Hillsong, the Australian Christian megachurch attended by Justin Bieber and a host of other celebrities, has fired one of its American leaders, Pastor Carl Lentz, for what it described as “breaches of trust” and “moral failures.” Lentz co-founded the popular New York City branch of the church in 2010 and rose to fame via a star-studded congregation and Justin Bieber’s 2014 detox that entailed moving in with the priest. A Nov. 4 email from the church’s founder Brian Houston reads, “This action has been taken following ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.” Houston did not specify the nature of these offenses. Lentz has yet to offer a response to the news.
