Former Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz is speaking openly about rebuilding his marriage-and raising a difficult question about his future: Can a pastor whose infidelity cost him his ministry become qualified to lead a church again? While promoting the new book he co-wrote with his wife, Laura, Lentz told ChurchLeaders he has no immediate plans to return to pastoral ministry. However, he firmly rejected the idea that his failures necessarily close that door forever.
"I don't believe anybody's permanently disqualified," Lentz said in the interview published October 21. His comments bring a consequential issue into focus: how churches should assess a former pastor's readiness to regain spiritual authority after a serious breach of trust.
Lentz was fired from Hillsong in November 2020 following revelations of marital infidelity. His new book with Laura, Overcoming Infidelity: 10 Conversations To Help Heal the Hurt, addresses the aftermath of betrayal through their respective perspectives. Topics include deciding whether to remain married, telling children, rebuilding trust, restoring intimacy, and confronting the fear that betrayal could happen again.
The book places Laura's experience alongside Carl's account, giving the couple's recovery a perspective that a former pastor's individual comeback story cannot provide. Rebuilding a marriage requires sustained work from the people living with the consequences. For readers facing similar circumstances, the practical value of their story will depend on how honestly it addresses that work, including the hurt that forgiveness does not immediately resolve.
Lentz's comments about pastoral qualification extend the discussion beyond the couple's marriage. He acknowledged that Scripture establishes standards for pastors and that leaders who fail those standards should be removed. His objection concerns whether that removal must always be permanent.
"You can't bring me back the Bible and show me where it says 'disqualify permanently,'" he told ChurchLeaders. "Like, this is stuff men are making up."
That argument raises a further question: What would establish that a previously disqualified leader now meets the qualifications for pastoral office? Rejecting an automatic lifetime prohibition leaves churches with the responsibility to examine character, accountability, judgment, and a leader's reputation over time. The possibility of restoration still requires a credible process for determining readiness.
Lentz also distinguished between being qualified and deciding whether a return would be wise. "I'm completely qualified to do whatever God calls me to do," he said. "Is it wise? And that's my tension forever."
His statement invites scrutiny over who participates in that assessment. A former pastor's conviction about his calling is one part of the discussion; any church considering his appointment would also need to exercise its own judgment. What evidence should it require? Who should evaluate that evidence? And how should the experiences of people affected by the original misconduct inform the decision?
Those questions matter because pastoral leadership involves responsibility for other people's spiritual lives. A congregation considering a former leader's return must assess whether he can exercise that responsibility faithfully, including whether he welcomes scrutiny and accepts limits on his authority.
Today, Carl and Laura co-host the Lights On podcast and work with individuals and couples navigating betrayal, recovery, and personal crises. Their book offers an opportunity to discuss what rebuilding after infidelity involves. Lentz's accompanying comments create a second discussion that deserves equally careful attention: how a church can recognize meaningful change and determine what responsibilities should follow.
For now, Lentz says a pastoral return is not immediately planned. His remarks nevertheless leave a question that extends well beyond his own future: When a fallen leader believes he is ready to serve again, what should a church need to see before agreeing?
