In an essay that was published on May 31, Leona Kimes claimed that she was 'subjected to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse' in Lentz's home during the time she worked for him.
- Jun 2, 2021
AceShowbiz - Former Hillsong Church pastor Carl Lentz has denied the sexual abuse allegations that were leveled at him by Hillsong Church Boston co-pastor and his former nanny Leona Kimes. In response to Kimes' claims in an essay titled "Writing My Voice Back" on Medium, the legal rep for Lentz and his wife Laura Lentz has issued a statement.
In the statement for Religion News Service, Lentz's legap rep "vehemently deny the allegations." The statement continued, "In addition to that, have irrefutable proof the events did not happen as they are being described."
In the said essay that was published on May 31, Kimes claimed that she was "subjected to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse" in Lentz's home during the time she worked for him and his family for seven years. "I felt trapped and silenced. I also felt so ashamed and I had been told not to say anything or tell anyone."
Kimes shared that she didn't only take care of Lentz's kids, but also she cleaned their house. They also made her run errands for them. "The boundaries between personal and professional blurred early on, and an unhealthy bond and attachment was formed," Kimes shared. She added that she "experienced a great deal of pain," though "there were joyful moments" over the course of seven years.
Regarding the sexual abuse, Kimes said that it "started small" with the disgraced pastor making comments about her appearance. "My pastor would look at me and say, 'Gurl, you're looking good. You've been in the gym?' " she recalled. "There was a lot of flirty teasing like this."
Kimes then mentioned that Lentz crossed the lines when he positioned "himself close to me so his hands could graze my legs. Then the physical encounters escalated. While he never had intercourse with me and never kissed me, I was physically violated by his unwanted and repeated sexual touching of my intimate areas. I froze. Every time, I froze."
Following Kimes' claims, Hillsong Church founders Brian and Bobbie Houston said in a statement, "After the termination of the former Lead Pastor of Hillsong East Coast, it was clear the issues were significant and because of our concerns, we initiated an independent and lengthy investigation into the culture of all four Hillsong East Coast locations."
"In the process of seeking clarity, hearing Leona Kimes' experience was very disturbing," the statement continued. "We have respected Leona's privacy and her deeply personal story. She has now decided to share her experience so that she and her husband can continue moving forward as a family. We are committed to learning more about how to identify such trauma and bring meaningful support to anyone who has experienced it."
