Lights On with Carl Lentz22 Okt 2025

Back In Church Space 5 Years After Everything Fell Apart

What happens when one of the most influential pastors in America falls from grace? And what does redemption look like on the other side of scandal?

As lead pastor of Hillsong Church NYC, I preached to thousands every Sunday, counseled celebrities and athletes, and became the face of a new generation of church leadership. Then, in November 2020, everything came crashing down.

I was fired from Hillsong Church following revelations of moral failures and breaches of trust. What followed was a media firestorm—tabloid headlines, public shame, and the dismantling of everything I'd built over two decades of ministry. My marriage was on the brink. My reputation was destroyed. My calling was questioned.

But this isn't just a story about a fall. It's a story about what comes after.

In this conversation, I'm sitting down with my wife Laura, and our friends Mike and Natalie Todd from Transformation Church, to talk about everything. The scandal. The restoration process. The accountability. The pain our family endured. The friends who stayed. The critics who won't forgive. And the biggest question: Should I return to ministry?

We're not avoiding the hard questions. We're talking about disqualification, forgiveness, celebrity pastor culture, what real restoration looks like, and whether someone who failed publicly can lead again. This is raw, unfiltered, and honest.

Whether you believe in second chances or think some lines can't be uncrossed, this conversation matters. Because at the end of the day, we all mess up. The question is: what happens next?

—

Featuring:

Mike Todd

https://instagram.com/iammiketodd

Natalie Todd

https://instagram.com/natalietodd

Carl Lentz

https://instagram.com/carllentz

Laura Lentz

https://instagram.com/lauralentz

—

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction: First Time on Stage in 5 Years

04:10 - The Importance of Friends in the Fire

09:03 - The Night Everything Changed

14:30 - Why Mike & Natalie Stepped In When Everyone Else Left

24:20 - Laura Speaks: Walking Through Public Scandal

32:40 - The Biggest Mistakes We Made & What We'd Change

37:10 - How We Rebuilt Our Marriage After Everything Fell Apart

41:25 - The Celebrity Pastor Problem Nobody Talks About

45:30 - Lessons From the Fire: What We Learned in the Darkness

49:15 - Don't Wait Until Everything's Burning Down

52:56 - Be the Church Outside the Building

54:33 - When Friends Saved Mike: The Spit Hit the Fan Story

58:23 - Final Prayer: Friends Who Step Into the Fire

—

A huge thank you to Mike and Natalie Todd for creating the space for this conversation.

Their friendship, grace, and willingness to step into the fire with us has been one of the greatest gifts of our lives. This is what real friendship looks like.

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