Hillsong Ex-Pastor Carl Lentz’s Sex Scandal Is Subject of New Documentary

Quality Stock Arts / shutterstock.com
Quality Stock Arts / shutterstock.com

Some members who used to attend the Hillsong Church (that Carl Lentz used to pastor) have come forward to describe strict dating and sex rules that he imposed on his congregation.

The claims are the focus of a new TLC documentary about the church and the pastor to several Hollywood stars.

Lentz was fired from his position after news surfaced of an affair he was having while married to his wife, Laura.

The beginning of the film titled, “Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed,” has former attendee Jaclyn Hayes talking about Carl’s alleged sex and dating rules for churchgoers.

They were told by Lenz, “You have to date for a whole year before your first kiss.” And he also told his followers not to say “I love you” until they propose. Another former attendee said that women were told how to act and how to dress.

Jaclyn also noted how the topic of sex came up a lot in Carl’s preaching. She remembered questioning if there was some kind of root causing this.

She revealed in the documentary that she and a former partner “fell into sin,” meaning they had sex before marriage.

Jaclyn said that at the end of service, there was an invitation to come back to faith in Jesus Christ and come to the front of the church. She said that her boyfriend raised his hand, so she did, too, and they both went forward. They both began a discussion with Carl Lentz and were honest about their relationship.

Both Jaclyn and her partner were punished by Lentz and told they couldn’t participate on any teams in the church for six months. In addition to losing their church roles, they were told: “We do not think you guys should date, text, call.”

Another documentary was released earlier this year that described the affair Lentz had with his mistress, Ranin Karim. She shared videos sent to her by Carl during their affair.

Carl Lentz shot to stardom while behind the Hillsong pulpit and started rubbing elbows with celebs like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. That star came crashing down when his affair got the spotlight.