I have my own hunches about what’s too fast and what’s appropriate. Also, who are these 2 percent people who said “not at all”? That takes time - to witness, and to cultivate. But liking someone’s podcast or books or Instagram presence is not the same as personal knowledge of their character and integrity. We may get a sense about them, a whole vibe, from afar. It’s important to remember that most of us don’t actually know these platformed leaders. None of us can know whether Lentz resembles Paul’s pastoral qualifications two-plus years after his leaving Hillsong. Character traits mentioned there include being above reproach, self-controlled, sensible, able to teach, gentle, not greedy, and having “a good reputation among outsiders” (3:7). Paul writes about qualifications for pastoral leaders in 1 Timothy 3. As such, its leaders called to be set apart. It’s called out to be the very people of God to proclaim the Good News to a watching world. The church is to be set apart it isn’t just another human institution or, God forbid, another business. When that does not happen, a change needs to be made and has been made in this case to ensure that standard is upheld.”Ĭarl is right. That it honors the church, and that it honors God. “When you accept the calling of being a pastor, you must live in such a way that it honors the mandate. The day after his firing went public, Lentz wrote , And, a leaked report on the leadership culture of Hillsong East Coast found evidence of abuse, secrecy, and misconduct. A former nanny of the Lentzes has accused him of sexual abuse. Later, Hillsong leaders said they found evidence that Lentz had had multiple affairs. If the Hillsong story sounds messy, it very much is.) In addition, last month Hillsong found evidence of lavish spending among former top leaders, such as $150,000 in church funds being used for a retreat in Cancun, $16,000 being used for custom skateboards (?), and $37,000 on flowers. He is currently awaiting a ruling from an Australia court for failing to report his father’s molestation of a minor to authorities. ( QUICK HILLSONG RECAP: Houston himself resigned in 2022 after the church launched an investigation into inappropriate behavior. In late 2020, Lentz was fired over “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures,” according to the statement from Hillsong founding pastor Brian Houston. Lentz and Bieber, who claimed Lentz as like a “second father,” then ended the relationship after news of Lentz’s infidelity. (*I’ll get to questions of timing shortly.) Qualifications for Pastors And it’s not loving to quickly* bring a fellow Christian back to the spotlight, when it’s the spotlight that quickened their fall from grace in the first place. Personal transformation is different from public responsibility. And so on.īut redemption is not the same as restoration to church leadership. God is in the business of redeeming lives. No one is the sum of their darkest moments. Christians, of all people, are to be gracious and quick to forgive, since we believe God has extended immeasurable grace to us in the person of Christ. When people of faith raise concerns about disqualified leaders returning to ministry, it can seem mean-spirited or hard of heart. Gambling jokes aside (I have been to Las Vegas once, with my parents we spent a lot of time birdwatching in the desert), it brings me no joy to see disgraced pastors return to church ministry, when church ministry was the context that likely spurred their downfall in the first place. Michael Todd published "Crazy Faith" with WaterBrook in 2021 Carl Lentz published "Own the Moment" with Simon & Schuster in 2017.
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