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Joel Osteen | |
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Personal | |
Born | Joel Scott Osteen March 5, 1963 [1] Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Religion | Non-denominational Christianity, Charismatic Christianity, Word of Faith |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Parent(s) | John Osteen (father) Dolores Pilgrim Osteen (mother) [2] |
School | Humble High School |
Alma mater | Oral Roberts University |
Relatives | Paul Osteen (brother) |
Organization | |
Church | Lakewood Church |
Senior posting | |
Post | Senior pastor (1999–present) |
Website | Official website |
Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963) is an American pastor, televangelist, businessman, and author based in Houston, Texas, United States. Known for his weekly televised services and several best-selling books, Osteen is one of the more prominent figures associated with prosperity theology and the Word of Faith movement. [3] [4] [5]
Osteen was born in Houston, and is one of six children of John Osteen and Dolores ("Dodie") Pilgrim. His father, a former Southern Baptist pastor, founded Lakewood Church (of which Osteen is the current senior pastor) in the back of an old feed store. [6]
He graduated from Humble High School, a public high school in the city of Humble, Texas, in 1981, [7] and attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he studied radio and television communications but did not graduate. [8] [9] [10]
This section contains promotional content .(May 2023) |
In 1982, Osteen returned to Houston after leaving Oral Roberts University. [8] [11] He founded Lakewood's television program, later becoming ordained through his father's church in 1983. [12] Osteen produced his father's televised sermons for 17 years until January 1999, when his father died of a heart attack. [8] [11] He would preach his first sermon on January 17, 1999. By October 3, he was the new senior pastor of Lakewood Church. [12]
In 2003, Lakewood Church acquired the Compaq Center, former home of the NBA Houston Rockets and the AHL Houston Aeros and subsequently renovated it. [13] [14]
Osteen memorizes his planned remarks before he delivers them, and listens back to previous ones on tape. [15] His sermons have been criticized as self-serving and revealing a poor command of Scripture. [16] [17] [18] [19] Osteen says he chooses to focus more on the goodness of God and on living an obedient life rather than on sin, [20] and that he tries to teach Biblical principles in a simple way, emphasizing the power of love and a positive attitude. [21] When asked why he does not focus more on sin, the devil, and hell in detail, Osteen stated in an interview with CBN News:
When I grew up, the devil was a reason why I had a headache or the devil was the reason I got mad today. We always blamed the devil. I think today when I say the enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the enemy can be our own thoughts. We've trained ourselves the wrong way. Or the enemy can be our own lack of discipline. Some people preach about hell like you're already going there, and to me the Gospel means "Good News." I'd rather say God is a God of mercy. So I think the people already know what they're doing wrong, and I certainly believe in hell. But to me, when I see thousands of people before me, it just doesn't come out of me to say, "You guys are terrible, and you're going to hell." I'd rather say that God is a God of mercy. You've got to live an obedient life, but for every mistake you've made, there's mercy there, and I believe we can do better. [11]
Since 2004, Osteen, along with his wife, have hosted Night of Hope events, as well as their annual stadium event called "America's Night of Hope", in the U.S. and around the world. [22] [23] [24] The event incorporates contemporary Christian music and inspirational messages to reach the masses at the venue and others watching online. [25] Osteen also hosted an event at his Lakewood Church in 2018, in collaboration with rapper Kanye West, called Sunday Service. According to media reports, the event was attended by 17,000 as well as joined by many people streaming online. [26] He also held his Easter service during COVID-19 with Mariah Carey and Tyler Perry. [27]
On February 11, 2024, a woman with a history of mental health issues, Genesse Ivonne Moreno, accompanied by her 7-year-old son, entered the church between services and began firing an AR-15 rifle. Two off-duty police officers working security returned fire and killed her. Her son was critically injured with a gunshot to the head by the police officers during the exchange of gunfire. Another man who was present was wounded in the hip, treated at a local hospital and released. [28] [29]
On April 4, 1987, Osteen married Victoria Osteen (née Iloff), who later would become co-pastor of Lakewood Church. [30] They have two children. [31] In 2002, some of his siblings, including Paul, were also involved in full-time ministry. [12]
Osteen lives with his family in a 17,000 square-foot mansion in River Oaks, with an estimated value of $10.5 million. [32] Osteen says that as senior pastor, he draws no salary from the church, which has an annual budget of $70 million, [33] and that he instead relies on income from book sales. [34]
Osteen has generally avoided discussing or preaching about controversial issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and politics. [35] [36] Having gone on record saying homosexuality is "not God's best", [37] he has stated he believes the church has a tendency to become overly focused on single issues (such as homosexuality) to the point of neglecting others. [35] [38] When asked if he thought God approves of homosexuality, Osteen said homosexuality is a sin according to his interpretation of Scripture, but said gay people are welcome in his church without judgment. [39] [40] [38] [41]
In an interview on Fox News in 2008 during the Republican Party presidential primary race, when discussing whether he thought that Mormons were Christians, Osteen indicated that he believed that they were. He further revealed that he had not studied the religion. [42] In an interview in 2011, Osteen stated his support for Israel. [43]
Osteen's sermons and writings are sometimes criticized for promoting prosperity theology, or the prosperity gospel, a belief that the reward of material gain is the will of God for all pious Christians. [36] [42] [44] [3] Critics of prosperity gospel consider its teachings anathema to the gospel of Mark: [45]
Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' When the man heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
On October 14, 2007, 60 Minutes ran a 12-minute segment on Osteen, titled "Joel Osteen Answers His Critics", during which Reformed theologian Michael Horton told CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts that Osteen's message is heresy. Horton stated that the problem with Osteen's message is that it makes religion about us instead of about God. [21]
Osteen is estimated to have a net worth of over $50 million, with his church taking in $43 million a year in collections. [46] According to the Houston Chronicle , Osteen denied taking any pandemic CARES Act assistance, but U.S. Small Business Administration data revealed his church actually received $4.4 million from the fund. [47] Joel Osteen's church paid off their 100 million dollar loan in December 2023. https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/joel-osteen-100-million-loan-lakewood-18613448.php
During the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Osteen was criticized for not making Lakewood Church, a 606,000-square-foot, 16,000-seat former sports arena, available as an emergency shelter for those displaced by the storm. [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] On August 27, posts from the church and a Lakewood Church associate pastor's social media accounts stated that the church was "inaccessible due to severe flooding," and associate pastor John Gray posted further, "If WE could get there WE WOULD OPEN THE DOORS." [54] [55] Lakewood spokesperson Don Iloff later described floodwaters as one foot from spilling over the facility's floodgate and surging into the building. [56] He also stated that pictures showing Lakewood free of flooding were taken on Monday, after the flood waters had lowered. [57] [58]
Osteen disputed the claim that flood waters closed the church, saying "the church has been open from the beginning," and, "[w]e've always been open ... How this notion got started, that we're not a shelter and we're not taking people in is a false narrative." [52] [59] This contradicted his earlier statement that the church would open when other refugee centers were full. [52] [60] On the evening of August 28, it was announced by Lakewood that it would open at noon the next day as an available shelter to storm victims and emergency personnel, which it did. [52]
On August 15, 2018, less than a year after Harvey struck, the City of Houston and Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed a day in honor of the assistance of Lakewood and Osteen in rebuilding efforts across the Houston area. [61] [62]
In 2011, Osteen and Lakewood Church were sued by the band the American Dollar for copyright infringement. [63] A judge in 2012 ruled in favor of Osteen. [64]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi | Himself | Documentary |
2014 | Words of Art | Himself | Documentary |
2015 | I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song | Himself | Documentary |
2017 | The Star | Caspar | Voice role |
A megachurch is a church with a very large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities. Most megachurches are Protestant, and particularly Evangelical, although the word denotes a type of organization, not a denomination. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant Christian church that draws 2,000 or more people in a weekend.
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Lakewood Church is a non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It is among the largest congregations in the United States, averaging about 45,000 attendees per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church building, home to four English-language services and two Spanish-language services per week, is located at the former Compaq Center. Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church with his wife, Victoria, who serves as co-pastor.
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Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential is a book by pastor Joel Osteen. It was published on October 12, 2004, by FaithWords. There is also a calendar, board game, and study guide available based on the book. A 10th Anniversary edition was published on September 3, 2014.
John Hillery Osteen was an American pastor who founded Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. His television program ran for 16 years and was broadcast to millions in the U.S. and nearly 50 countries weekly.
Jerry James Moses Jr., better known as J.J. Moses, is an American former professional football player. He played wide receiver at Iowa State University and for the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, and Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL). During his career, he was listed as the shortest player in the NFL, at 5'6".
Victoria Osteen is an American author and the co-pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. She is the wife of Joel Osteen and the daughter-in-law of John Osteen.
Hillsong Church, commonly known as Hillsong, is a charismatic Christian megachurch and a Christian association of churches based in Australia. The original church was established in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, as Hills Christian Life Centre by Brian Houston and his wife, Bobbie Houston, in 1983. Hillsong was a member of the Australian Christian Churches – the Australian branch of the US-based Assemblies of God – until 2018, when it separated to form a new denomination. The church is known for its contemporary worship music, with groups such as Hillsong Worship, Hillsong United and Hillsong Young & Free with many musical credits and hits and a series of scandals and criticisms.
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Tauren Gabriel Wells is an American Contemporary Christian music singer and pastor from Houston, Texas. Wells was the frontman of former Christian band Royal Tailor.
Chad Veach is an American evangelical pastor and the founder of Zoe Church, a youth-oriented Christian congregation that is based in Los Angeles, California. Veach has been the subject of significant mainstream press coverage, which often focuses on Veach's taste in streetwear and sneakers and his links to celebrities like actor Chris Pratt, the Kardashians and singer Justin Bieber, which have been chronicled on Veach's Instagram account.
Paul Kent Osteen is an American vascular surgeon and medical missionary. Osteen practices both as a volunteer surgeon in remote parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and as an advocate for humanitarian action by US physicians to under-served and desperate areas specifically in Africa. He is the older brother of Pastor Joel Osteen.
On February 11, 2024, a shooting occurred at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, perpetrated by 36-year-old Genesse Moreno.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Now, as with most successful people, you have critics who say that what you offer is gospel 'lite,' the prosperity gospel.
... Joel Osteen and T. D. Jakes, the most prominent contemporary messengers of the prosperity gospel ...
'Does God want us to be rich?' [Osteen] asks. 'When I hear that word rich, I think people say, 'Well, he's preaching that everybody's going to be a millionaire.' I don't think that's it.' Rather, [Osteen] explains, 'I preach that anybody can improve their lives. I think God wants us to be prosperous. I think he wants us to be happy. To me, you need to have money to pay your bills. I think God wants us to send our kids to college. I think he wants us to be a blessing to other people. But I don't think I'd say God wants us to be rich. It's all relative, isn't it?' ...
Osteen is also a leading proponent of what is sometimes called the 'prosperity gospel', which teaches that God wants people to prosper in all areas of their lives—including material success.
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