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Joel Osteen

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Joel Osteen
Osteen preaching at Lakewood Church, July 17, 2016
Personal
Born
Joel Scott Osteen

(1963-03-05) March 5, 1963 (age 61)
Houston, Texas
ReligionNon-denominational Christianity, Charismatic Christianity, Evangelical, Word of Faith
NationalityAmerican
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1987)​
Children2
Parent(s)John Osteen (father)
Dolores Pilgrim Osteen (mother)[1]
SchoolHumble High School, Texas
Alma materOral Roberts University, Oklahoma
Organization
ChurchLakewood Church
Senior posting
PostSenior pastor (1999–present)
Websitejoelosteen.com

Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963)[2] is a televangelist in Houston, Texas. Osteen's televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries.[3][4] His sermons also broadcast 24 hours a day on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, Channel 128.[5][6] Osteen has written seven New York Times Best Sellers.

In 2004, his first book, Your Best Life Now, was released by Time Warner and debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list. The book remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for more than 200 weeks.[7]

Early life and family

Osteen was born in Houston, Texas, 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.[8] He was educated at Humble High School, a public high school in the city of Humble, Texas, from which he graduated in 1981,[9] followed by Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he studied radio and television communications, but did not graduate and did not receive a degree from a divinity school.[4][10] In 1982, he returned to Houston and founded Lakewood's television program, where he produced his father's televised sermons for 17 years until January 1999, when his father died unexpectedly from a heart attack.[4][11]

Career

Osteen's father encouraged him to preach for many years, but he declined, preferring to work behind the scenes until January 17, 1999, when he accepted his father's suggestion and he preached his first sermon. John Osteen died six days later of a heart attack. Two weeks after his father's death, Osteen began preaching regularly and later that year was installed as the new senior pastor of Lakewood Church on October 3, 1999.[12] Since then, Lakewood's attendance has grown from 5,000 to 43,000.[7]

In 2003, Lakewood Church acquired the Compaq Center, former home of the NBA Houston Rockets. Renovations cost $105 million.[13] The renovations took over 15 months to complete, and included the addition of five stories to add more capacity.[14] Lakewood's 2005 grand opening was attended by an estimated 56,000 people, including Texas Governor Rick Perry and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.[15]

Lakewood Church services are seen in over 100 countries.[16] Osteen was selected by Barbara Walters as one of her 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006.[17][17][18] Former presidential candidate John McCain has described Osteen as his favorite inspirational author.[19] The Osteen family attended Easter breakfast hosted by President Barack Obama at the White House in 2010.[20]

Preaching style

Osteen's sermon preparation involves memorizing his remarks and listening to himself on tape.[21]

Osteen says that he chooses to focus more on the goodness of God and on living an obedient life rather than on sin.[22] He says that he tries to teach Biblical principles in a simple way, emphasizing the power of love and a positive attitude.[23] 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]

Books

File:Joel Osteen at book signing in Nashville, May 2007.jpg
Osteen at a Nashville book signing, 18 May 2007

Osteen's first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was released in October 2004, and reached the number 1 position on The New York Times Best Seller list.

He released his second book, titled Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day, in October 2007. It also topped The New York Times Best Seller list and had a first printing of four million copies.[24][25] Osteen has said that the book focuses more on relationships and not getting stuck where we are in life.[26]

As senior pastor, Osteen says he draws no salary from the church, which has an annual budget of $70 million. Instead, he relies on income from book sales. Much of the content for his best sellers come from sermons he has preached at Lakewood.[citation needed]

Personal life

Osteen married Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen (nee Iloff) on April 4, 1987. They have a son and daughter.[27] His older siblings, Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, and his younger sister, April, are also involved in full-time ministry.[28] His half-brother Justin does missionary work and is based in New York.[12]

Osteen's net worth has been reported between $40-60 million.[29][30][31][32] He lives with his family in a 17,000 square-foot mansion, worth an estimated $10.5 million in River Oaks.[33]

Political and social views

Osteen has generally avoided discussing controversial issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and politics.[17][34] However, when asked, Osteen said that he is opposed to same-sex marriage.[35][36][37][38] Osteen refuses to preach about homosexuality due to his belief that God likes, accepts, and approves of all people.[39] When asked if he thought God approves of homosexuality, Osteen said homosexuality is a sin according to the Scripture, but gay people are welcome in his church. He has said sin is human nature, nobody's perfect, and he is not judging but, God is the judge. Osteen has also stated he believes a person can be freed from a lifestyle of homosexuality; it is a process and God can free anyone of any sin or addiction.[37] Osteen has also stressed he does not approve of homophobia, but his faith is based on his reading of the Scriptures.[37] He has said the church[which?] has a tendency to become overly focused on single issues (such as homosexuality) to the point of neglecting others.[17][37]

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.[40] In an interview in 2011, Osteen stated his support for Israel.[41]

Prosperity gospel

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.[34][40][42][43][44][45][46] On October 14, 2007, 60 Minutes ran a twelve-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.[47]

When asked if he is a prosperity teacher, Osteen responded that if prosperity means God wants people to be blessed and healthy and have good relationships, then he considers himself a prosperity teacher, but if it is about money, he does not. He has specifically stated that he never preaches about money because of the reputation of televangelists.[11]

In an interview with The Christian Post on April 21, 2013, Osteen expressed his sentiments on being perceived as being part of the prosperity gospel. "I get grouped into the prosperity gospel and I never think it's fair, but it's just what it is. I think prosperity, and I've said it 1,000 times, it's being healthy, it's having great children, it's having peace of mind. Money is part of it; and yes, I believe God wants us to excel ... to be blessed so we can be a bigger blessing to others. I feel very rewarded. I wrote a book and sold millions of copies; and Victoria and I were able to help more people than we ever dreamed of. But when I hear the term prosperity gospel, I think people are sometimes saying, 'Well, he's just asking for money'."[48]

Hurricane Harvey response

During the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Osteen received significant criticism in response to not making Lakewood Church, a 606,000-square-foot, 16,000-seat former basketball arena, available as an emergency shelter for those displaced by the storm.[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,"[54][55] and associate pastor John Gray posting further, "If WE could get there WE WOULD OPEN THE DOORS."[56][57] In a subsequent interview, Osteen countered the claim that flood waters closed the church, saying "the church has been open from the beginning," and, "We’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.”[53][58] This contradicted his earlier statement that the church would open when other refugee centers were full.[53][59][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, opening to storm victims and emergency personnel on August 29.[53]

Lawsuits

In 2011 Osteen and Lakewood Church were sued by the band The American Dollar for copyright infringement.[61] A judge in 2012 ruled in favor of Osteen, but gave The American Dollar leave to amend the case.[62]

In March 2017, a family filed a lawsuit against Lakewood Church and Osteen claiming their 18-month-old daughter suffered injuries following an altercation at the church in May 2014. Lakewood Church said it was unable to confirm the story, and the suit was settled by the church's insurance company.[63][64]

Bibliography

  • Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (2004)
  • Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (2007)[65]
  • Your Best Life Begins Each Morning: Devotions to Start Every Day of the Year (2008)
  • Good, Better, Blessed: Living with Purpose, Power and Passion (2008)
  • Hope for Today Bible (2009)
  • It's Your Time : Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God's Favor (2009)[66]
  • Living in Favor, Abundance and Joy (2010)
  • Every Day a Friday: How to Be Happier 7 Days a Week (2011)[67]
  • I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life (2012)
  • Break Out!: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life (2013)
  • You Can, You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner (2014)
  • The Power Of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today (2015)
  • Think Better, Live Better: A Victorious Life Begins In Your Mind (2016)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Obituary: Pastor John H. Osteen". Houston Chronicle. January 26, 1999. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  2. ^ "Joel Birthday-1963-March-05". Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Joel Osteen's still the name leaders know". The Washington Times. September 5, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c "About Joel". Joelosteen.com. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  5. ^ ""Joel Osteen Radio" Launches September 29 on SiriusXM". Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  6. ^ "Joel Osteen satellite radio launches Monday with live audience Town Hall". Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Joel Osteen". World Vision. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  8. ^ Christ Notes, Joel Osteen Books and Ministry Archived June 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Phillip Luke Sinitiere (November 13, 2015). "Salvation with a Smile: Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, and American Christianity". NYU Press. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  10. ^ "Popular positive pastor Joel Osteen brings 'Night of Hope' to Utah". DeseretNews.com. October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c "Joel Osteen: The Man Behind America's Largest Church". CBN.com. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Matthieu, Jennifer (April 2, 2002). "Power House". Houston Press. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  13. ^ Somers, Meredith (April 29, 2012). "Osteen draws 40,000 to Nationals Park". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  14. ^ "Nation's largest church opens in stadium". MSNBC. Associated Press. July 17, 2005. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  15. ^ "God's Stadium". Houston Press. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  16. ^ "Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen Ministries. About Pastors Joel & Victoria". Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d "The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006". 20/20. ABC. December 12, 2006.
  18. ^ Kwon, Lillian. ChristianPost.com. Joel Osteen Dubbed 'Most Fascinating'. December 11, 2006.
  19. ^ "Jonathan J Tibbs: Just as I Am...A Story of Joel Osteen..." CNN iReport. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  20. ^ "Osteen and others attend White House Easter breakfast". Houston Chronicles. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  21. ^ "Joel Osteen: By the numbers and other interesting facts". Christian Post. April 25, 2013.
  22. ^ "Fox News on Osteen". Fox News. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  23. ^ "Joel Osteen Answers His Critics". CBS News. October 11, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  24. ^ "SimonSays.com". Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  25. ^ "New Osteen Book at Three Million". Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  26. ^ CNN Larry King Live: Interview With Joel and Victoria Osteen. December 11, 2006. Archived August 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ Rootsweb.com Vital Records – Harris County, TX – Marriage 1987
  28. ^ Osteen, Dodie. "Choosing Life: One Day At A Time." New York: Free Press, 2001
  29. ^ http://coed.com/2017/08/30/joel-osteen-net-worth-lakewood-church-pastor-how-much-money-dollars-value-worth-contract-salary-endorsements/
  30. ^ http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/8-richest-pastors-in-america.aspx?p=5
  31. ^ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/joel-osteen-net-worth/
  32. ^ http://www.christianpost.com/news/joel-osteen-net-worth-2017-how-rich-is-the-54-year-old-evangelist-197347/
  33. ^ http://www.ibtimes.com/joel-osteen-net-worth-pastor-closes-megachurch-during-hurricane-harvey-2583646
  34. ^ a b Blumenthal, Ralph (March 30, 2006). "Joel Osteen's Credo: Eliminate the Negative, Accentuate Prosperity". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  35. ^ "Joel Osteen: Being Gay Is A Sin, But I Don't Dislike Gay People". The Huffington Post. May 2, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  36. ^ Tapper, Jake (March 29, 2013). "Televangelist Joel Osteen on the power of Twitter, and same-sex marriage". CNN.
  37. ^ a b c d Piers Morgan (January 24, 2011). "CNN.com Video". CNN. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  38. ^ Tenety, Elizabeth (January 28, 2011). "Joel Osteen: 'Homosexuality is a sin'". Washington Post. p. B2.
  39. ^ Hafiz, Yasmine. "Joel Osteen Tells Larry King 'Scripture Says Homosexuality Is A Sin. But I Don't Want To Preach About It'". Huffington Post. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  40. ^ a b "Transcript: Pastor Joel Osteen on 'FNS'". FOX News. December 23, 2007. Retrieved May 13, 2011. Now, as with most successful people, you have critics who say that what you offer is gospel 'lite,' the prosperity gospel.
  41. ^ JewishJournal.com (January 19, 2011). "Joel Osteen, Israel and the Jews: an exclusive Q&A — Jewish Journal".
  42. ^ Stephen Brooks (2013). American Exceptionalism in the Age of Obama. p. 51. ... Joel Osteen and T. D. Jakes, the most prominent contemporary messengers of the prosperity gospel ...
  43. ^ "Does God Want You to Be Rich?". Time. September 10, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2015. '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?' ...
  44. ^ Cathleen Falsani. "The Prosperity Gospel". Washington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2015. 'God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us,' Osteen wrote in a 2005 letter to his flock....
  45. ^ "Meet the Prosperity Preacher". Business Week. May 23, 2005. Retrieved March 19, 2015. 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.
  46. ^ Pastor Rick Henderson, The False Promise of the Prosperity Gospel: Why I Called Out Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer, The Huffington Post, 2013.08.21
  47. ^ "Joel Osteen Answers his Critics". CBS News 60 Minutes. October 14, 2007. Retrieved May 13, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  48. ^ "Interview: Joel Osteen on Life, Tragedy and Why He Shuns 'Prosperity Gospel' Label". Christian Post.
  49. ^ Kuzydym, Stephanie (August 30, 2017). "Joel Osteen calls claim he shut church doors on Harvey victims 'a false narrative'". Washington Post. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  50. ^ Bromwich, Jonah Engel (August 29, 2017). "Joel Osteen Says Lakewood Church Is Open to Harvey Victims After Criticism". New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
  51. ^ Sinclair, Harriet (August 8, 2017). "Is Joel Osteen's megachurch too flooded to help hurricane Harvey victims?". Newsweek. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  52. ^ Associated Press (August 29, 2017). "After criticism, televangelist Joel Osteen denies closing Houston megachurch to people seeking shelter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  53. ^ a b c d Kuzydym, Stephanie; Phillips, Christine (August 30, 2017). "Joel Osteen pushes back against accusations he closed his megachurch to Harvey victims". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  54. ^ "Lakewood Church". www.facebook.com. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  55. ^ "Why you should NEVER give to a religious charity". Holy Koolaid. September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  56. ^ "Joel Osteen's megachurch blasted for lack of outreach during Houston flooding". Fox 13 News. August 29, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  57. ^ "Joel Osteen's Houston megachurch opens doors as shelter after pastor slammed by critics". Redlands Daily Facts. August 29, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  58. ^ https://www.facebook.com/kristineaguerra. "Joel Osteen calls claim he shut church doors on Harvey victims 'a false narrative'". Washington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); External link in |last= (help)
  59. ^ Metro.co.uk, Oliver McAteer for (August 29, 2017). "Pastor opens his megachurch for shelter after video showing it empty". Metro. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  60. ^ Prince, S.J. (August 29, 2017). "PHOTO: Joel Osteen's Wikipedia Trolled Over Church's Response to Hurricane Harvey". Heavy.com. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  61. ^ "Joel Osteen, Church Sued by Band for $3M". Christian Post.
  62. ^ "Joel Osteen & Lakewood Mostly Win Copyright Suit Filed by Indie Duo". Houston Press.
  63. ^ "Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen facing lawsuit after family says young child hurt during service". click2houston.com.
  64. ^ "Joel Osteen Sued After Church Staff 'Body-Slams' Young Child During Service". Hello Christian.
  65. ^ "Joel Osteen - Become A Better You - Book Review". Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  66. ^ Osteen, Joel (October 1, 2009). "It's Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Anticipate God's Favor". Simon & Schuster, Limited. Retrieved April 16, 2017 – via Google Books.
  67. ^ Osteen, Joel (September 13, 2011). "Every Day a Friday: How to Be Happier 7 Days a Week". FaithWords. Retrieved April 16, 2017 – via Google Books.
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