This story comes from Star Magazine, which will cause many people to immediately roll their eyes and say “nope, don’t believe it.” But sometimes I like to talk about Star stories because they *feel* true. This is one of those cases. I’ve been wondering for weeks now if any media outlet was going to run any kind of examination or deeper dive into Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin’s associations with Hillsong Church. Hillsong is the latest “celebrity church” in LA, and the pastor who runs it, Carl Lentz, has made Bieber’s life, career and redemption one of his personal causes. Tons of celebrities and athletes and Instagram models are associated with Hillsong. Every time you read an interview with a 20-something “model” and she’s talking about going to Bible study, just know that she’s probably a Hillsong devotee. Hailey Baldwin is like that – she’s been going to Hillsong for years. And Star claims that Hillsong and Carl Lentz basically encouraged Hailey and Justin’s engagement from the beginning.
Hillsong Church was actually the one pushing Justin Bieber, 24, to propose to Hailey Baldwin after rekindling their romance just last month.
“The church leaders are determined to increase membership, and what could be better promotion than Justin getting engaged? He went from a spiraling druggie who slept with hundreds of women on tour to a Christian family man – all thanks to Hillsong!” details the insider close to the controversial megachurch and its charismatic pastor Carl Lentz.
“After Justin broke up with Selena Gomez again in May, Carl pushed Justin to get back together with Hailey; she’s a devoted Hillsong member and the ideal choice for a wife.”
Slavish obedient to Svengali Carl, Justin took the suggestion as gospel and popped the question to Hailey, 21, whom he’d dated – and callously dumped – back in 2016. But Carl’s motives are less about filling Justin’s heart and more about lining his own pockets!
“Carl has the idea to have Hailey and Justin lead commitment workshops for other celebs and rich members – and of course, split the profits with Hillsong! Without Carl, this engagement wouldn’t have happened!”
[From Star Magazine, print edition]
I doubt that Lentz sees Justin and Hailey’s engagement as some opportunity to sell commitment workshops. I think it’s more sinister than that, quite honestly. I think Bieber has gone all-in with Lentz and Lentz is controlling huge parts of Justin’s personal life and career decisions now. I think Lentz wants Bieber and Baldwin to marry because Lentz knows he can control both of them and yes, profit from them. We’ll see.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Profit from them, how?
My guess is they already profit from all these highly publicized celebrity endorsements. Every fan and wannabe is probably looking to join hillsong as an opportunity to meet and greet and while donations are most likely optional, I’d guess their’s a lot of pressure to give big.
Do people not read articles before posting?
Profit from selling couples counselling memberships. And it helps the brand as a whole.
Also, the pastor is seemingly involved in Justin’s business affairs and may be profiting in that way, from Justin’s new image.
It’s literally all there, in the text above.
Probably in the same manner that Scientology profits from Tom Cruise. Don’t ever think that some of these “pastors” are anything more than thieves and crooks in black robes.
This Lentz guy lived in my town for a while. Bieber stayed w/ him for a bit there and tween girls used to hang outside his house. Lentz is a snake oil salesman charlatan!!!!!
Maybe that pastor could also encourage Justin and Hailey to dress better. Just saying…
Speaking of, has that idiot got his bedroom shoes on backwards in the header pic? And, bedroom shoes? Again?
They certainly look like they are on the wrong feet.
Former child stars are doomed. People are going to make a profit from them. If they can get at least a healthier lifestyle from it, why not? But sadly I don’t believe Justin Bieber is off drugs. We’ll see.
I agree. He looks like he is always “on” something. I’ve also noticed that his friend and “manager” Scooter hasn’t been mentioned in a long time. I missed something. Anyone know what happened to him? Has Justin traded one “controller” for another?
Scooter congratulated them on Instagram. He’s still Bieber’s manager.
@Sherry—Thanks for the info.
Is he still wearing slippers in the top photo, or are those crocs that he has on the wrong feet?
Slippers
My bad. I didn’t see your post before I commented on the shoes being on the wrong feet. Damn toddler’s never going to grow up.
Is that first picture from this summer? Jeez. The weather is in the triple digits, but he walks around in baggy, sloppy sweats like it was the middle of the winter. He really is a messy dresser and can’t even put his slippers on correctly. Wearing any shoe on the wrong foot is uncomfortable, even if they’re just slippers
I read something about spotting drug addicts… apparently dressing off season is a sign. I don’t know really tho. I think he’s just an odd duck and he’s very lucky to be rich to protect himself.
Probably not, because a couple of weeks ago Lentz admitted that he and Bieber had a falling out a few months ago.
Slippers — the same slippers, but switched feet (the little logo is on the inside). I guess slippers don’t really have a left or a right though. He must have an endless supply, imagine how gross white slippers would get on the city streets.
So the church is going to promote itself by saying they turned a man who slept with hundreds of women into a Christian family man? Standby for a steep decline in new male members.
But I read that beiber had a falling out with Lentz
These two are on so many drugs, so Hillsong hasn’t exactly redeemed them. This whole story is just… drugs
Just found it, on Lainey
https://www.laineygossip.com/justin-bieber-and-pastor-carl-lentz-have-reportedly-had-falling-out/50376
Hillsong in Oz is a scam. They are all about the $$$ and only marginally better ethically speaking than the $cientologist mob.
True. The other reason is to prevent further “fornication” so they can be a good “example” to others in the church. That is until they get divorced.
Cult alert.
You have to wonder if “Hillsong” is the new “Scientology” with Justin at the top instead of Tom.
Was going to the same thing.
I thought they had a falling out? Also I think Carl is over the church in New York but someone else is the head pastor in LA? I could be wrong…
Hillsong is a cult. I hate Bieber but hope he and the ‘ pastor’ had a falling out so he isn’t duped out of more money and brain cells.
Just here to say that in my former life I was a professor and one of the things I dabbled in with my research (meaning, it wasn’t my primary research focus but I did some writing and teaching about it) was the phenomenon of cults (or “new religious movements” in academic parlance). I looked at these things from a cultural anthropology perspective, taking into account things like how economics and social class come into play when people create or join these movements, how gender dynamics work etc.
In the process of studying all of this, I found that I just couldn’t maintain an academic dispassion for these movements. No matter what the religious tradition or what the origin, the common denominators for movements like this are greed, a desire for power, a reliance on charismatic leadership (rather than democratic or shared leadership), and suspicion/shunning of anyone who raises questions or criticism.
Hillsong fits this profile to a T. I really, really can’t stand this stuff and I tend to think that people who get sucked in lose any capacity they once had for thoughtful reflection or thinking for themselves.
Really? Very interesting. I didn’t know this of Hillsong, I like some of their music but have never paid attention to the church itself. The few things I’ve come across make it sound like any other mega church that is trying to stay popular these days. The “real Christians” say they are too liberal and don’t call out sinners like they are supposed too and the other side says they are too conservative and don’t say enough on hot button issues in the church like gay marriage.
I accidentally joined an “aberrant” church–superficially Christian but with maaaany traits that we’d call “cult-like”–when I was Hailey’s age. That church, which is also nondenominational evangelical, definitely paired young people off into arranged marriages, and definitely separated young people from their families and money. It is part of the “Shepherding movement” (check Wikipedia)–basically a religious pyramid scheme.
Fortunately I’d leafed through my mom’s copy of “Churches That Abuse” as a kid, so I’d seen enough and bounced out of that church after just a couple months. It’s easy to fall into, though, especially since a lot of Christians don’t expect Christian churches to turn out to be creepy for-profit cults.
Those poor kids are gonna need deprogramming.
I used to be a big fan of Hillsong especially their worship team, I would listen/stream/buy their albums. My first and only event that I went to was their women’s conference in London, 4 years ago. I met lots of nice people but I got bothered when I found out that Hillsong were going to charge people for listening to the recorded messages/podcasts. I mean if they really wanted to spread the gospel why charge people for it? Especially when they’ve already spent loads on a ticket to be there not to mention the hotel/travel/meal expenses. It didn’t sit well with me.
I attended one of their Sunday service at Tottenham Court and it felt very inorganic/insincere. It was very flashy and screamed like they try so hard to be hip instead of focusing on spreading the gospel.
I was so disappointed by that and it turned me off them. Then to find out that Brian’s father was accused of sexual abuse and the way that they managed it made me conclude that avoiding them was the right thing to do.
Can’t even imagine sleeping with him. He perpetually looks like he just crawled out of a dumpster. He must smell bad because her body language says she’s trying to stay a certain distance away from him.
Sure it was Carl Lentz or Rich Wilkerson Jr.? All these hipster celebrity pastors are just the new age televangelists.
I don’t think children should be made famous. They become the meal ticket for a whole group of manipulative adults. Famous children rarely grow up physically or mentally healthy.
I feel sorry for Justin and I hope he finds happiness.
Also have you noticed that child stars seem to go through a grunge stage to distance themselves from the ‘attractive’ or sexy image that has been forced on them by the adults in control?
He’s aging fast. He looks like forty.
This will be a mess.
If I didn’t know who they were and saw them on the street, I swear I would think they are twin brother and sister.
Oh interesting, I thought Hillsong was only an NYC thing. I had heard it was this megachurch where lots of young people go to. My sister went to a service and was overwhelmed at the sheer show of it. We come from a Catholic background and are used to the restrained, somber Catholic masses (as boring as I find them to be).
Maybe i’m in the minority but I think she is really beautiful. She never wears any make up, looks natural. I like them together and I’m not a believer.
I mean she’s not ugly by any means, but yeah she’s not beautiful imo, regardless of makeup or no makeup. She looks like any average women I see walking around at the mall. I would not have heard of her if not for this relationship with JB.
Anyway, good luck to them. I have a feeling they’re going to need it.
Yikes this is like the new Scientology.
The Hillsong deal sounds remarkably like a Miscavige+Cruise pairing.
Anyone else noticed that Justin’s slippers are on the wrong feet, in the top pic? He got it right in the bottom pic, prob ’cause Hailey put them on for him. She’s a keeper!!
I think TMZ had a similar story awhile back and blind gossip. It does seem questionable. I think Hailey and Justin will realize it was a mistake later on but it happens.
He appears to be aging in dog years.
These kids appear to be on some serious drugs. I wonder when the Hillsong exposes will start coming out.
CrazyDaysAndNights and Warren Throckmorton have been critiquing Hillsong for a few years. There are rumors that they use the “Love Family” cult tactic of offering easy secret sex from nubile teen members to entice new, horny, wealthy men to join up.
Check back in five years and I’ll bet Hillsong will go through the Jim Bakker PTL collapse.
Side note: I thought white exploitation evangelism was just an American thing until Hillsong. Turns out suckers are in ‘Stralia too. Hopefully Bieber and Baldwin get out before too much spiritual abuse happens.