Los Angeles, Feb 17 (IANS): The trailer of the docu series, 'Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed' was unveiled on Wednesday (U.S. Pacific Standard Time). The series follows the investigation into a church which gained recognition because of its celebrity congregation, such as Justin Bieber, various Kardashians and other stars, reports Variety.

Founded by Brian Houston in Australia, the Hillsong church is an offshoot of Brian's father Frank's Sydney-based Pentecostal church. It stood out by putting an emphasis on music as a part of worship.

As per Variety, Houston later decided to export Hillsong internationally, and recruited pastor Carl Lentz to lead its New York City chapter. Lentz became famous in his own right -- and was often photographed alongside Bieber and other celebrity congregants -- until Houston fired him in November 2020 for "moral failures," among other issues.

One of the interviewees in the three part series is Ranin Karim, a woman with whom Lentz had an affair, which contributed to his downfall. In addition, other figures in the docuseries include Hannah Frishberg, a New York Post reporter who's chronicled Hillsong's scandals; Ben Kirby, an expert on megachurches who also started the PreachersNSneakers Instagram account; and Jaclyn Hayes and Janice Lagata, both of whom worked under Lentz in volunteer capacities, and discuss various allegations of malfeasance and cult-like control he attempted to exert.

Howard Lee, the president of TLC streaming and network originals, in a statement accessed by Variety, "The history of Hillsong is an incredibly compelling story we wanted to explore. 'Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed' will take viewers on an eye-opening journey that will provide new insights into a controversy that continues to be examined."

"Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed" is produced by Breaklight Pictures in association with New York Post Entertainment. All three episodes will drop on Discovery Plus on March 24.