As lines snake outside Hillsong's New York services, a distinctly modern scene emerges. Celebrities mingle with regular attendees, drawn by gatherings that resemble entertainment more than traditional worship. What used to feel like a space for reflection or community has become a high-energy performance. The crowd isn’t seeking quiet or guidance; they're participating in an event carefully packaged for mass consumption. This change prompts deeper questions: When did churchgoing shift from belonging to a community to attending a branded spectacle? And, at its core, is Hillsong still a religious movement, or has it become something closer to a corporate machine?
This change prompts deeper questions: When did churchgoing shift from belonging to a community to attending a branded spectacle?
The hype priest and his kingdom
Carl Lentz, the once-celebrated architect of Hillsong’s New York branch, embodied this curious mix of celebrity and faith. He was more pop-culture figure than pastor, offering not deep theological insights but a compelling presence. His sermons, filled with emotion and performance, drew crowds as interested in glimpsing celebrities as in spiritual guidance. Under Lentz’s leadership, Hillsong’s events prioritized entertainment value over traditional religious substance.
Lentz’s appeal signaled a larger transformation within Hillsong.
Lentz’s appeal signaled a larger transformation within Hillsong. The church shifted from being a gathering of worshippers to becoming a stage for spectacle. Scriptural lessons gave way to performances; worship started feeling like concerts. This shift distracts from deeper questions that faith can provoke. Instead, the focus lands on the spectacle itself, often leaving substance behind. Lentz’s reputation as the "hype priest" captured this focus on appearance over depth. Ultimately, this approach redefined Hillsong: was it truly a church fostering community, or had it become a corporation prioritizing branding over connection?
A church or a corporation?
Hillsong’s meteoric growth is not just the legacy of one influential preacher but also the result of embracing corporate strategies in its expansion. The church borrowed tactics from big business , rigorous fundraising goals, global scaling, and savvy public relations played as significant a role as spiritual outreach. Much of the labor that fueled this growth came from unpaid volunteers promised community but often given empty experience instead of real support or compensation.
The church borrowed tactics from big business , rigorous fundraising goals, global scaling, and savvy public relations.
Beneath claims of religious purpose sat business practices that mirrored those of major corporations. Success was measured by numbers and expansion rather than genuine community building. The reliance on unpaid work highlighted an uncomfortable truth: when faith institutions adopt business models uncritically, they risk exploiting those drawn in by spiritual promise. Hillsong is now an example of how an institution can turn into a brand focused on image management at the cost of the transformative community that is supposed to define religious life.
The fallout of a fallen shepherd
Carl Lentz’s very public fall did more than damage his own reputation; it exposed the cracks within the church he helped elevate. Hillsong's rapid move to distance itself from Lentz after his affair revealed its instinct to protect the brand above all else. Forgiveness and redemption , central themes in Christian teaching , took a back seat to reputation management. The fallout between Lentz and Brian Houston made clear where real loyalties lay: when Lentz no longer served the brand's interests, he was quickly cast aside.
Forgiveness and redemption , central themes in Christian teaching , took a back seat to reputation management.
This episode raises concerns about what support structures existed within Hillsong for leaders and members alike. At what point did corporate ambition eclipse pastoral care? Hillsong’s response to scandal showed an organization more invested in maintaining its image than engaging with its community’s spiritual needs. In trading faith’s foundational values for business priorities, Hillsong has shown how religious purpose can be lost when institutional survival becomes the only goal.