Joel Osteen is the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas which he inherited from his father, John Osteen.
On July 16, 2023 after completing $95 million dollars in renovations, Joel Osteen moved Lakewood Church into its new 16,000-seat home — the former Compaq Center. It is the largest regularly-used worship center in the United States. Each week Joel delivers God’s message of hope and encouragement to more than 38,000 attendees.
In latest buzz, Joel Osteen, famed pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, is defending himself after facing criticism on social media for not offering shelter at the megachurch to victims of Hurricane Harvey.
In a post on Twitter Saturday, Osteen said he was praying for those affected by the storm, which has dumped 20 to 40 inches of rain on the Houston area alone, with more on the way.
But on Sunday, in response to requests that the church, which can hold more than 16,000, be opened for evacuees, Lakewood Church posted on Facebook that it is "inaccessible due to severe flooding" and subsequently directed displaced residents to nearby Houston shelters. Read more at ABC News.