Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Joins Transformation Church in Tulsa

In his first staff position at a church since his removal as lead pastor at Hillsong New York, Carl Lentz is joining Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Transformation Church is a massive nondenominational church in a city filled with them, and makes an even bigger impact on the community around it.

According to Transformation Church’s Executive Pastor Tammy McQuarters, the church leadership believes Lentz and his family have gone through a season of restoration following his highly publicized fall from leadership.

McQuarters said Transformation Church is happy to have Lentz on board and aim to have him “help others experience restoration” who are weary from the storms of life.

“We gladly welcome Carl Lentz to our Transformation Church staff, helping TC with strategy as we continue to move forward in our vast vision,” McQuarters told Religion News Service via email.

RNS also reported that a source close to the Lentz family confirmed that they had moved to the Tulsa area and were attending Transformation Church.

This move from the fame, temptation and spiritual darkness of New York City may be exactly what the Lentz family needs as they continue their healing process.

It is no secret that Lentz made grievous errors of judgment while at Hillsong East Coast in New York City.

The world flocked to read about what he had done and who was involved.

For Christians, the focus should not be on his indiscretions but on his restoration and bringing him, and his family, back into the fold of grace instead of pushing him away.

Repentance is an obvious necessity for someone in Lentz’s situation; that is undisputed, but to be given another chance to engage in ministry after going through a redemptive process will have untold positive ramifications for Lentz and his family.

Being placed in the role as a strategist and not an executive-level position to start with shows Transformation Church believes in just that: Transforming people’s old lives into new ones through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.

“After two years of Carl being in his own discovery and healing process, he has shown readiness to use his God-given gifts towards the local church again,” McQuarters said. “We believe in Carl, his marriage, his skill set, and his restoration.”

“We pray that Carl, Laura and their family experience not only their own restoration, but help others experience restoration by using their triumphs and failures to create resources for the body of Christ at large. We believe that this is part of what it looks like for the church to be the church,” she added.

Yes, Lentz sinned, but if he was called by God to serve in ministry, his personal failure does not remove the Lord’s will in his life.

Thankfully, there is a God who so loved Lentz, his family and every person in existence, that He sent His only Son to die for all of humanity and redeem them from the curse of sin and death.

Praise God there are churches like Transformation Church who still believe in that redemptive power and aim to walk in the path set before them by Jesus Christ. {eoa}

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.