, Lentz explains:
For the last 3 years my entire focus has been fighting for my wife and my kids, my family has been my only priority. In order to do that, seeking sobriety and healing had to run parallel with those goals. Honestly nothing else mattered. None of the noise, the lies, none of the half truths that were said about me and or us, mattered. All I wanted was to prove to my wife and kids that I could show up for them like I had never done before.
Although we have a long way to go, with a lot of work, a lot of honesty and a lot of prayer, we have found ourselves in a beautiful, happy and deliberately honest place. So much so that we not only celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on may 5th but we got to do that in the purest way. Unfortunately that came through a lot of humiliation embarrassment and heartache.Part of the healing from that heartache led us to the decision to be a part of a documentary that we do not control, that we don’t have any say in and that we haven’t even seen yet. We’ll see it when the world does. We were not interested in blame shifting or responsibility deflection, we focus on my mistakes and the context for what transpired. I can honestly tell you that when you get to a place of honesty and freedom in your life, when you’ve gone through hell and you realize God is still with you.. It is so freeing. It’s the freedom I wish for all of the many people that I know that are called by God and wrestle with secrets and the feeling of not being worthy. Trust me it led me to some dark places.
And even though I’m at an amazing church that loves and supports us, I’m no longer in ministry. Im not preaching, not overseeing people, my role is to help give perspective and insight where I can. I can also say that what gives me joy and hope is knowing that what I have been through, what I have made it past can help so many others. I can do that in so many different ways, inside and outside the church.
I’m not the first man to be in this situation and I won’t be the last, but I can promise you I’ll be the guy
standing with his arms open wide for anyone who’s been on this path of addiction and destruction. I can say I understand it and my relationship with Jesus in a way that I couldn’t from the pulpit. Repentance and life change is proven over time with consistent choices and that’s a road I look forward to.It truly makes me wonder if this is what all of this pain was all about. From the lows of where I’ve been, to the grace and forgiveness that God has granted me, I have something to share and so does Laura and my kids. With that said I just want to thank you for even taking a moment to read this.
More later.
Sincerely:
Carl
Bonus: While we remain unswayed and skeptical, at least Lentz’s apology wasn’t the pathetic and insincere offering that comedian John Crist’s was.
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“This is a true saying, If a man desire the ‘role of helping to give perspective and insight’, he desireth a good work.
I always wish the best for a man and his family, and I hope his repentance is genuine, but this man does not need to even be in this strange role. He should submit himself to the leadership of an actual Bible-believing church and just get a regular job. But he’s ‘Carl Lentz’, so that will probably never be good enough.
Agreed. there’s nothing wrong with trying to lead a peaceable, quiet life in repentance and service to God.
Living a ‘peaceable and quiet life’ is severely underrated
And I too hope his repentance is sincere and complete. For both his eternal soul and also for his relationship with his wife and family.