Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz: 'At this church, we are not saying "all lives matter" right now

Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz has struck a nerve.

The pastor took to Facebook Sunday to explain why his church — made up of Hillsong's NYC campuses — will not be using the phrase "all lives matter." Instead, Lentz wrote, his church will be saying "black lives matter."

The pastor wrote:

At THIS church, we are not saying 'all lives matter' right now because this is a logical assumption that most reasonable people agree with. All lives are not at risk right now. We ARE saying BLACK LIVES MATTER. Because, right now, black lives apparently are worth LESS on our streets. It's "our fight" not "their fight."

The short message was posted as a preview of what Pastor Lentz was preaching about that day. However the message, which is seen as controversial in the church world, may have led someone to pull a fire alarm at their New Jersey campus, according to Lentz.

Lentz, a world-renowned preacher who has shared the Gospel in numerous countries, leads a church that is known for breaking through the stereotypical church narrative and engaging in discussions on social injustice and race.

Earlier last week, amid two more police shootings that left two black men dead and thousands protesting in Tulsa and Charlotte, Lentz posted a black and white photo to Instagram, noting the irony of the filter.

"What's ironic about using a "black and white" filter on a photo, is that you can't really tell who's black, and whose white..ironic.." Pastor Lentz wrote.

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