Nearly six years after a scandal that rocked the global church community, Carl and Laura Lentz are stepping back into the public conversation with a message of repentance, restoration, and hope. The couple has announced the release of their new book, Overcoming Infidelity: 10 Conversations to Help Heal the Hurt, arriving October 20, 2026, via Simon & Schuster.
The announcement comes after one of the most widely publicized pastoral falls in recent memory. In 2020, Carl Lentz was dismissed from leadership at Hillsong Church's New York City campus following his admission of marital infidelity. The revelation ended his tenure at Hillsong NYC and triggered intense media scrutiny across both Christian and mainstream outlets.
Now, the Lentzes say they are ready to tell the fuller story-not of collapse, but of costly rebuilding.
From Public Failure to Private Restoration
Overcoming Infidelity blends raw memoir with practical guidance, structured around ten intentional conversations designed to help couples navigate betrayal, rebuild trust, and confront the deep wounds caused by broken vows. Drawing on years of counseling, accountability, and spiritual renewal, the book addresses shame, anger, trauma, and the slow work of forgiveness.
Laura Lentz has spoken openly about the emotional devastation of discovering the affair, sharing that forgiveness was a journey measured in years-not weeks. The book details how therapy, boundaries, faith, and honest confrontation became foundational pillars in their marriage's reconstruction.
Rather than minimizing the pain of infidelity, the Lentzes present their story as a case study in humility and hard-earned grace. They do not frame restoration as automatic, but as a daily decision marked by repentance and transparency.
A Different Kind of Platform
Once known for leading a high-profile congregation at Hillsong NYC and moving in celebrity circles, Carl Lentz's fall was swift and highly visible. Since then, the couple has largely stepped out of institutional ministry and focused on family life and healing.
Through their "Lights On" podcast, they have gradually re-entered public discourse, offering unfiltered conversations about faith, marriage, accountability, and the cost of secrecy. The forthcoming book expands on those themes, providing readers with structured dialogue prompts and spiritual reflections designed for couples facing similar crises.
A Message to the Church
In a cultural moment where public failures often lead to permanent exile or defensive silence, Overcoming Infidelity aims to open space for honest conversations about sin, consequence, and redemption. The Lentzes acknowledge that not every marriage survives betrayal-but they believe healing is possible when truth, repentance, and grace meet sustained effort.
Preorders for Overcoming Infidelity: 10 Conversations to Help Heal the Hurt are now available ahead of its October release.
