They are transferring on to — hopefully — considerably less violent pastures.
Hillsong megachurch pastors Josh and Leona Kimes have stepped down from their posture as leaders of the Australian institution’s Hillsong branch, the few wrote on social media this 7 days.
The announcement comes times immediately after a leaked internal investigation alleged that Leona was the moment consistently punched in the experience “with a closed fist” by scandalized ex-pastor Carl Lentz’s wife, Laura. The incident reportedly occurred a single night in 2016, when Laura caught Carl and Leona canoodling on a sofa in the property of previous NBA participant Tyson Chandler.
“It was never in our programs to at any time depart Hillsong Church,” Josh Kimes captioned a Monday Instagram article. “It’s been household for 22yrs of my life. It is exactly where I have pastored for the last 16yrs.”
The submit goes on to detail the a lot of lifestyle landmarks the few celebrated in their time at the when movie star-beloved, now disgraced Pentecostal congregation, the founder and former chief of which just lately stepped down amid misconduct accusations: The Kimes satisfied and obtained married at Hillsong, moved throughout the earth for the church, assisted get started Hillsong NYC and Hillsong Boston, to title a handful of of their stated experiences there.
As for why, soon after all this time, they’ve all of a sudden made a decision to join the deluge of pastors stepping away from the church, they only offer you the clarification that “we’ve created the difficult decision to resign as we know God is directing our measures to walk confidently & humbly into the unfamiliar & believe in Him to open the ideal doorway & plant us somewhere new.”
The pair have put in the last yr or so executing “a lot of get the job done,” they vaguely give, and remedy to “process the earlier, find out & unlearn, forgive & look for forgiveness.” As a end result, they now say they have “healthy boundaries,” a greater relationship and are more equipped to aid build the church branch they are now resigning from but which “we’re continue to very passionate about.”
“Hillsong will usually hold a unique position in our hearts,” Josh mentioned.
Before heading Hillsong’s Boston church with her husband, Leona put in seven decades nannying for the Lentzs, in the course of which time she was “subjected to manipulation, handle, bullying, abuse of electrical power and sexual abuse” according to a Medium essay she wrote past May well.
The Lentzs have vehemently denied the allegations.
The Kimes’ own previous nannies have also come ahead with allegations. One New Jersey sitter previously told The Post that Leona on a regular basis paid out her fewer than her price and typically “expected individuals to operate for nothing at all.”
“Personally, I believe it is a single of the better exits / bulletins from a Hillsong leader,” one particular previous Hillsong NYC congregant advised The Publish. “Most go quietly into the night time with perhaps a tiny assertion.”
Hillsong did not return The Post’s request for remark.
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