What do Hailey Baldwin, Hailee Steinfeld, Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Vanessa Hudgens have in common? No, it's not just their incredible star power and young age, it's where these celebs like to spend their Sundays — at church. At Hillsong Church to be more exact.
What is Hillsong?
Hillsong is a contemporary Christian church founded in Australia back in 1983, with its New York chapter opening in 2010. Now, there are chapters all over the world including Bali, Sweden, France, and California. According to their website, Hillsong believes the Bible is "God's Word" and it's "accurate, authoritative and applicable to our everyday lives."
What makes Hillsong special, and what attracts these young celebs to its services like it's the hottest new Los Angeles restaurant, is the fact that it seems almost tailored to them. "It feels like Arcade Fire — it's epic like that," Vanessa Hudgens told the New York Times. The services feel like a rock concert, sometimes with lines around the block outside the Manhattan nightclub, Irving Plaza, where some of their Sunday services take place. Those who attend are young and hip, wearing skinny jeans and leather jackets. And the pastors resemble rockstars more than men of the cloth, wearing ripped jeans and flannels as they preach.
The two main men behind the American branches of the church are Joel Houston and Carl Lentz. Joel's father is the founder of Hillsong, while Carl is one of the lead Pastors at the New York City chapter. You also might recognize Carl from Justin Bieber's Instagrams.
Sounds enticing, right? Justin Bieber thought so. He met Carl Lentz in 2008 backstage at one of his concerts, and they've been very close ever since, though they may have had a falling out recently...but more on that later.
What's the Controversy Behind Hillsong?
It should also be said that Hillsong has been at the heart of some serious controversies in years past. First of all, Hillsong's founder, Brian Houston was investigated by a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse back in the early 2000s. His father, Frank, admitted to sexually abusing a boy, but Brian never reported it to the police. In response, Hillsong created mandatory child protection training for pastors, according to Cosmopolitan.
Hillsong has also been accused of being a cult. Some organizations have popped up, like Hillsong Church Watch, with the purpose of monitoring the church and "to warn and inform people about this church, those both inside and outside the movement." One former member, Tanya Levine, wrote, People in Glass Houses: An Insider's Story Of A Life In & Out Of Hillsong, where she describes the church as an aggressive religious corporation.
And finally, there is the issue of sexuality. While many religious organizations have come out against homosexuality, Hillsong's stance on a person's sexuality has been mixed. On the one hand, Carl told Taffy Brodesser-Akner in her GQ profile of Hillsong that, "It's important to him that we know that everyone is welcome at his church—that homosexuality isn't a different kind of sin to him than, say, tithing at 9 percent instead of 10 percent, or gossiping or telling a lie. Everyone should feel welcome at Hillsong." Despite that seemingly welcoming message, in 2015, when it was revealed that the leader of Hillsong's choir in New York was in a homosexual relationship with a singer, Brian Houston announced that the church was against the relationship. Carl told Taffy, "If he could just show a person how to walk with Jesus, really walk with him every day, it would be easy to resist the temptation of loving someone of your own gender."
Which Celebs are Involved in Hilllsong?
Bieber isn't the only celeb who visits the church on Sundays. Many other young stars have found solace in Hillsong, some with a recommendation from Bieber, and some on their own, making the church's Sunday services feel more like a press junket. Here's every celeb we know to be involved with Hillsong:
Justin Bieber
When Lentz met Justin for the first time, he was worried. "I remember being involved in this preservice prayer [backstage] and just looking at him and going, 'This is going to be a challenge,'" Lentz told the New York Post. At this time, Justin was only 14, struggling to deal with fame. Lentz was sure the new attention would get the best of the teen if he didn't step in. From there, a relationship was born.
Last year, when Justin canceled the 14 final shows of his Purpose tour, sources from Hillsong told TMZ that he did so because he "rededicated his life to Christ." Justin later told fans it was simply because he was exhausted. Either way, many believe it was Carl who helped him through the decision.
In a Rolling Stone profile, rapper and friend of Justin, Post Malone said that Justin has gotten, "super-religious recently. Real culty" referring to Hillsong. He continued, "He's already given them, like, $10 million. Those are the worst kinds of people. I used to be super-religious. I believed in God. But now I see through it. It's nice to support something you believe in, I guess, but people are spending so much money, and God doesn't care that your church has a f*cking gold roof." Carl responded to the interview, telling Rolling Stone, "I put no stock in comments made by people who know absolutely nothing about the subject they are speaking on." He continued, "Justin has not given our church $10 million, and we do not have gold ceilings. We do not even own a church building."
Justin apparently introduced his fianceé, Hailey Baldwin, to the church, leading to the suspicion that Carl will facilitate their upcoming nuptials. When TMZ asked Carl about this, however, his response was...weird, causing many to think the two had a falling out. Despite that, a few weeks later in early August, Justin was seen at a Hillsong conference in Brooklyn, with Hailey joining him at night. Maybe the two were officially asking Carl to officiate their wedding.
Hailey Baldwin
While it's unclear how Hailey got involved with Hillsong (some say Justin introduced her during their first round of dating back in 2014), she has created her own relationship with the church, and Carl, over time. "I know the people that run it really well, they've become like my family, so that's what I've chosen to go to Hillsong," she told The Cut. She has been seen attending conferences in the past, as well as services with friends like Kendall Jenner, and, of course, her fiancé.
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Selena Gomez
Hailey isn't the only girl Justin has taken to church. When the singer rekindled his romance with Selena last year, the two were seen attending Hillsong services together, kissing throughout, because nothing says romance like Sunday service.
Selena has forged her own relationship with Hillsong since Justin's introduction. She performed at their Young & Free Revival Concert in LA in 2016, later writing about the performance, "First time I ever lead worship. I got to perform my first worship song I ever wrote. So grateful for His grace and understanding."
Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler
That's right, the High School Musical star and her long term boyfriend are followers of Hillsong too. The two attend services together. "They really focus on you having your own personal relationship with Jesus, which is wonderful," she told the New York Times.
Hailee Steinfeld
The singer also attends Hillsong services — leading many to think that her and Justin were dating at one point. But she is less public about her relationship with the church on social media as other worshippers.
Nick Jonas
Everyone knows the JoBros are religious (remember their promise rings?), but it is unclear whether his attendance at a service in 2012 was his only experience with Hillsong.
The Kardashians
The Kardashians are a religious bunch, and Kylie, Kendall, and Kourtney have been seen attending Hillsong services, but their real religious relationship is with Rich Wilkerson Jr, a pastor at another church in Miami, who often guest speaks at Hillsong. It is Rich who officiated Kim and Kanye's wedding.
So, there you have it! Celebs love a good rock concert/church service. These celebrities attend Hillsong, either without knowing about these controversies, or in spite of them. We will probably be seeing more of Carl and Hillsong in the press as soon-to-be newlyweds Hailey and Justin continue to attend services and possibly, include the church in their wedding.
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