Hillsong NYC Pastor: It's Time to Focus on 'Black Lives'

Evangelical pastor Carl Lentz is standing by his comments in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Lentz, the lead pastor of Hillsong NYC, posted on the church's Facebook page Sunday that he and his church won't be chanting "all lives matter" because "right now, black lives apparently are worth less on our streets."

Celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and others have been known to frequent Lentz' charismatic congregation.

"At this church, we are not saying 'all lives matter' right now because this is a logical assumption that most reasonable people agree with," wrote Lentz.

"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.'"

Lentz' social media message came on the heels of the deaths of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Keith Scott, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both men died after being shot by police. 

In posts on Facebook and Instagram, Lentz further explained that he had met with leaders at Hillsong NYC to talk about diversity and what it feels like to be black in America right now. 

"We talked about things that were very frustrating/sad/uncomfortable and vulnerable," Lentz said in the posts. "I would encourage anybody who cares about people, to somehow find a way to hear voices of those that don't share your journey. It will impact you."