MARRIED Hillsong pastor Darnell Barrett has quit the megachurch after sending a raunchy pic of his "bulge in tights" to a "p***ed off" female volunteer.
Here's more on the latest sex scandal to rock the "cult-like" religious organization.
Who is Darnell Barrett?
Darnell Barrett, 32, is a former pastor of evangelical megachurch, Hillsong.
The married dad-of-two had creative oversight for Hillsong’s Montclair location in New Jersey, before quitting the megachurch after a sex scandal.
He lives in West Orange, New Jersey, and is described by the Daily Mail as being a high-profile Hillsong member for years.
In 2018, Fox News reported that the then New York pastor surprised his congregation when he introduced his biological father.
He was filmed hugging in an emotional moment during the service, after meeting his dad for the first time earlier that year.
In front of the packed congregation he told Hampton Robinson, then aged 59: “You know, Dad, I, uh, I prayed for this moment to be able to look you in the eye and say that you’re not a failure."
Barrett later told Fox: “This whole process, if I am honest, has been incredibly painful in a ‘post-surgery’ kind of way – in that it is necessary for long term healing and reconciliation.
“My hope is that [our story] will continue to help others.”
Hillsong is famed for its fiery preaching and rock concert atmosphere – but former members have accused it of acting like a 'cult'.
Founded inside a warehouse in northwest Sydney, Australia, in 1983 by ex-window cleaner Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie, the church has faced a string of controversies in recent years.
When did he become the Hillsong church pastor?
Senior pastor Barrett became Hillsong Church's creative director in Montclair, New Jersey, in January 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile.
But he has been with the organization for 'years', says the Mail, including stints preaching to the megachurch's followers in New York City.
Why did Darnell Barrett resign from Hillsong church?
Hillsong pastor Darnell Barrett, 32, has quit after sending explicit photos, reports the Daily Mail.
The paper reports he was "caught sharing photos of his bulging manhood on Instagram".
Darnell shared two half-naked, post-workout pics of himself standing in front of a gym mirror in revealing white Nike Pro tights.
The revealing images were shared with his "close friends" on Instagram stories – visible to manually selected followers.
He wrote: "Depression and anxiety got the best of me in the last 30 hours.
"Barely got out to bed yesterday, I'm just proud of myself for making it to the gym today even. Even if it was a cheap 30 minute workout.
"One of the insidious things about grief is it's capricious nature. I'm learning to give myself grace in how I deal with it."
However, it transpires that aside from his 'close friends', the X-rated pic was also sent directly to a parishioner, 30, who had previously worked as a volunteered for him at the New Jersey church, adds the Mail.
Upon realizing what he had done, Barrett wrote to the unnamed woman: "Hey! I think I might've added you to my close friends list by accident.
"I'm so sorry. Trying to figure out how the hell to edit it."
Barrett later messaged her that his explicit pics were "some real raw s**t I send to my friends man. Lol. Seriously, sorry about that. I guess," the Mail also reported.
The woman told the pastor off, saying she was "insulted" that he had assumed she was "f**king stupid" enough to believe his excuses.
She added: "For you to go out of your way to make it seem like you 'accidentally' added me to your close friends… and then, went out of your way to message me about it KNOWING that would make me go look is bulls**t.
"Obviously, what you wanted me to see were the shirtless photos and the outline of your d**k.
"What p***es me off is knowing that I'm not the only person you've probably done this to."
When approached for comment by the Mail, Barrett told DailyMail.com that he had posted the photos in question, and acknowleged that they did show off his private areas. But he stood by his claim that he had shared them accidentally.
"Yeah, it shows me with my leggings on," he said, describing the photos as "gym photos" designed to get his followers moving.
"This was something that was just an honest mistake and I informed my wife as soon as it happened."
Barrett said he had resigned as Hillsong New Jersey's creative director, citing "infidelity" in his marriage that he and his wife are now "working through".
He continued: "We thought it was best for me to move on. I don't want to get into the details."
As for the photo he sent directly to the woman, the father-of-two claimed he had no intention of meeting her, saying: "I was not at all trying to lure her.
"I get that she, within the context of what's happening with Hillsong, that she would draw those conclusions.
"But I barely know her. That was not my intention."
How has Hillsong responded to the ‘bulging tights’ scandal?
Here’s Hillsong’s response in full:
"Darnell Barrett, the creative oversight for Hillsong’s Montclair location, resigned on April 27, 2021.
"Hillsong accepted his resignation and agreed that he could not continue as part of our team.
"We were disappointed to learn about choices he made that were unacceptable for any Hillsong staff member.
"We recognize that there are countless Hillsong Church staff members and volunteers who carry their responsibilities with trustworthiness, integrity, and excellence.
"They represent the heart of Hillsong Church, and we thank them for the work they do.
"We also take seriously our responsibility to ensure that our staff is equally committed to creating a safe and Christ-centered environment where all people feel welcome.
"We embrace this time of growth and will continue to move forward, caring for people and loving Jesus."
He is not the first Hillsong church pastor to be ousted from the community for inappropriate behavior.
Carl Lentz was kicked out after an alleged months-long affair with Ranin Karim being exposed by The Sun, while married to wife of 17 years, Laura.
Justin and Hailey Baldwin's pastor was fired from Hillsong Church in late 2020.
Ranin claimed he initially told her he was an unmarried sports agent, before she looked him up online.
The brunette said: "I wasn’t there for just sex, we both found comfort and a deep, special connection with each other. I am very hurt because we both feel the same way about each other.
"He loves me and I love him. It was a love relationship that wasn’t planned. It wasn’t just a fling or just a sexual relationship."
Hillsong announced the famous Christian figure was no longer a member of the church due to “moral failures” and “breach of trust".
In a posted statemen, Justin Bieber’s former close pal admitted he was unfaithful but assured fans he was “building back trust in his marriage.”
Source: Read Full Article