Additionally, Kimes implicated the previous pastor of “crossing more boundaries.”
“When I was sitting in the hot tub with the kids, he would get in, positioning himself close to me so his hands could graze my legs,” she remembered of one occurrence.
“Then the physical encounters escalated,” she described. “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.”
Kimes stated Lentz’s “inappropriate touching and suggestive text messages were addressed by both lead pastors on two occasions during my time serving in their home.” But regardless of stepping forward, Kimes declared that she was “blamed and silenced” in both circumstances.
Following Kimes’ claims, Hillsong Church creators Brian and Bobbie Houston provided a declaration, which check out in part, “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 declaration 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.”
The creators stated they are “committed to learning more about how to identify such trauma and bring meaningful support to anyone who has experienced it.”
