Joel Osteen is the pastor of the biggest mega-church in the State of Texas. The Lakewood Church is said to have an attendance of over 45,000 every week, along with hundreds of millions of homes via the media reach of the church.
Newsmax listed down some of the facts about the controversial pastor's family, net worth, gospel, and more.
Joel Osteen
According to the SunSigns, Joel Osteen is a pastor, televangelist, and author with millions of followers. The pastor graduated from the humble High School before attending Oral Roberts University for a year. However, the pastor dropped out just in his first year to help out his father.
His father, John Osteen, would die in 1999 and he would then take up the leadership of the church. Joel Osteen Net Worth
The article said that the pastor does not receive any salary from the church. When it comes to his wealth, the pastor is a bestselling author and one of the highest-paid pastors in the country.
The Things said that with the cash flow of the pastor, he has a net worth of over $100 million, earning. The article also talked about how Osteen and his family spent the fortune. This includes expensive suits and the alleged shopping sprees of his wife.In the article, it also showed that there are allegations that the pastor owns his own private jet. Apart from this, there are allegations that the pastor owns sports cars, a yacht, and more. Further, the pastor owns a $10 million worth mansion in Houston said to be 5,600 square feet in size.
The Family of Osteen
Joel Osteen is married to Victoria Osteen and the two have two children together. On the Joel Osteen Ministries page, it says that the pastors have been active members of the church even before leading it. The two of them assisted John Osteen when it comes to missionary work all over the world.
Within the church, the pastor also started the Women's Ministry. Further, like her husband, she is also a New York Times bestselling author. She is the author of the books 'Fearless & Free,' 'Gifts from the Heart,' and 'Unexpected Treasures,' among others.
According to MGM Ministries, John Hillery Osteen was the founder and first pastor of the Lakewood Church. He served the church from 1959 until his death in 1999. The pastor had a Bachelor's Degree from John Brown University. He also had a Masters degree from Northern Baptist Seminary. As well as a Doctorate of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts University. The article said that the pastor started as a minister of the Southern Baptist Convention or SBC before he voluntarily disassociated himself from the denomination.
Prosperity Gospel
According to Vox, the pastor is known for his 'prosperity gospel,' a 'quintessential American theology' wherein faith is connected to material wealth and success. It is also highly connected to the act of tithing, offering money to the church, and the offering of 'first fruits.'
Preachers such as Joel Osteen who uses this gospel say that through these acts, churchgoers can have a 'return' on the money they invest in God.
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