The Secrets of Hillsong, FX’s buzzy new documentary, lifts the curtain on decades-long misconduct on the megachurch as soon as recognized for its tremendous well-known congregants — and the four-part collection options the primary interviews with Carl and Laura Lentz since their very public ouster three years in the past.
Carl, often called the “celebrity pastor,” was the face of Hillsong New York, credited with making Christianity “cool” for a new technology. He was recognized for his glossy fashion (even GQ-profile worthy), hip sermons and, of course, being BFFs with Justin Bieber. But in 2020, Carl’s world got here crashing down when he was abruptly fired for “moral failures.” It wasn’t simply the previous pastor’s extramarital affairs that garnered headlines. Hillsong, billed as a progressive church, was essentially very conservative rooted in beliefs from its evangelist founder, Brian Houston. In the documentary, ex-congregants accuse individuals on the prime of racism, sexual abuse, homophobia and volunteer exploitation.
As it seems, ethical failures throughout the group return generations. Secrets of Hillsong director Stacey Lee tells Yahoo Entertainment the scandal with its popular culture hook is in the end a “significant and important” story that must be advised.
“I think this is a story of our time,” she says. “This is a story not just of religion, but where we are culturally.”
Lee asks, “Why are we willing to put idols up on a pedestal and then we’re surprised when they fall?”
The motive most individuals learn about Hillsong might be as a result of of Carl, and the primary episode units up the attract of its star pastor: “It felt like he was preaching just to me and it was life-changing,” one former member declares. Lee says she deliberately needed to point out “how magnetic and incredible Carl was as a speaker.” Just as evangelical church buildings in the ’80s and ’90s relied on televisions to disseminate their messages, Hillsong, which originated in Australia, tapped into social media.
“Instagram enabled this image of church — particularly a pastor who’s young, hip, good looking, wearing a leather jacket — like the antithesis of church. It just was the perfect fodder for Instagram and unlike TVs, Instagram is immediate and it’s global,” Lee explains. (Both Instagram and Hillsong New York launched in 2010.) “Hillsong had all these interesting kind of facets… they could have this ironic hip progressive tone of voice that ran counter to this very conservative style of church that a lot of people had kind of grown up with.”
Hillsong’s recognition erupted as influencer tradition took off. At its top in 2015, there have been 30 Hillsong areas world wide producing $100 million, largely untaxed. Hillsong had a mean world attendance of 150,000 individuals weekly in 30 nations. As for the celeb issue, Lee thinks Hillsong particularly appealed to stars who typically felt “isolated” or “alone” with fame. Hillsong additionally had a secret weapon.
“I think Carl himself was very important,” she explains. “Like you cannot underestimate the power of him as a public speaker… how he presented himself was a celebrity in his own right. So, he was trading in circles where other celebrities might be. He kind of became a magnet, not just for celebrities that were seeking something and a community to help support their life, but also because he was one too.”
Hailey Bieber, Selena Gomez, Kourtney Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner are just some massive names who attended providers. But Hillsong was most synonymous with Justin as he ceaselessly spoke about his shut bond with Carl. In 2014, the pop star moved in with Letnzs amid a private disaster the place he detoxed at their residence. In 2017, when Bieber abruptly canceled the rest of a live performance tour, he leaned on the Lentzs. The “Holy” singer even interned at Hillsong whereas he refocused on his non secular religion. It was reported Carl and Justin had a falling out in 2018, so it is not too shocking that the singer declined to take part in the docuseries.
“We certainly reached out to [former celebrity members] and I think you can kind of understand why they didn’t want to talk in regards to this because they, too, felt like they were victims as well, you know?” Lee tells Yahoo. “[Justin] so publicly was affiliated with Carl and I think there’s a sense personally for, you know, anyone whose placed a lot of trust publicly in someone — when that person falls I don’t think it can necessarily reflect positively on your own decisions for being associated with them.”
Getting Carl and Laura to take part on digital camera took “months,” Lee says. After the scandal, the Lentzs primarily disappeared. In the present, viewers be taught they relocated to Sarasota, Fla. with their three youngsters. Carl lately revealed on Instagram he and Laura celebrated their twentieth marriage ceremony anniversary. (“For the last 3 years my entire focus has been fighting for my wife and my kids,” Lentz wrote in a prolonged publish. “In order to do that, seeking sobriety and healing had to run parallel with those goals.”)
When Lee signed on to direct the venture, she says she made it clear to Carl “that this wasn’t just going to be [a documentary] about how you’re feeling, what are you up to now, you know, spill the beans. It was also him answering some very concerning and troubling claims that had been made against him. That was very clear from the onset.”
In Secrets of Hillsong, Carl admits to dishonest on Laura a number of occasions. He reveals he had a dependency on Adderall. One of his extramarital relationships was with married Hillsong member Leona Kimes, who additionally labored as their nanny. Kimes accused him of emotional manipulation and sexual abuse, the latter of which he flatly denies.
“I am responsible for allowing an inappropriate relationship to develop in my house with someone who worked for us. Any notion of abuse is categorically false. There were mutual adult decisions made by two people who lied profusely, mainly to my wife,” Carl says in the second episode, however admits there was an off-balance energy dynamic between them. After the scandal erupted three years in the past, Carl says he “thought about vacating the planet.”
“The goal of this documentary is truth,” Lee continues. “Hillsong was incredible at the PR facade for so long. It wasn’t until Carl fell that there was this first chink in the armor with which to examine the church with this slightly more critical eye.”
In 2022, Hillsong founder Brian Houston, a mentor of Carl’s, resigned after an inner investigation discovered he had breached the church’s code of conduct by behaving inappropriately towards two ladies. Months earlier, Brian stepped away and was criminally charged for allegedly masking up allegations that his late father, pastor Frank Houston, sexually abused a younger boy. The documentary investigates additional allegations of sexual abuse in opposition to Frank many years prior. (Brian pleaded not responsible and a verdict is predicted in June.) Additional felony fees in opposition to Brian are anticipated associated to Hillsong’s alleged monetary malfeasance. Hillsong’s tax exemption standing in Australia is in jeopardy.
Hillsong’s recognition is under no circumstances what it was in the peak of Carl’s period. As of March 2023, solely six out of 16 Hillsong areas stay in the U.S. Hillsong New York solely has round 500 congregates per week, in line with the docuseries.
Brian denied repeated requests to be interviewed in The Secrets of Hillsong. Aside from Carl and Laura, the collection options poignant conversations with many previous congregants who communicate in regards to the discrimination and disappointment they confronted and the way that reckoned with their religion.
“When people fall or they are not held accountable to the same standards that the rest of us are, it’s incredibly problematic. And even more so in a church, which is supposed to be a safe place, a place of refuge, a place where if you are in trouble, you can turn to for help. And I think so much of what we saw within this church institution is that was twisted,” Lee says.
“For anyone watching this, it’s really about being able to understand and perhaps have your eyes wide open as you walk into any of these situations. What are you a part of? And why are you there? Because if that comes from a place of spirituality and community and the people that you are a part of are reflecting that, then that’s great,” she provides. “But there’s also obviously a number of cases at this point in time, Hillsong included, where ultimately you come thinking it’s a church and it’s a safe place, and it’s found to be something very, very different.”
The Secrets of Hillsong premieres Thursday, May 19 at on 10 p.m. on FX.
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