Joel Osteen
 Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963 in Houston, Texas) is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, North America’s largest and fastest growing church congregation, averaging approximately 30,000 adult attendees every week in 2005. He is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, "Your Best Life Now."
Biography
Joel's father, John Osteen, a former Southern Baptist pastor who became charismatic in the late 1950s, founded Lakewood Church on Mother's Day, 1959.
Osteen's father developed Lakewood into a body of approximately 6,000 members with an active television ministry, crusades, conferences, missionary support and food distribution. He died of a heart attack in 1999. Having produced his father's television program for years, Joel Osteen--despite having preached only one time in his life, ironically the week before John Osteen's death--succeeded him on October 3, 1999.
Despite concerns regarding Osteen's selection (mainly due to his lack of experience in preaching and concerns about the son of a famous minister being able to "fill the shoes" of the father), Osteen's low-key, positive style resonated with crowds. Adopting the slogan "Discover the Champion in You," Lakewood eventually had to hold six weekly services in its 7,800 seat sanctuary, before moving to a new facility, the former Compaq Center which can seat over 16,000 at one time, in July 2005.
Joel Osteen is associated with the Word of faith movement in charismatic protestantism.
Joel lives in the Houston area with his wife Victoria and two children, Jonathan and Alexandra.
Before every sermon, Joel begins by telling a joke, then (like his father before him) leads his congregation in the following affirmation:
This is my Bible: I am what it says I am; I have what it says I have; I can do what it says I can do.
Today, I will be taught the Word of God.
I boldly confess: My mind is alert; my heart is receptive; I will never be the same.
I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living Seed of the Word of God.
I'll never be the same -- never, never, never! I'll never be the same, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Criticism and Support
Critics have decried his lifestyle as "lavish" pointing to the fact that he lives in a house valued at over $2.5 million, in the same neighborhood as former President George H. W. Bush. Osteen also owns two Porsche sports cars.
Critics have also commented on his lack of formal theological training (he spent one semester at Oral Roberts University before returning to Lakewood to start its television ministry, and only preached one sermon before becoming pastor).
Supporters, however, say that his income is largely the result of his book sales, which are advertised multiple times during his television ministry broadcasts. They also say that he declined to take his 2005 annual salary of $174,000 as pastor of the church. He wanted to use the money for other ministries. Texas Monthly also reported in its August 2005 issue that Osteen paid the property tax -- roughly $25,000 -- on his house, though under Texas law the house could be classified as a parsonage, and thus exempt from tax.
They also point to the church's charity work, particularly during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison. According to Lakewood, the church donated over $1,000,000 to flood victims in one year alone, housing many of them temporarily at the sanctuary on the northeast side of Houston. Osteen also visited the evacuees of Hurricane Katrina housed at the Astrodome, and his congregation donated millions for that disaster's relief efforts. However, the church did not open its doors to house the evacuees, as many had expected they would.
The Houston Chronicle reported that on December 19, 2005, the Osteen family was asked to deplane Continental Airlines flight 1602 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The plane was bound for Vail, Colorado. The Washington Post quoted an FBI spokesman as saying that there'd been a "verbal altercation" after aircraft doors had closed in preparation for takeoff.
--Taken from Wikipedia.org
Selected Books
Additional Resources
Here are some additional links and resources relating to Joel Osteen:
Joel had only preached once in his life, the week before his father's death. [8] Today, Lakewood Church services, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, ...
Independent mega-church pastored by Joel Osteen. Meets in the former Compaq Center. Includes online worship services, history, schedule, events, ministries, ...
The latest "star" among the Christian world is Joel Osteen, pastor of nondenominational Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Osteen claims the nation’s ...
Jay Bakker, a big supporter of a pro-gay group, met privately with Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church to talk about faith and sexuality issues and to ultimately ...
Popular preacher Joel Osteen's positive message attracts crowds and has made ... Joel Osteen has done that, as Byron Pitts first reported back in October. ...
Feb 6, 2008 ... He's the most popular preacher in America, with his services attended by thousands and seen by more than 7 million viewers around the world ...
Watch how Joel Osteen dances around the gospel.John 14:6 (New International Version)New International Version (NIV)6Jesus answered, "I am the way and th...
Joel Osteen, a native Houstonian, has committed his life to serving and helping every person, regardless of background and economic status, to achieve their ...
Information on Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen Books and Sermons.
Oct 17, 2007 ... On Larry King last night, mega-church preacher Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria, Jim and Tammy 2.0, offered beaming advice about how to ...
Search results provided by  |