FX has announced a new docuseries, The Secrets of Hillsong, which will feature the first interviews with Carl Lentz since he was ousted as pastor of Hillsong NYC in 2020.
The four-part series is based on reporting from Vanity Fair’s Alex French and Dan Adler about Hillsong Church, which has come under fire in recent years for a series of scandals including sexual abuse allegations, moral failures and allegedly misusing church funds.
Along with Carl, The Secrets of Hillsong includes interviews with his wife Laura and three children, as well as former congregants and others connected to the global church.
The four-part docuseries will trace the megachurch’s beginning, rise and recent allegations.
“With the depth and clarity of this project owed to the excellent reporting of Vanity Fair, and the perspectives of those speaking out for the very first time, we have been committed to telling a well-rounded and definitive story of Hillsong,” said Joel Chiodi, an executive producer of the docuseries. “Because of these voices, along with unprecedented access to Carl and Laura Lentz, The Secrets of Hillsong offers new insights into how decades of scandal and corruption went unchecked within the church, and more importantly, at what it meant for the community left in their rubble.”
Agnes Chu, president of Condé Nast Entertainment who served as an executive producer, shared that “uncovering stories that contend with power and the people who hold it is core” was the driving mission of the docuseries.
“Thanks to stellar reporting by Alex French and Dan Adler, and the courage of those who stepped forward to share their experiences, we know that power —and its systemic abuse over people seeking faith and community — is central to the Hillsong collapse,” Chu said.
The Secrets of Hillsong premieres on May 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with two episodes, followed by two more episodes on May 26.
