Staff at the celebrity mega-church Hillsong used the organization as a dating service, had inappropriate relations with volunteers and ask...
Staff at the celebrity mega-church Hillsong used the organization as a dating service, had inappropriate relations with volunteers and asked them to send nude photos of themselves, whistleblowers have claimed.
The volunteers said the church, which has recently been rocked by the revelations that former leader Carl Lentz cheated on his wife of 17 years, was a 'breeding ground for unchecked abuse'.
The scale led a group of high-level volunteers to send a letter to leaders in 2018, warning of the stories circulating about 'inappropriate' sexual behavior, according to Page Six.
Hillsong is reeling from scandal in which New York head pastor Carl Lentz (left) cheated on his wife of 17 years, Laura (right) and was sacked from his church job for it earlier this month.
The letter was sent to at least seven members of the top leaders of the US branch of the Australian church, which boasts Justin Bieber, Chris Pratt, Selena Gomez and Kourtney Kardashian among its members.
One person employed by Hillsong was asked to step down after he had 'multiple inappropriate sexual relationships with several female leaders and volunteers and was verbally, emotionally, and according to one woman, physically abusive in his relationships with these women', the letter claimed.
The same employee was also caught having sex with a church leader, the group claimed.
Fasion designer Ranim Karim, 34, who had an affair with Carl Lentz, 42, sparking the scandal
The volunteer letter also accused another male staffer of having sex with a female team member aged 19 to 20,
It stated he did 'not respect physical and sexual boundaries within dating relationships with female church volunteers'.
There was a culture of fear and an absence of sexual harassment and assault policy at the mega-church, the group said in the letter.
They claimed: 'This environment is dangerous and a breeding ground for unchecked abuse.'
Certain pastors and staff responded to complaints from volunteers with verbal abuse, the letter claimed.
It is not clear how leaders, including Lentz, responded to the letter after it was sent.
Justin Bieber was baptized by Lentz (pictured together in 2017) who was sacked by the church for 'moral failures'
The new allegations come after a series of revelations about the church which was set up in 1983.
Lentz, 42, confessed on social media last month to having an affair with fashion designer Ranim Karim, 34, after he was sacked for 'moral failures'.
Ms Karim then spilled details of their sordid affair, drunken nights together and how he told her that she was the best sex he'd ever had.
Lentz and his wife, who are parents to Charlie, 16, Ava, 14, and Roman, 11, are said to be seeking professional help to mend their marriage.
Church founder Brian Houston (pictured) wrote to members acknowledging 'a recent revelation of moral failures' by the pastor, and claimed he fired Lentz as soon as he found out about his infidelity
Hillsong founder Brian Houston has said there would be a full investigation into the church in the wake of the scandal surrounding Lentz, who baptized Justin Bieber.
Lentz's firing became public when Houston wrote to members acknowledging 'a recent revelation of moral failures' by the pastor, and claimed he fired Lentz as soon as he found out about his infidelity.
But sources revealed senior church members were warned of Lentz's 'inappropriate sexual behavior' over three years ago.
According to one insider, in July 2017 a Hillsong member wrote to one of the church's directors on email with allegations that some Hillsong leaders were texting nude photos to female volunteers, and that Lentz had been accused of making one volunteer 'extremely uncomfortable' after he 'acted inappropriately', was 'extremely flirtatious', and 'has been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with different women'.
Houston has said there would be a full investigation into the church in the wake of the scandal surrounding Lentz (pictured with his wife Laura and three children)
According to the source, the sender, a former Hillsong New York community group leader, sent the email to an executive of the church's Boston campus.
His email said a former Hillsong volunteer had come forward to him claiming Lentz 'acted inappropriately' with her, was 'extremely flirtatious' and made her her feel 'extremely uncomfortable.'
The church group leader said in the email that the whistleblower had spoken in confidence to him, alleging that Lentz had also been involved in 'inappropriate sexual behavior' with other women in the megachurch's backstage area called the Green Room.
According to the source, who has close links with Hillsong top brass, the email said that when the whistleblower had previously approached church leadership about the alleged sexual misconduct, nothing was done.
A month later a senior member of Hillsong New York wrote a terse email in response, claiming the allegations were all false.
The source claims the email said the New York branch had conducted an 'internal review' and found no evidence supporting the claims against Lentz.
The email, according to the source, accused the community group leader of causing 'more harm than good' and fostering a 'false narrative'.
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