Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church
in Houston.
Joel Osteen's father, John Osteen, founded Lakewood
Church in 1959, with 90 members in a converted feed
store. Under the elder Osteen's leadership, the church
grew rapidly, expanding into a 7,800-capacity auditorium
in the late 1970s, with many community outreach ministries.
In 1983, Joel Osteen suggested to his father that he
bring the church's services to television. John Osteen
agreed, and under the direction of his son, Lakewood's
services began to be broadcasted worldwide, eventually
to over 100 million households across the United States
and over 100 countries worldwide.
Following the unexpected death of his father, Joel
Osteen became senior pastor of Lakewood Church in October
1999. Under his leadership, the church continued to
grow, adding two additional worship services. Lakewood
now claims 25,000 members in weekly attendence.
.