Joel Osteen

== Early life and education ==
Osteen was born in [[Houston]], and is one of six children of [[John Osteen]] and Dolores ("Dodie") Pilgrim. His father, a former [[Southern Baptist Convention|Southern Baptist]] pastor, founded [[Lakewood Church]] (of which Osteen is the current senior pastor) in the back of an old feed store.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christnotes.org/_joel-osteen.asp |website=ChristNotes.org |title=Joel Osteen Books and Ministry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625224321/http://www.christnotes.org/_joel-osteen.asp |archive-date=June 25, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

He graduated from [[Humble High School]], a public high school in the city of [[Humble, Texas]], in 1981,<ref>{{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-dsWCgAAQBAJ&q=joel+osteen+humble+high+school+1981&pg=PA113 |title = Salvation with a Smile: Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, and American Christianity |author = Phillip Luke Sinitiere |date = November 13, 2015 |publisher = NYU Press |isbn = 9780814708149 |access-date = August 30, 2017 }}</ref> and attended [[Oral Roberts University]] in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], where he studied radio and television [[Communication studies|communications]] but did not graduate.<ref name=About>{{cite web |title = About Joel |url = https://www.joelosteen.com/our-ministry |website = JoelOsteen.com |access-date = November 15, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865587553/Popular-positive-pastor-Joel-Osteen-brings-Night-of-Hope-to-Utah.html |title = Popular positive pastor Joel Osteen brings 'Night of Hope' to Utah |date = October 2, 2013 |last=Brown |first=Matthew |website = Deseret News |access-date = September 20, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123153501/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865587553/Popular-positive-pastor-Joel-Osteen-brings-Night-of-Hope-to-Utah.html |archive-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kellner |first=Mark A. |title=Televangelist Osteen baptizes 1,000-plus in four-hour ceremony, first in two years |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/sep/12/joel-osteen-baptizes-1000-plus-four-hour-ceremony-/ |date=September 12, 2022 |access-date=January 30, 2023 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1982, he returned to [[Houston]], founded Lakewood's television program, and produced his father's televised sermons for 17 years until January 1999, when his father died  of a heart attack.<ref name=About /><ref name=Interview>{{cite news |title = Joel Osteen: The Man Behind America's Largest Church |url = http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/osteen_010408.aspx |publisher = CBN.com |access-date = November 16, 2013 }}</ref>