Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura Lentz, have released a new book addressing infidelity, six years after Carl was dismissed from ministry following an extramarital affair.
Lentz, who pastored Hillsong NYC for several years, was fired by Hillsong founder Brian Houston in 2020 over what were described as leadership issues, breaches of trust and a recent revelation of moral failures.
Lentz later acknowledged the affair in a post on Instagram.
"I was unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life and held accountable for that," he wrote at the time.
"This failure is on me, and me alone and I take full responsibility for my actions. I now begin a journey of rebuilding trust with my wife, Laura and my children and taking real time to work on and heal my own life and seek out the help that I need."
Following a period out of the public eye, the couple launched a podcast and began speaking openly — at times alongside their children — about the impact of the affair on their marriage and family.
Their new book, Overcoming Infidelity, is described by publisher Simon & Schuster as a "practical road map for how to restore trust and truly heal" and recounts the "unfiltered journey" the couple undertook "to rekindle their love".
"Overcoming Infidelity offers readers hope through a bold promise—it’s possible to build a marriage that’s even better than before—paired with the practical tools and spiritual wisdom to realize it," the publisher said. "It’s an urgently needed roadmap for anyone whose marriage has fractured under pressure and suspect leaving might not be God’s best ending to their love story."
In a statement shared with People, the Lentzes said: “We are deeply hopeful this book helps people, because we’re not writing from a place of arrival.
"The title is intentional. Overcoming infidelity is very different than claiming we’ve overcome it.”
They added: “We believe this is work we’ll be doing for the rest of our lives, and there is healing in even knowing that!
"This book is a real-time account of what has helped — and continues to help — us keep choosing growth, honesty and connection. It’s practical, it’s honest, and if these ideas are helping us, we truly believe they can help anyone.”
Reaction online has been divided.
"I would never listen to these people as it relates to marriage...or really anything related to my Christian walk," one person wrote on X. "How about you just do the work to repair your marriage and take care of your own yard before "sharing" how everyone else should handle theirs!"
Others expressed support.
"Open your Bible. Our past failures don’t disqualify us," one user wrote. "Many times they give us an opportunity to point to Jesus even more with how much He’s changed us."
