NEW YORK (AP) — Carl Lentz, a pastor from global megachurch Hillsong known for his ministry to athletes and celebrities, has been fired.
He acknowledged on Instagram that he cheated on his wife. Lentz and his wife, Laura, founded the East Coast arm of the Australia-based church in 2010. Justin Bieber and wife Hailey Baldwin both attended Hillsong in Los Angeles.
"This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions. I now begin a journey of rebuilding trust with my wife, Laura and my children and taking real time to work on and heal my own life and seek out the help that I need," Lentz said in his social media post.
Senior global pastor and founder Brian Houston announced the dismissal in a message Wednesday.
He said Lentz was let go after discussions on leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.
Lentz took full responsibility for his behavior said he's now seeking to rebuild the trust of his family. Houston provided no additional details but wished Lentz and his family well.
"We, the Lentz family, don’t know what this next chapter will look like, but we will walk into it together very hopeful and grateful for the grace of God," Lentz said.
