(OPINION) The streaming platform Discovery+ has just released a trailer for a three-part docuseries on Hillsong Church, chronicling the rise — and subsequent fall — of its former New York-based pastor, Carl Lentz.
“Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed” centers on Lentz’s leadership style and the celebrity fandom that surrounded the Pentecostal church, founded in Australia by Pastor Brian Houston, who recently stepped down from his leadership role within the church following allegations he wittingly concealed his father’s alleged child sexual abuse.
Lentz has been dealing with his own set of problems. Known for his celebrity status as a one-time spiritual mentor to pop star Justin Bieber, Lentz, who helmed Hillsong East Coast, was fired from his role in the megachurch after admitting in November 2020 he engaged in an extramarital affair.
“This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said at the time. “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.”
According to Variety, the forthcoming series, premiering March 24, features Ranin Karim, a woman with whom Lentz had an affair. The show will also include commentary from Ben Kirby, known for his “PreachersNSneakers” Instagram account, and Hannah Frishberg, a New York Post reporter who has written extensively about Hillsong. READ MORE
