A week after announcing it had fired the lead pastor of Hillsong East Coast, Carl Lentz, Hillsong Church says it is commissioning an investigation into the goings-on at its New-York-City-based campus. The church has fielded concerns from “a number of people” following Lentz’s removal.
“We have decided to appoint a New York based legal firm that is not associated or affiliated with Hillsong to conduct an in-depth review and investigation into all concerns and any wider cultural issues,” a statement from Hillsong Church reads.
It’s not clear what kind of complaints leadership of Hillsong Church have received relating to Lentz. Following the announcement that Lentz had been let go from Hillsong East Coast, the pastor admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, Laura.
The high-profile pastor (Lentz is known for baptizing Justin Bieber and rubbing shoulders with other celebrities) has been the subject of numerous tabloid articles recently. A lady who says she had an affair with Lentz indicated the pastor was not forthcoming about his marital status and even lied about his identity.
The full statement from Hillsong Church regarding the investigation is included below:
Since last week’s announcement of a leadership change at Hillsong East Coast, we have heard from a number of people about their experiences and concerns. It is important that we establish the truth and then do everything we can to ensure our church is both a safe place and one that seeks to glorify God in all that we say and do.
For this reason we have decided to appoint a New York based legal firm that is not associated or affiliated with Hillsong to conduct an in-depth review and investigation into all concerns and any wider cultural issues. We are taking this extremely seriously and on the basis of this report, we will be better positioned to take whatever actions are deemed necessary to right the wrongs and see Hillsong East Coast move forward in a way that enables many more people to find hope in Jesus.
