You may recall many famous pastors Carl Lentzits brand—tattoos, skinny jeans, a mentoring relationship with Justin Bieber and other big names — before he was expelled from Hillsong Church at the end of 2020 and there was news of his marital infidelity. Or you can Are not much memory of Lentz, or Hillsong, or Carl’s expulsion as one of the top pastors of Hillsong’s New York City branch was just the first visible crack in a containment dam. allegations of abuse, corruption and cover-up against the international super-church and its Sydney-based power elite, because more than two years can feel like 10 years after COVID. Fortunately, Hillsong’s Secret have you insurance.
Directed by Stacey Lee (poor play), based Alex France And Dan Adlerreporting to Vanity Fair in “Carl Lentz and the Trouble at Hillsong,” and co-produced by Scout Productions and Vanity Fair Studios, Hillsong’s Secret traces the beginnings of the church, its rise and expansion, its troubling culture of abuse allegations and cover-ups, as well as Lentz’s rapid rise and fall. French and Adler’s February 2021 report is a great place to start with the background, and reporters are filming to help set the scene, along with former Hillsong parishioners, mental health experts cultural spirit, Australian senators—and the once famous Lentz himself. secret met Carl—and his wife of 20 years, Laura— sat in their first interview since the scandal sent them into exile.
Lentzes breaking their silence is not the only reason to make room secret in your weekend viewing schedule. Is that primarily reason? Let’s run down the biggest draws in Hillsong’s Secretthe first two episodes.
Carl continued to record. Lentzes interviews for secret is the couple’s first film since they stepped down as pastors in Hillsong in the fall of 2020, and that prodigal exclusivity is a big part of the franchise’s appeal. document. What will Carl say? What maybe Carl said?
Well, he talks a lot, and I’ll look into the content in a moment, but secret capable of solidly handling another major component of its own appeal, which is Carl himself — whether he’s giving a current interview or appearing in older shoots. In 2010 and 2010, Lentz was everywhere, and the first two episodes of the series explained how that happened. More than one former Hillsong member interviewed for secret describes Lentz’s irresistible charm, recalls his megawatt charm in a sometimes regretful tone, and the truth is, whether you believe in Carl’s hipster gospel or you think it sucks bad, your eyes will immediately go to the guy.
Hillsong’s Secret understand that its summary is not only one see what Carl has to say, or update French and Adler’s investigative files. It is also to acknowledge, and even invite, the liberties of the Carl Lentz/Hillsong scandal—and all celebrity church scandals like it, at least since Aimee Semple McPherson disappeared nearly 100 years ago—evoked in general culture. Carl christened Bieber as an NBA player Tyson Chandler‘s XXL tub; this is not a guy Are not I want people to pay attention to me. At one point during the interview with director Lee, Carl adapted a serene prayer to beg for strength to get through the documentary. Of course, whether viewers see such a moment as profoundly silly or downright silly will vary from person to person. But whatever one thinks of Lentz, as usual, he is well worth watching.
Carl talks specifically about his past. I’ll avoid spoiling the contents, but Carl tries to find reasons—not excuses—for some of his bad behavior, including the affair that brought his family down, as well as his family. like the “compromising view” his wife Laura had previously found in him. with the family nanny, Leona Kime. Carl points out that unhealed trauma from his childhood was the catalyst for his actions. (He’s also guilty, to a lesser extent, of marrying too young, not entirely approving of Hillsong’s “pure forward” approach to intimate relationships.)
And there is a fact that still To be a Carl and Laura. Laura Lentz’s presence is notable in itself, but the fuller portrayal of Lentzes’ marriage presented in the series is full of subtext — especially over context. secret outlines of Hillsong’s early years and Laura’s parents’ close friendship with the founders of Hillsong Brian And Bobbie Houston. secret shed light on ways Laura’s upbringing may have led to her marriage/super-couple with Carl. Exhausted Laura “I have lost everything” as she recalls the last months of 2020, it is clear that she does not see any path leading out of that setup. As with any other marriage, much of the decision-making remains with the individual.
The Lentzes’ secret is Hillsong’s smallest problem. Carl Lentz is a fascinating figure, but he is just the tip of the iceberg in Hillsong (despite testimony from former New York branch members, such as Ashley And Mary Jones, Janice Lagata, Abby Fitzsimmons, And Ajanet round tree, paint a detailed picture of the culture during Lentz’s time at church). secret puts Carl’s scandal in context with descriptions of Hillsong’s larger history of sexist cronyism, not to mention allegations of sexual abuse (including assaults, Frank , Brian Houston’s father, confessed decades ago, although he was never charged) and cover up (of Brian, awaiting his fate in his native Australia in a criminal case surrounding his alleged concealment of his father’s predatory behavior).
