If you’re expecting pastors in long, black robs who are pregnant with the preaching of God, you’ve come to the wrong place at Hillsong Church. Here the representatives of God wear expensive watches, fashionable jeans and occasionally – oh dear – even have tattoos.
In the past, Justin and Hailey Bieber, among others, have walked in and out of church services in the USA, and Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger have also been seen at Hillsong events. But the Christian free church is also active in Germany. In the new podcast “Toxic Church – The Hillsong Story”, journalist Kyra Funk (who used to be a journalist at stern) examines the structures of the church. Former members tell Funk of exploitation, manipulation and psychological abuse.
But the topic of community within the church is also heard in the podcast. “It’s about implacable obedience and mania for growth in the name of the Lord. But it’s also about socio-political influence. Because Hillsong belongs to the Pentecostal movement – the fastest growing religious movement in the world,” according to the official statement from “Toxic Church”.
In the past, the American Hillsong Church made headlines mainly because of ex-pastor Carl Lentz. Lentz, who baptized Justin Bieber, was a particularly typical-looking Hillsong pastor. He wears skinny jeans, a leather jacket, deep necklines, and tattoos adorn his body. As progressive as the public image of Lentz and Hillsong, the values ??conveyed by the church are conservative. She is against abortion and considers homosexuality a sin.
In 2020, Bieber’s pal Lentz was fired for “moral failure.” He himself revealed the background on his Instagram account. “I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship of my life, and I was held accountable for it. This failure is my responsibility and I alone take full responsibility for my actions,” he wrote. He has “failed to do an adequate job over the years to protect my own spirit, replenish my own soul, and reach for the readily available help that is available,” the pastor explained.
In September last year, Lentz reported back to Instagram. “It’s been a tough road, but we’re still alive. We’ve found our peace and by the grace of God we’re together,” he wrote alongside a photo of himself with his family.
If you want to know more about the structures of Hillsong in Germany and are interested in reports, we recommend “Toxic Church”. Since 29.3. the podcast runs on all common podcast platforms, a new episode every week.
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Celebrity pastor Carl Lentz fired from church for infidelity – affair calls him a “narcissist”
