At first, few would have thought him capable of preaching before thousands. A college dropout, those within his circles thought he lacked his father’s theological training and mastery of Scripture.
For 17 years, Pastor Joel Osteen was happy to work behind the scenes, running television production for his dad’s ministry in Houston – USA.
“My personality was low key, behind the scenes,” Osteen told American author, columnist, keynote speaker Carmine Gallo.
From that faltering start, Osteen nevertheless became Lakewood’s new leader and visionary on October 3, 1999 when his father John Osteen died unexpectedly from a heart attack.
Speaking to CBN News, Osteen revealed that when his father passed on, there was a natural tendency and pressure to do what he did.
“I didn’t feel I was that good. But I had to say to myself, ‘You can do this, you’re confident, you’re strong.’ It can sound corny, but if you don’t talk to yourself the right way you can talk yourself out of your dreams,” he said.
“I wanted to honor my father, and I didn’t want to disappoint the people of Lakewood. But I’ve learned this simple principle that I’m not competing against them … all I have to do is be the best ‘me’ that I can be,” he added.
To transform the church, Osteen says he had to transform himself. Shy and private by nature, he learned to be ebullient, funny and self-deprecating before a crowd. He succeeded so well that in time, his closest friends barely recognized the man they saw on stage.
“I just rely on the Lord to help me. I think He gives you grace to do what you’re called to do,” he said.
Although Lakewood’s attendance grew from 5,000 to become one of America’s biggest Churches, Joel Osteen is not without his critics. Some Christians have criticized him for avoiding sin, Satan, and Hell in his sermons.
Others take offense that Osteen lacks a seminary degree and accuse him of watering down the Gospel with a “Christian lite” message.
“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,” Osteen told CBN News.
“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,” he continued.
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.
“If prosperity means God wants us to be blessed and healthy and have good relationships then yes, I’m a prosperity teacher. But if it’s about money, no, I never preach about money. I probably stay away from it more than normal because televangelists get a bad name. People put me in that category because I do believe that God does want us to be happy, healthy, and whole,” he added.
Osteen married Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen on April 4, 1987. They have a son and daughter. His older siblings, Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, and his younger sister, April, are also involved in full-time ministry. His half-brother Justin does missionary work and is based in New York.
Osteen was educated at Humble High School, a public high school in the city of Humble, Texas, from which he graduated in 1981, 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.
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