Inside America’s biggest megachurch in Houston

Televangelist Joel Osteen’s Houston-megachurch became the scene of horror when a woman was shot dead by off-duty officers at the house of worship in so far unclear circumstances. A child was also wounded in the incident. The circumstances of the shooting remain unclear but it has since emerged that the woman had the words ‘Free Palestine ‘ written on her weapon. Osteen, 60, wrote on X that his ‘community is devastated by today’s events and grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement.’

‘In the face of such darkness, we must hold onto our faith and remember that evil will not prevail,’ he added. ‘God will guide us through the darkest of times. Together, we will rise above this tragedy and stand firm in our commitment to love and support one another.’ Osteen took over the Lakewood Church running in 1999 when his father, the founder, passed away. The church has grown dramatically under Osteen and is regularly attended by 45,000 people weekly, making it the third-largest megachurch in the U.S., according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

Osteen is a leader of what is known as the prosperity gospel, a belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy. He is the author of several best-selling books, including, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, which has sold eight million copies. The church became shrouded in controversy in 2021 when it emerged that it was the recipient of $4.4 million in PPP loans that were later returned. He has a net worth of somewhere between $40 and $60 million. His televised services reach about 100 countries and renovating his church’s arena cost nearly $100 million. It is the largest church in the US. Osteen is one of the many preachers in the US who preach idea that ‘if you give your money to God, God will bless you with money.’

According to the New York Times, 61 percent of American Christians agree with the notion that ‘God wants people to be more prosperous.’ Osteen has not taken a salary from his role as an executive with the church since 2005. In 2018, it was reported that the salary would be around $200,000. His personal wealth was created through his personal appearances and books. Following the success of his first book, Osteen received a $13 million advance for his follow-up. The Financial Times reported in 2019 that in 2017, Osteen’s church raked in $89 million in donations while spending $1.2 million on charitable causes.

During that period, the church was spending $115 million upgrading its facility which was formerly the home of the Houston Rockets NBA team. Those upgrades included two 30-foot waterfalls. Regarding his lack of salary, Osteen told The Christian Post in 2013 that it was important for him to reject it because he doesn’t need it, and if he accepted it, he would be under scrutiny. ‘God has blessed us in other ways. It’s really part of my message in that, you honor God and you stay faithful, you don’t know where God’s going to take you. I don’t tell people that God’s going to make them rich. But you don’t know how God’s going to bless you,’ Osteen said.

Since 2010, Osteen has lived in a $10.5 million home in the Houston suburb of River Oaks. His family paid $247,000 in property taxes on it in 2017. The two acre home features six bedrooms, three elevators, guest house and outdoor pool. In addition to the house, Osteen also drives a $325,000 Ferrari 458 Italia, the Houston Chronicle previously reported. Unlike others in his field, Osteen does not own a private jet. Even an associate pastor at the Lakewood church was monied enough to pay for a $200,000 for his wife in 2018. After Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston in 2017, Osteen opened his church to those seeking shelter after social media critics slammed the televangelist for not offering to house people in need.

Then, in 2021, the church attracted further controversy when it emerged that it received $4.4 million in federal COVID relief loans. And during the pandemic, the Daily Beast reports, he appeared on the Today Show urging people not to ‘focus on what [they] have or don’t have.’ The apparent hypocrisy drove some people on social media to complain about the church’s federal loan – the third highest handed out in Houston in July and August, according to the Houston Business Journal.

‘How many small businesses in Houston have closed their doors because they were denied PPP funds?’ Rog Wagner asked. ‘Joel Osteen got $4.4 million from taxpayers even though his church pays zero [expletive] taxes.’ Karen also referred to the Osteen’s mansion in River Oaks, while another person asked how the churches could get the funds if they don’t pay taxes. And Joel Jackson joked that the loan is a ‘big collection plate.’

A spokesman claimed they needed the loan because the church, which is America’s largest, and can hold 16,800 worshippers at one time, was unable to take weekly collections during COVID closures which it says helps pay its 368 staff. Despite his wealth, Osteen maintained in a Forbes interview that he does not let it get in the way of his pastoral duties. ‘I think anybody can let money get in the way, whether you have $1,000 or a $100 million. I never did this for money, never dreamed I would make those kinds of funds, but I don’t do anything different now than what I did eight years ago when I started. I am still focused at the church and give it my best every week,’ he said. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13074585/joel-osteen-megachurch-wealth-house-lakewood.html?ito=msngallery

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