My Husband Confronts His Ex-Pastor Carl Lentz from Hillsong Church

My Husband Confronts His Ex-Pastor Carl Lentz from Hillsong Church

From Happy & Healthy with Jeanine Amapola Ward by Jeanine Amapola

March 24, 2026 · 1h 37m · Season 7

About this episode

Carl Lentz discusses his journey of redemption and the challenges faced during his time at Hillsong Church.

We sit down with Carl Lentz, ex-Hillsong pastor, and we didn’t feel like we were talking to a “celebrity pastor” or someone from headlines—It felt like we were talking to a real human being who has walked through the fire and come out on the other side. This episode honestly felt different… like one of those conversations that stays with you. What stood out to me the most is how honest he was. No excuses. No pretending. Just real ownership of his mistakes, his pain, and his growth. He talked about how small compromises turned into bigger ones… how pressure and fame didn’t create his issues, but exposed what was already there. And instead of running from it, he leaned into healing. We also talked about Hillsong, what it was, what it wasn't, Carl's forthcoming book, and so much more. In This Episode 02:00 – Introducing Carl Lentz & His Redemption Journey 04:30 – Carl’s Early Life + Finding Faith 07:00 – Hillsong College: The Good, Bad & Misconceptions 12:00 – Church Culture, Pressure & “Stage Time” Conversations 17:00 – Leadership, Words & Influence Responsibility 20:00 – Fame, Justin Bieber & Platform Pressure 28:00 – Burnout, Hustle Culture & Ministry Pace 33:30 – What He Would…

People in this episode

Host: Jeanine Amapola

Guest: Carl Lentz

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hillsong Church

More episodes of Happy & Healthy with Jeanine Amapola Ward

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Happy & Healthy with Jeanine Amapola Ward podcast page.