Joel Osteen, a renowned American preacher and televangelist, has captivated the hearts of over 7 million people worldwide with his infectious smile and exceptional oratory skills. As the Pastor of Lakewood Church, he delivers his powerful sermons in sold-out stadiums and sports arenas, spreading messages of living life to its fullest potential, embracing victory, and seizing destiny moments. With his striking appearance and an immense following, Osteen has become more than just a preacher; he is a spiritual guru and a religious seminary in his own right. Despite facing criticism from various factions, including fundamentalists and evangelicals, who argue that his ‘prosperity preaching’ contradicts Jesus’ teachings, Osteen continues to lead America’s largest church flock at the Lakewood Church in Houston. His impact extends beyond the pulpit, as his works have reached the New York Times best-sellers list, selling an impressive 3 million hardcover copies worldwide.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Joel Scott Osteen
- Age: 60 Years, 60 Year Old Males
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Victoria Osteen
- Father: John Osteen
- Mother: Dolores Pilgrim Osteen
- Siblings: Alexandra, April, Jonathan, Justin, Lisa, Paul, Tamara
- Children: Alexandria Osteen, Jonathan Osteen
- Born Country: United States
- Quotes By Joel Osteen
- Philanthropists
- Height: 1.82 m
- City: Houston, Texas
- U.S. State: Texas
- More Facts
- Education: Oral Roberts University, Humble High School
Childhood & Early Life
Joel Scott Osteen was born to John Osteen and Dolores in Houston, Texas. He is one of the five children born to the couple. At the time of his birth, his father was a Southern Baptist pastor and also the founder of the ‘Lakewood Church’. He studied at Oral Roberts University but did not graduate from the institution and quit it in 1981, to set up his father’s television agency and worked alongside his father as the publishing supervisor of their local Houston ministry show.
Career
In 1992, he was ordained as a minister by Lakewood’s six-member board in a hushed ceremony. In 1999, after his father’s sudden demise, he succeeded him as the pastor of Lakewood Church. Just a week before his father’s death, he had given his first sermon in his life. In 2004, he authored ‘Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential’, which went on to become one of his best-known works. He and many of his Lakewood Church personnel journeyed across the nation, giving programs at large venues. In 2005, he moved Lakewood Church into the Compaq Center, which was the earlier arena for the Houston Rockets. In 2007, the tour continued to several countries such as England, Northern Ireland, Israel, and Canada. The same year, he also released his second book, ‘Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day’. In 2007, a 12-minute segment on Osteen titled, ‘Joel Osteen Answers his Critics’ was aired on ’60 Minutes’. It was discovered at this point in time that his method of teaching was unorthodox. In 2008, he authored the book ‘Daily Readings from Become a Better You: 90 Devotions for Improving Your Life Everyday’. The following year, he published another book titled, ‘It’s Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams and Increase in God’s Favor’. In 2011, he was seen on Piers Morgan’s show, ‘Piers Morgan Tonight’, where he mentioned for the first time that he never attended a seminary and never received a divinity degree in his life. In 2013, he became the subject of a widespread hoax.
Personal Life & Legacy
He married the co-pastor of Lakewood Church, Victoria Osteen, in 1987. The couple has two children – Jonathan and Alexandra. He openly claimed that he was against same-sex marriages, justifying his proclamation by quoting religious scripture that deems same-sex marriages as a ‘sin’, during an interview with CNN. Although he preached a lot about religion and succeeded his father in taking over the Lakewood church, he never studied religion or divinity as a subject.
Major Works
‘Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living Your Life at Your Full Potential’ was released in October 2004 and made it to the New York Times’s best-sellers list. His first publication is also regarded as one of his major works. Following the release of this work, he was named one of the ‘Ten Most Fascinating People’ and was even ordained as ‘inspirational’ by former presidential candidate, John McCain. The book also earned the significant merit of becoming the ‘fastest-selling nonfiction book in publishing history’. In 2007, he authored ‘Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day’, which made it to the best-sellers list and sold over four million copies in its first printing. This book is also regarded as one of his masterpieces which catapulted him to fame.
Awards & Achievements
He was featured on ABC News’ list of the ’10 Most Fascinating People of 2006’.
Trivia
This famous American preacher and televangelist spent more than $90 million to renovate Lakewood Church and made it so humongous that it can now accommodate 16,000 people.