Carl Lentz Can’t Picture Being Pastor Again After Weathering Scandal: ‘Don’t Have That in My Heart' (Exclusive)

The ex-Hillsong pastor exclusively tells PEOPLE, "I think it's the most appropriate and healthy decision for me to stay out of that role for a long time"

A lot has changed for Carl Lentz over the past few years, but the former celebrity pastor doesn't see a return to the pulpit in his future.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Carl — who was fired from Hillsong Church in November 2020 due to previous “moral failings" and later admitted to having an affair — said that although he has found a new church, returning to being a pastor isn't even something the couple has had "any real weighted discussions about."

"I don't have that in my heart to do," says Carl, 45. Still, he says that he doesn't "tell God big absolutes like I will or won't do anything. I'm always open."

“If someday, I feel really compelled to do a church, then I would consider it with the help and support of a lot of people who would also agree," he explains. But I can't picture myself doing it."

“What we went through, what I went through as a leader, was significant," he adds. "I had to repair a lot and I feel the weight of that, and I think it's the most appropriate and healthy decision for me to stay out of that role for a long time.”

Carl “fully” enjoys where he and his family are following his infidelity scandal. “There's so many other things to do, ... and so many other things in our heart that it's been fun to explore it,” he says.

The family now attend the Transformation Church, a Tulsa-based church led by pastors Michael and Natalie Todd, according to its website.

Carl says Pastor Mike has been a “really faithful friend” in wake of the infidelity scandal.

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“If a church had big arms to hug, TC would have the biggest,” Carl tells PEOPLE. "And that's what it's felt like being here. It just felt like no judgment. We're a regular family just like we are. … And we're a part of the mix here.”

Carl even works as a strategist for TC, a role he says “sticks directly” to his strengths. The former pastor began working for TC shortly after he and his family joined the church in February 2023.

Related: Carl Lentz's Wife Laura Says She Had 'Every Reason to Leave' After Cheating Scandal — Here's Why She Stayed

But it’s “the people” at the church are truly what makes it “special,” Carl says. His wife Laura adds, "They just really love people and they really love God, and it's very evident in their everyday life.

As for Hillsong Church, the couple tells PEOPLE, “We have no opinion on the Hillsong Church of today,” adding, “We don't know the leaders.”

“We'll always love the people of Hillsong Church always, because they're the reason why you do it,” Carl says. “But as far as what the church is doing, we have zero relationship or opinion about what Hillsong Church does moving forward. We are moving in our own direction and just wish everybody the best."

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Read the original article on People.