Pastor Joel Osteen, pictured at his Your Best Life Now book signing in 2005, is currently a multi-millionaire with an estimated net worth of $50 million (Credit: POP / WENN)įor these reasons (and many, many others), Osteen has become a pastor that many people love to hate. Osteen certainly talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to the prosperity gospel.Ĭurrently, he is a multimillionaire-his net worth is an estimated $50 million-and lives in a $10.5 million mansion, owns another $2.9 million home, and has a bevy of expensive cars and other luxury items. “Money is part of it and yes, I believe God wants us to excel.” What Is Joel Osteen’s Net Worth? “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,” Osteen said in 2013 to The Christian Post. This idea insinuates that God wants his followers to be prosperous (i.e. Osteen’s idea of “prosperity gospel” is problematic for a growing population of Christians. I know that they will, I know for sure that they will, because that’s the kind of person he is,” the American director added in defense of his longtime friend Osteen. I’m sending $250,000 to Lakewood to make sure that they can get all the supplies that people need. I spoke to them on the phone, and it all made perfect sense to me so before you just run and judge somebody really quick, you need to know the whole circumstances … This million dollars, I’m breaking it up into quarters. Lakewood Church is a megachurch located in Houston, Texas, and has grown to become one of the largest churches in the United States (Credit: Tallmaple / Shutterstock) There is no way they would lock people out of the church and not let people in for shelter,” Tyler Perry said in a Facebook video.

Let me tell you something: Joel and Victoria are amazing people. “I know that there’s been some controversy about Joel Osteen and him not opening doors of the church. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives,” Donald added. “We are prepared to shelter people once the cities and county shelters reach capacity. The church was reportedely “inaccessible due to severe flooding” following Hurricane Harvey. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need,” Joel’s father-in-law Donald Iloff told CNN. They were upset that Osteen seemed to ignore this idea, leaving thousands of Texans quite literally out in the cold, despite possessing a place that could house them. Pastor Joel Osteen was criticized for not opening Lakewood Church to the victims of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 (Credit: Johnny Louis / WENN)įor many Christians, the Bible preaches generosity and helping those in need. Twitter users criticized Osteen for not opening Lakewood Church to those who needed temporary shelter.Īlan Spencer summed it up best in their tweet, referencing the tax-exempt status of churches in the United States, saying: “Joel Osteen won’t open his church that holds 16,000 to hurricane victims because it only provides shelter from taxes. Most recently, Osteen came under fire during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, when floods ravaged Texas and left many without shelter. That’s not necessarily why Osteen is such a polarizing figure, though. Due to the wide breadth of beliefs upheld by Christianity-there are over 200 Christian denominations in the United States alone-Osteen’s teachings don’t align with many people.

Keep in mind Osteen is disliked by many Christians and non-Christians alike. Pastor Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria, pictured in 2013, are rumored to be getting divorced (Credit: Johnny Louis / WENN) Is this rumor rooted in truth or just a way for Osteen’s critics to lash out at the seemingly untouchable pastor? Few figures in Christian media are as polarizing as Joel Osteen, the 59-year-old televangelist, best-selling author, multimillionaire, and pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas-which is considered to be one of the largest megachurches in the United States.Īmidst his numerous scandals and constant criticism from the public, there is a recurring rumor that Osteen and his wife, Victoria, are getting divorced.

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