There's nothing stronger than family.
Carl Lentz took to social media to show that his family remains strong and united following allegations of infidelity and abuse against the former pastor for the megachurch Hillsong.
"Its been a challenging road but we are alive, we are at peace and thanks to the grace of God we are TOGETHER," Carl, 43, wrote on Instagram Sept. 14, along with a series of snaps which included his wife Laura Lentz and their three children, Charlie, Ava and Roman. "Not sure what the future holds for us, but we do know that we face it as a family and for that I am so thankful."
He continued, "My deepest thanks to our friends and family that have shown us such unconditional love and grace when we have desperately needed it. Forever grateful.. we are hopeful about what is ahead!"
Laura shared one of the photos on her own Instagram page and echoed the sentiment, acknowledging that it's "taken a lot of work to make our marriage what it has become."
"We will never stop working on ourselves, for this marriage and for our kids," she wrote. "I know there are many that don't or would never do what I chose to do, and that's ok, it's not for everyone!! I look forward to sharing our story, how I came to that conclusion and I think it's going to help a lot of people."
Laura further noted she was proud of her husband "for the responsibility he's taken" and continuing to put her family first.
"Mostly I'm grateful for a man who humbled himself & didn't try to defend himself," she continued. "He has kept quiet publicly and he has remained focused on the one thing that matters most-our family."
In November 2020, Carl, 43, was fired from Hillsong, once frequented by celebrities like Justin Bieber, Kourtney Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens, for "moral failures" after news of infidelity surfaced.
In response, Carl admitted on Instagram that he didn't practice the messages Hillsong preaches and accepted the consequences of his actions.
"When you accept the calling of being a pastor, you must live in such a way that it honors the mandate," he shared in November 2020. "That it honors the church, and that it honors God. When that does not happen, a change needs to be made and has been made in this case to ensure that standard is upheld."
In the statement, he also admitted to cheating on his wife.
"When you lead out of an empty place, you make choices that have real and painful consequences," he continued. "I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that. This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions."
Later that year, multiple media outlets reported that Carl entered an outpatient facility that focuses on treating depression, anxiety and "pastoral burnout."
In May 2021, Hillsong Church Boston co-pastor Leona Kimes alleged that Carl subjected her "to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse" in the former pastor's home over the course of seven years.
In a statement to Religion News Service, Carl and Laura said they both, "vehemently deny the allegations and, in addition to that, have irrefutable proof the events did not happen as they are being described."
The scandal was further explored in the 2022 documentary Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, now streaming on discovery+.