Justin Bieber has taken to social media to dispel rumours that he is studying to be a minister at the polarising Hillsong Church.
The Biebs took to Instagram Stories to shot down the false claims, sharing a screenshot of a Page Six report published last week.
“I’m not studying to be a minister or anything even close to that,” he wrote, “have no desire for that this is fake news.”
The story in question featured a quote from an anonymous source claiming that “He [Bieber] wants to be a full-fledged minister next year.”
Bieber went on to clarify that he was not a part of Hillsong Church, despite his long-association with the Christian Megachurch. “And BTW Hillsong is not my church.. For clarity I am a part of Churchome.”
In a series of follow-up posts Bieber went on to detail the ethos of Churchome, “Church is not a place. We are the church. We don’t need a building to connect with god. God is with us wherever we are,” he wrote.
“The creator of the oceans and mountains also created you! You are a part of the plan, your life matters, He sees you!” Bieber continued. “He’s been patient with you as you ran from Him awaiting your return! He’s not mad, He understands.”
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Churchome, a West Coast-based nondenominational ministry, boasts an impressive roster of celebrity clientele. Run by pastors Judah and Chelsea Smith, the institution draws in more than 10,000 people every week across its 5 locations; with services attended by high-profile celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, Ciara and Russell Wilson, and Selena Gomez.
In November last year, Carl Lentz, a senior pastor at the New York branch of Hillsong Church had his employment terminated over “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.”
Carl Lentz rose to prominence in the evangelical scene as a spirit-guide for Justin Bieber, who revealed to GQ in a 2015 profile that he moved in with Lentz and his family in 2014.
