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Former Hillsong East Coast senior pastor Carl Lentz, dismissed in late 2020 for an admitted extra-marital affair, took to social media this week to thank family and friends for their support during a challenging time, and let them know that he and his family are on the road to recovery, and are excited about what’s ahead for them.
Fired by Hillsong—a church body that has been embroiled in scandal over the past year—for marital infidelity, Lentz said on Instagram that he and his family have overcome many hurdles, including his wife Laura’s bouts with post-traumatic stress and depression.
Lentz says he has made his peace with God about his indiscretion and, although the immediate future is uncertain for his family, they’re looking ahead with great anticipation.
“It’s been a challenging road, but we are alive, we are at peace and thanks to the grace of God we are together,” Lentz says. “We’re not sure what the future holds for us, but we do know that we face it as a family and for that, I am so thankful.
“My deepest thanks to our friends and family that have shown us unconditional love and grace when we have desperately needed it. Forever grateful … we are hopeful about what is ahead.”
A new set of photos marks Lentz’s first social media post since November 2020, when he revealed his affair and announced he had been let go by Hillsong East Coast.
“When you accept the calling of being a pastor, you must live in such a way that it honors the mandate,” he said then. “That it honors the church, and that it honors 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.
“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. I am deeply sorry for breaking the trust of many people who we have loved serving and understand that this news can be very hard and confusing for people to hear and process.”
In the months that followed, it was revealed that Hillsong senior founder Brian Houston had “breached the church’s code of conduct with at least two women, which led to his resignation earlier this year in March.
Lentz’s wife Laura also took to Instagram this week to let believers know that it’s been a long, hard road for the Lentz family, but that they are well on their way to recovery and that she is “proud”. She also encouraged others who are in the same situation.
“Yep, it has been challenging, and … yeah, it’s taken a lot of work the past 22 months (but who’s counting) to make our marriage what it has become,” Laura Lentz says. “We will never stop working on ourselves, for this marriage and for our kids!
“I know there are many that don’t or would never do what I chose to do, and that’s ok. It’s not for everyone! I look forward to sharing our story, how I came to that conclusion and I think it’s going to help a lot of people.
“But I am so proud of my husband & for the responsibility he’s taken! Mostly I’m grateful for a man who humbled himself and didn’t try to defend himself. He has kept quiet publicly and he has remained focused on the one thing that matters most—our family!”
Many within the church may not choose to forgive Lentz for his sin, but Romans 3:23 reads, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him” (Daniel 9:9).
“Therefore, brothers, let it be known to you that through this Man, forgiveness of wins is proclaimed to you” (Acts 13:38).
Shawn A. Akers is the online editor for Charisma Media.
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