He’d been raised an evangelical Christian by his mother back in Canada, but lost connection with his faith.Įnter Carl Lentz, pastor of the New York City branch of the international Hillsong megachurch. He was a reliable tabloid train wreck, making headlines for trying to illegally import a pet monkey and spending a night in jail for underage drag racing. James Devaney/GC Images via Getty Images Hillsong has been central to Bieber’s redemption narrativeīack in 2014, Justin Bieber was a mess: drinking too much, doing too many drugs. Justin Bieber and his fiancée, Hailey Baldwin, spotted at a delicatessen in Brooklyn on July 30, 2018. Each bolsters the other’s personal brand. “They’re almost reassuringly pure in the midst of unbridled debauchery, degeneracy, and all-round immorality.”īut in Bieber’s case, the relationship with Hillsong is a two-way street. “Today’s culture has a few spots open for holier-than-thou celebs,” Cashmore said. UK pop star Cliff Richard, likewise, came to prominence as an Elvis-esque rock-and-roller in the 1950s, only to pivot to Christian music and a softer image in the mid-1960s. As Ellis Cashmore, author of Elizabeth Taylor: A Private Life for Public Consumption and a sociologist of celebrity culture, pointed out to Vox, ’70s singer Donna Summer famously transformed her public persona from that of a “slithery sexual” siren to a “slightly too pious symbol of purity” after she was born again in the 1980s. There is nothing new about Christianity providing certain pop stars a veneer of respectability, especially when they’re trying to rehabilitate a “bad boy” or “bad girl” image. And in return, Hillsong has granted Bieber a rebirth both religious and reputational. Hillsong’s sermons, influenced by the self-help-style theology of the “ prosperity gospel,” promise adherents a life full of material as well as spiritual blessings.īieber’s presence in the pews has ensured Hillsong and its media-friendly pastors a place in the tabloids. Showing up hungover to Sunday service is not considered the worst thing. Hillsong is the “chill” church where pastors wear skinny jeans. The wildly popular Hillsong, which boasts 100,000 weekly attendees in churches in 21 countries, came to international prominence the same way plenty of celebrities do: by creating an easily marketable persona, curating a brand custom-made for social media, and advertising an identity both accessible and aspirational. And with his marriage - impending or otherwise - to fellow Hillsong member Baldwin, Bieber enters a new stage of his narrative: faithful, honorable Christian husband.īieber and Hillsong’s relationship has been, since its inception, a symbiotic one. Since 2014, when Bieber was baptized in an NBA player’s bathtub by Pastor Carl Lentz, his relationship with the evangelical megachurch Hillsong has been an essential part of his personal brand. Central to that narrative is Bieber’s well-documented embrace of evangelical Christianity. Either way, wedding bells are in Bieber and Baldwin’s future, as they are now planning a bigger religious service and celebration, according to Vanity Fair.īieber’s nuptials mark yet another tentpole for the pop star’s transformation from drug-addled, womanizing bad boy to squeaky-clean, presumably monogamous husband. Other sources, including TMZ, report that Bieber and Baldwin were just at City Hall to pick up a marriage license. Other celebrities associated with Hillsong include Bieber’s wife Hailey and Kylie and Kendall Jenner.The pop star and his fiancée, model Hailey Baldwin, are rumored to have gotten married in a secret civil ceremony at a New York City courthouse, People reported in September. Bieber became the Hillsong church’s most-high profile member as well as its most famous choir singer. “Justin has never felt healthier or happier, and he says he owes it to the church,” the source said.īieber was baptized on Januby pastor Lentz after a born again experience. The “Sorry” singer has credited Hillsong Church for saving him from his dark years of drugtaking, public meltdowns, arrests and erratic behaviour. “He wants to be a full-fledged minister next year.” “Justin doesn’t plan to give up his music career, but he feels there’s a bigger calling out there for him,” the source said. This is coming after the church fired Bieber’s one-time spiritual adviser, pastor Carl Lentz, for “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures” after he admitted cheating on his wife.īieber’s intended spiritual role as a minister would not hinder his music career.
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