Joel Osteen

== Career ==
{{Advert|section|date=May 2023}}
Osteen was ordained through his father's church in 1983 and preached his first sermon on January 17, 1999. By October 3, he was the new senior pastor of Lakewood Church.<ref name="power">{{cite news |last = Mathieu |first = Jennifer |title = Power House |url = http://www.houstonpress.com/2002-04-04/news/power-house/full/ |access-date = January 31, 2014 |newspaper = Houston Press |date = April 2, 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821174508/http://www.houstonpress.com/2002-04-04/news/power-house/full/ |archive-date=August 21, 2008}}</ref> In 2003, Lakewood Church acquired the [[Compaq Center (Houston)|Compaq Center]], former home of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] [[Houston Rockets]] and the [[American Hockey League|AHL]] [[Houston Aeros (1994–2013)|Houston Aeros]] and subsequently renovated it.<ref>{{cite news |last = Somers |first = Meredith |title = Osteen draws 40,000 to Nationals Park |url = http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/29/osteen-draws-40k-to-nationals-park/ |access-date = January 21, 2014 |newspaper = The Washington Times |date = April 29, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8565629 |title = Nation's largest church opens in stadium |agency = Associated Press |work = [[NBC News]] |date = July 17, 2005 |access-date = March 22, 2010 }}</ref> According to Osteen, in 2008, Lakewood Church's weekly service TV program was viewed in more than 100 countries.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://joelosteen.lakewood.cc/site/PageServer?pagename=JOM_aboutus |title = Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen Ministries. About Pastors Joel & Victoria |access-date = April 16, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080729162130/http://joelosteen.lakewood.cc/site/PageServer?pagename=JOM_aboutus |archive-date = July 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

=== Preaching style ===
Osteen memorizes his planned remarks before he delivers them, and listens back to previous ones on tape.<ref>{{cite news |title = Joel Osteen: By the numbers and other interesting facts |url = http://www.christianpost.com/news/joel-osteen-talks-biggest-preaching-mistake-owning-the-room-94667/ |date = April 25, 2013 |work = Christian Post |last=Menzie |first=Nicola}}</ref> His sermons have been criticized as self-serving and revealing a poor command of Scripture.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=Christine |last2=Carlin |first2=Nathan |date=February 1, 2010 |title=Joel Osteen as Cultural Selfobject: Meeting the Needs of the Group Self and Its Individual Members in and from the Largest Church in America |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-009-0197-7 |journal=Pastoral Psychology |language=en |volume=59 |issue=1 |pages=27–51 |doi=10.1007/s11089-009-0197-7 |s2cid=143635448 |issn=1573-6679}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Butler |first=Anthea |date=August 31, 2017 |title=Opinion {{!}} The Cheap Prosperity Gospel of Trump and Osteen |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/opinion/trump-osteen-harvey-church.html |access-date=January 27, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 21, 2013 |title=The False Promise Of The Prosperity Gospel: Why I Called Out Joel Osteen And Joyce Meyer |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/osteen-meyer-prosperity-gospel_b_3790384 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=HuffPost |language=en |last=Henderson |first=Rick}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=R. |first=Geiger, Wayne |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/651017356 |title=Joel Osteen : a critical analysis of sermonic methodology |date=October 10, 2023 |publisher=University of Central Missouri |isbn=978-1-109-60661-4 |oclc=651017356}}</ref> Osteen says he chooses to focus more on the goodness of God and on living an obedient life rather than on sin,<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/joel-osteen |title = Fox News on Osteen |website = FoxNews.com |access-date = September 20, 2014 }}</ref> and that he tries to teach Biblical principles in a simple way, emphasizing the power of love and a positive attitude.<ref name="60 Minutes" /> When asked why he does not focus more on [[sin]], the [[devil]], and [[hell]] in detail, Osteen stated in an interview with [[CBN News]]:

{{blockquote|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. 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.<ref name=Interview />}}

=== Events===
Since 2004, Osteen, along with his wife, have hosted Night of Hope events, as well as their annual stadium event called "America's Night of Hope", in the U.S. and around the world.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tucker |first1=Jill |title=Preaching pep in a troubled world, Joel Osteen comes to AT&T Park |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Preaching-pep-in-a-troubled-world-Joel-Osteen-6431802.php |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=8 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ibanga |first1=Imaeyen |title=Pastor Joel Osteen to Give Message of Hope at Yankee Stadium |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=7203675&page=1 |work=[[ABC News]] |date=March 29, 2009 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Boorstein |first1=Michelle |title=Osteen's 'Night of Hope' draws crowd to Nationals Park |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/osteens-night-of-hope-draws-crowd-to-nationals-park/2012/04/29/gIQAntkOqT_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=29 April 2012}}</ref> The event incorporates contemporary Christian music and inspirational messages to reach the masses at the venue and others watching online.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barnhart |first1=Melissa |title=Joel Osteen at Night of Hope Miami: Relinquish Control to God |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/joel-osteen-at-night-of-hope-miami-relinquish-control-to-god.html |work=[[The Christian Post]] |date=April 21, 2013}}</ref> Osteen also hosted an event at his Lakewood Church in 2018, in collaboration with rapper [[Kanye West]], called Sunday Service. According to media reports, the event was attended by 17,000 as well as joined by many people streaming online.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Morgan |title=Joel Osteen on Collaborating with 'Very Genuine' Kanye West: 'We Just Struck Up a Friendship' |url=https://people.com/music/joel-osteen-talks-kanye-west-collaboration/ |work=[[People magazine]] |date=December 17, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> He also held his Easter service during [[COVID-19]] with [[Mariah Carey]] and [[Tyler Perry]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yancey-Bragg |first1=N'dea |title=5 powerful quotes from livestreamed Easter Sunday services around the world |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/13/5-powerful-quotes-live-streamed-easter-sunday-services/2981757001/ |work=[[USA TODAY]] |date=April 13, 2020}}</ref>

===Shooting===
{{main|Lakewood Church shooting}}
On February 11, 2024, a woman with a history of mental health issues, Genesse Ivonne Moreno, accompanied by her 7-year-old son, entered the church between services and began firing an [[AR-15]]. Two off-duty police officers working security returned fire and killed her. Her son was critically injured with a gunshot to the head during the exchange of gunfire.{{by whom|date=March 2024}} Another man who was present was wounded in the hip, treated at a local hospital and released.<ref>[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/shooting-joel-osteen-church_n_65c93fdbe4b067c6b73d4836 Woman Firing Rifle Killed By 2 Off-Duty Officers At Joel Osteen's Church, 2 Others Hurt, Police Say], ''[[Huffington Post]]'', Juan A. Lozano, February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/us/joel-osteen-lakewood-church-shooting-monday/index.html| first1 = Christina | last1 = Maxouris | first2 = Lauren | last2 = Mascarenhas | first3 = John | last3 = Miller |title=Shooter at Houston megachurch had lengthy criminal history including weapons charges, police say|publisher=CNN|date=February 12, 2024}}</ref>