Former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz was spotted for the first time since he ended his 30-day rehab, where he spent Christmas and New Year, snuggling with his wife while doing errands in California.
The deposed leader of the mega-church, 42, who is known to be a close friend of celebrities like Justin Bieber, looked a little worse with his hair grown up as he headed for Target in Redondo Beach with his Australian wife Laura for a morning run message on Sunday.
Laura, whom he married in 2003 and who shares three children, was seen wearing her wedding ring on her finger and her arm around Carl’s for the ride.
The couple have been together since Carl, who worked with Hillsong for 10 years and was the chief pastor of his New York branch, was fired in November for having an affair and admitted to cheating on his wife.
Former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz was spotted for the first time since he ended his 30-day rehab, where he spent Christmas and New Year, snuggling with his wife while doing errands in California on Sunday
The deposed leader of the mega-church, 42, who is known to be a close friend of celebrities like Justin Bieber, looked a little worse with his hair grown up as he headed for Target in Redondo Beach with his Australian wife Laura for a morning run message Sunday
Putting themselves on a united front: Laura, with whom Carl shares three children, was seen with her wedding ring on her finger and her arm around Carl’s for the ride
Moving forward together: after Carl was fired, the family left New York and moved to California
In early December, Carl entered a treatment program to treat mental health problems after his resignation, at an outpatient clinic specializing in ‘depression, anxiety and pastoral burnout’, according to People magazine.
“He wants to be better for his family and is dedicated to doing the job,” a source told the magazine at the time. ‘Your family is supporting you and hopes that your privacy will be respected on this journey.’
They added: ‘He has no ill will towards the church and recognizes that they needed to do something to resolve their mistakes.’
During his 10 years at Hillsong, Lentz adopted a modern way of dressing and fostered friendships with young celebrities to help boost the image of the church, even when he publicly said that homosexuality and abortion were sins.
But a statement by Hillsong founder Brian Houston on November 4, announced that he had been removed from his post due to ‘ongoing discussions on issues of leadership and breach of trust, in addition to a recent revelation of moral flaws. ‘.
“They have a heart for people and we are confident that after a time of rest and restoration, God will use Carl in another way outside Hillsong Church,” the statement continues. “By the end of his term, we in no way want to diminish the good work he has done here.”
All eyes on her: although Carl never said who he was with, New York stylist Ranin Karim, 34, went public after the scandal broke, claiming she ended her months-long secret relationship in early November.
Despite the infidelity, Lentz’s wife, Laura, appears to be with him, and his family supports him.
In early December, Carl entered a treatment program to treat mental health problems after his resignation, at an outpatient clinic specializing in ‘depression, anxiety and pastoral burnout’. “He wants to be better for his family and is dedicated to doing the job,” said a source. ‘Your family is supporting you and hopes that your privacy will be respected on this journey.’
Hillsong founder Brian Houston on November 4 announced that Carl had been removed from his post because of ‘ongoing discussions on issues of leadership and breach of trust, in addition to a recent revelation of moral flaws’. It is unclear what Carl will do next after his high profile resignation
Carl had worked for Hillsong for 10 years before being invited. Laura grew up in the church and was also removed from work there
Before rehab: Carl photographed taking a break in gym clothes after moving to his Manhattan Beach mansion in November
Lentz was a pastor at the Hillsong branch in New York, although he appears to also spend a lot of time on the West Coast.
The scandal seems to have impacted his relationship with Bieber and his wife Hailey, as they both stopped following him on Instagram after spending a lot of time with him.
Last year, Lentz christened Bieber and even chaired his wedding.
In December, DailyMail.com reported exclusively on Houston audio addressing key religious leaders and donors, in which he claimed that Lentz had ‘more than one case’ that led to his dismissal.
He called them ‘significant’ and added that some ‘bad moral behavior had returned historically’, although he was not referring to these recent cases, which were apparently consensual.
Lentz’s Instagram post where he confessed to cheating on his wife, Laura, 17
Playing the role: Lentz adopted a modern style of dress and surrounded himself with celebrities like Justin Bieber, although he publicly called homosexuality and abortion sin; seen in 2017
Several women: Lentz was a pastor at the Hillsong branch in New York for 10 years before being fired. In private recordings, the founder of Hillsong said that he has maintained several cases
Shortly after the scandal broke, New York designer Ranin Karim said she had a months-long affair with him.
The Egyptian and Palestinian designer says the relationship started after a casual encounter at Domino Park in New York. Karim said the pair started their ‘love story’ against the backdrop of Covid-19 and found comfort in each other during the strange period.
The 34-year-old man said Lentz would ‘brag about his BMW’ and talk about his friendship with pop star Justin Bieber.
Lentz christened Bieber at church and also touched shoulders with other celebrities, such as Drake, Vanessa Hudgens and several NBA stars.
According to her, Lentz always gave the first name and claimed to be a sports agent.
When Karim found out that Lentz was married, she claims that she told him to close the case.
‘When I found out he was married, I told him several times’ go back to your wife, go back to your family’, but he kept showing up in the lobby of my building with bottles of Clase Azul tequila for us to drink, she said.
“He said he felt bad about what he was doing to his wife, that she was a good and amazing woman, that he had never done that before, but his marriage was not perfect.”
Karim believes that Lentz was looking for a way out of his ‘boring’ marriage.
Lentz’s wife, Laura, discovered the case because Lentz had synced his iPhone messages with his iCloud. She discovered messages from Karim to him on his work computer while in Hillsong’s offices, surrounded by co-workers.
Despite the alleged cases, Lentz’s wife, Laura, appears to be with him, and his family supports him.