Justin Bieber is setting the record straight about his ties with Hillsong Church.
On Monday (January 4), the “Holy” singer-songwriter took to social media to call out a “fake news” story Page Six published that claims he’s studying to be a minister for Hillsong, which has been embroiled in controversy as of late. “IM NOT STUDYING TO BE A MINISTER OR ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE TO THAT. HAVE NO DESIRE FOR THAT THIS IS FAKE NEWS,” Bieber wrote in all caps in an Instagram Story blasting the article.
The “As Long As You Love Me” superstar also denied his affiliation with Hillsong all together. “Hillsong is not my church,” he added before clarifying that he is “a part of Churchome,” whose lead pastor, Judah Smith, officiated his formal 2019 marriage to Hailey Baldwin.
Bieber then concluded, "Church is not a place. We are the church. We don't need a building to connect with God. God is with us wherever we are."
Bieber’s association with Hillsong can be traced back to his bond and spiritual mentorship under the high-profile pastor, Carl Lentz, who was ousted from the church late last year over "leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures."
After the church announced his termination, Lentz broke his silence on the matter, admitting to breaking the trust of those close to him.
“When you lead out of an empty place, you make choices that have real and painful consequences. I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that," the 41-year-old explained in an Instagram post. “I am deeply sorry for breaking the trust of many people who we have loved serving and understand that this news can be very hard and confusing for people to hear and process. … I pray you can forgive me and that over time I can live a life where trust is earned again.”
Photo: Getty Images