Justin Bieber stunned fans with news that he was canceling the "Purpose" tour with more than a dozen tour dates left to play. Bieber has said that he needs to rest and relax right now which is his reason for the tour stoppage but it looks like there might be more to Bieber's decision.
it's no secret that Justin Bieber is a member of Hillsong Church and a close friend of pastor Carl Lentz. Kyrie Irving is also a member of the church and looks to Lentz for spiritual leadership.
Now, according to TMZ, both men have been looking to Carl Lenz for more than just spiritual guidance.
The Hillsong Church pastor is also being credited for helping the men make some hefty business decisions too. Decisions that could make or break their careers.
Carl Lentz hangs out with Justin Bieber and Kyrie Irving
Is it a coincidence that Kyrie and Justin are making some huge life moves this week? It was just last week that both the "Sorry" singer and the Cleveland Cavaliers point guard were seen hanging out with the Hillsong Church pastor together. The three men were reportedly seen together at Dave & Busters, playing games together and having a good time.
As far as telling Kyrie Irving to demand a trade from the Cleveland Cavs, it turns out that's not exactly what Lentz did. Instead, Kyrie reportedly went to Lentz to discuss how he was feeling about the Cavs current situation.
Lentz told Irving that he should do whatever was best for him.
Based on Kyrie Irving's demand to be traded away from LeBron James and the rest of the Cavs, it looks like that's what the NBA star feels is best. He wants to be the big dog on his own team, even if it means that he doesn't win championships.
Bieber argues that his tour wasn't canceled over religion
On Tuesday it was reported that Justin Bieber canceled his "Purpose" tour so he could work on his relationship with God. Considering that nothing major has happened recently that the public is aware of, that seems like just as good of a reason as anything else. However, Bieber says that isn't the case.
It is clear that religion is involved, though. Especially since it's already known that Hillsong Church and Pastor Carl Lentz have been involved with that decision. That should help give peace to some Bieber fans who freaked out after the tour was canceled. With no real reason for the scrapped tour dates, many fans worried that something major was wrong with Bieber's health or some other dramatic secret that would explain how he could walk away from all that tour money.
What is Hillsong Church?
Hillsong Church is located in New York City. Carl Lentz is one of the senior pastors of the NYC megachurch. Justin Bieber has been a member of the church for a few years. He even lived with Lentz back in 2014 for a little over the month while the pastor helped him work through some things according to GQ.
Hillsong Church started in Australia with the NYC addition having been installed in 2010. It is a mega church with smaller congregations spread all over the planet. More than 8,000 congregation members worship in one of three different NYC locations each week.
The church has been home to many celebrities and Carl Lentz has even defended them. He says that many have claimed that Hillsong Church caters to celebrities and Lentz admits that they do. In defense of the famous congregation members, Lentz said that even celebrities deserve salvation. In addition to Justin Bieber and Kyrie Irving, other celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Selena Gomez, and even Bono are said to be seen in the seats.
