Nature abhors a vacuum and with Carl Lentz out at New York City’s Hillsong NYC, a new pastor must take his place. And according to a source who spoke with OK! Magazine, Justin Bieber’s got his eyes on the gig.
Bieber’s a very active member of the Hillsong congregation and is apparently studying to become a “full-fledged minister,” according to this one source.
“Justin has never felt happier or healthier, and he says he owes it to the church,” the source told OK! “[Bieber] doesn’t plan to give up his music career, but he feels there’s a bigger calling out there for him.” That sounds more or less in line with Bieber’s current spiritual trajectory, which snapped into far more serious focus in recent years — thanks in no small part to Lentz’s mentorship.
“Justin believes he can take a leadership position in restoring order,” they explained.
Well, order doesn’t sound so bad for Hillsong Church at the moment. Lentz was ousted from Hillsong in 2020, following an extramarital cheating scandal that led to allegations of multiple affairs. Further inappropriate behavior has been alleged by whistleblowers, who evidently sent a letter to church leaders in 2018 detailing “sexual behavior amongst staff/interns” that goes contrary to Hillsong teaching, calling the church “a breeding ground for unchecked abuse.” An independent investigation is currently underway.
So new leadership is definitely on the table. Is Bieber the man for the job? It would not be the strangest thing about either Hillsong or Bieber, honestly. Bieber looks the part, to be sure. That’s not all that surprising, since the whole Hillsong style guide was really pioneered by Bieber himself. And Bieber certainly has cultural influence, which Hillsong Church has always seen as key to its ministry. But ultimately, we don’t have too much to work with besides one unnamed source’s musings about Bieber’s career path. Stay tuned.
