The rise was meteoric. The fall? Well, that was a lot faster. For a long time, Carl Lentz was the face of a new kind of Christianity. He wasn't just a pastor; he was a "hypepriest." You probably saw him in those paparazzi shots, usually wearing a leather jacket and expensive sneakers, walking alongside Justin Bieber or hanging out with the Kardashians. He made Hillsong NYC the place to be on a Sunday morning.
But then, everything shattered in November 2020.
If you’re wondering what happened to Carl Lentz, you’re not alone. The story didn't end with a single Instagram apology. It evolved into a messy saga of documentaries, allegations of abuse, a move to Oklahoma, and a very deliberate attempt to rebrand. Honestly, it’s a lot to keep track of.
The Breaking Point: November 2020
It started with a vague email from Brian Houston, the founder of Hillsong. He cited "leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures." That’s church-speak for something went very wrong.
The world soon found out what those "failures" were. Lentz admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, Laura. Shortly after, a New York City designer named Ranin Karim went public, detailing a months-long affair she had with the pastor. She said she didn't even know who he was at first. He told her he was a sports agent.
But the affair with Karim was only the tip of the iceberg.
The Nanny Allegations
The situation turned much darker in 2021. Leona Kimes, who had been the nanny for the Lentz family and a staff member at Hillsong, came forward with devastating claims. She accused Carl Lentz of "manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse" over a period of seven years.
Lentz has since denied the abuse part. In the 2023 FX documentary The Secrets of Hillsong, he admitted to a relationship with Kimes but called it "mutual adult decisions." He framed it as a "breach of trust" rather than abuse. However, experts and former congregants pointed out the massive power imbalance between a lead pastor and his employee. It wasn't just a "mistake"; it was a systemic failure of leadership.
Where Is He Now? The Oklahoma Shift
After disappearing from the public eye for nearly two years—reportedly spending time in an outpatient facility for "pastoral burnout" and mental health—Lentz resurfaced in an unexpected place: Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In March 2023, news broke that Transformation Church, led by the high-energy Pastor Michael Todd, had hired Lentz. But he isn't a "pastor" there. He’s a "strategist."
Basically, he’s working behind the scenes.
Lentz was quick to clarify on Instagram that he is "no longer in ministry." He told his followers he isn't preaching and isn't overseeing people. Instead, he’s using his experience (and presumably his mistakes) to help the church "move forward." This move sparked a massive debate. Some people believe in second chances and "restoration." Others think it’s way too soon for someone with that track record to be anywhere near church leadership, even in a strategy role.
The Rebrand: "Lights On"
By mid-2024, the silence was officially over. Lentz launched a podcast called Lights On with Carl Lentz.
The marketing for it was pretty intense. One of the teaser videos featured the text: "I’M NOT BACK. THAT GUY IS GONE." It’s clear he’s trying to distance himself from the "rockstar" persona he had in New York. On the podcast, he and Laura talk about their marriage, the "hell" they went through, and his struggle with an Adderall addiction that he says fueled his poor choices.
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He sounds different now. Less like the cool guy in the VIP section and more like someone who’s been through the ringer. Whether you believe the transformation is genuine or just a clever PR play depends on who you ask.
What most people get wrong
There’s a common misconception that Lentz was the only problem at Hillsong. If you watch the documentaries or read the internal reports, it’s clear the culture itself was a pressure cooker. Brian Houston—the man who fired Lentz—later resigned himself after his own scandals involving inappropriate behavior toward women and alcohol.
Lentz was a symptom of a much larger, celebrity-obsessed culture. He was encouraged to be a star until being a star made him a liability.
Key Facts About the Carl Lentz Scandal
- The Firing: November 4, 2020, via a global church email.
- The Affairs: Admitted to an affair with Ranin Karim; later admitted to an "inappropriate relationship" with the family nanny, Leona Kimes.
- The Addiction: Lentz has since disclosed a significant struggle with Adderall.
- Current Status: Living in Florida/Oklahoma, working as a strategist for Transformation Church, and hosting a podcast.
- The Marriage: Despite the scandals, Carl and Laura Lentz are still together. They celebrated their 20th anniversary recently.
Why Does This Still Matter in 2026?
The story of what happened to Carl Lentz is a case study in "celebrity church culture." It’s about what happens when spiritual leaders become brands.
Even now, people are divided. You've got the group that sees him as a predator who exploited his position. Then you've got the group that sees him as a broken man who is actually doing the work of repentance.
The "actionable" takeaway here isn't about Carl specifically, but about how we view leadership. If you're part of a community—religious or otherwise—where one person is "untouchable" or "above the rules" because of their charisma, that's a red flag. Accountability isn't just a buzzword; it’s a safety net.
If you want to dig deeper into the actual timeline of the Hillsong fallout, you should check out the internal investigation reports that were leaked in 2022. They provide a much more clinical, less "produced" look at the leadership failures than the documentaries do.
Moving forward, the biggest question isn't whether Carl Lentz will ever preach again. It's whether the institutions that created him have actually changed.
If you're following this story, keep an eye on how Transformation Church handles its own rapid growth. History has a funny way of repeating itself when the structures don't change, even if the faces do. You can find more updates on his "restoration" journey through his podcast, but remember to take the narrative with a grain of salt—it’s his platform, after all.