Months after Carl Lentz was fired for moral failures, Hillsong Church's founder Brian Houston spoke to the media for the first time, addressing the issue.
In an interview with TODAY, Houston said that he already had concerns with Lentz "over the years."
Asked if he was bothered with people's description that the fired pastor is "aloof and removed from the actual ministry," Houston replied that he was.
"It does to a degree, for sure. Carl was Carl. He's a unique character. There's a lot of things I miss about Carl. But having said that, there were leadership issues that I believe included lying, included what I would call narcissistic behavior," he said.
The founder also revealed that he already noticed Lentz's disturbing behavior earlier on.
"I've had concerns and many conversations over the years with Carl," he stated.
He also said that he should have known more about Lentz's issues before the firing happened and hoped that in the future, better systems and accountability are ensured.
In a letter to Hillsong members in November last year, Houston announced the termination of Lentz, stating that it "was done in the best interest of everyone."
The founder added that the action was taken after discussions relative to the former pastor's leadership issues, "breaches of trust" and moral failures.
Two days later, Lentz confirmed his departure from the church in a social media post. He also admitted to infidelity and took responsibility for his actions.
"Our time at HillsongNYC has come to an end. This is a hard ending to what has been the most amazing, impacting and special chapter of our lives," he wrote on Instagram.
"I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that. This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions," Lentz continued.
Moreover, he stated he wants to focus on rebuilding the trust of his family and apologized to everyone who were hurt with what he did.
The following week, Houston revealed that the church was launching an investigation on its branch in New York, after hearing numerous concerns from people but did not indicate if it would focus on Lentz.
"We are launching an independent investigation into the inner workings of Hillsong NYC/ East Coast. We need a solid foundation for a fresh start and new beginning. The best is yet to come," he tweeted.
Hillsong faced more controversies when other issues in the church emerged.
Former members revealed that pastors in Hillsong NYC were using tithes to fund their lavish lifestyles. The pastor in the church's branch in Dallas, Reed Bogard, resigned last January over investigation for the same issue.
In addition, Hillsong Connecticut was sued for rent issues in January this year. The church was also confronted with a $20 million lawsuit over defective housing units in Rosebery, Australia.
Further, Pennsylvanian Pastor Ed Crenshaw accused the church of a "habit of self-protection" after Hillsong appeared to have defended its staff, the assailant of the pastor's daughter, instead of taking appropriate action for justice of the victim.
Finally, a staff in Hillsong Montclair, New Jersey stepped down in February after he shared inappropriate photos to a former female volunteer.
Last March, Houston apologized for the failings of the East Coast branch and outlined some changes that will be implemented in the church, to restore trust in the organization.
