Joel Osteen

Joel Osteen has been married to Victoria Osteen since April 4, 1987. Victoria later became co-pastor of Lakewood Church, and the couple have two children, Jonathan and Alexandra.

Osteen is the son of John Osteen, who founded Lakewood Church, and Dolores "Dodie" Pilgrim. His brother Paul Osteen has also been involved in full-time ministry.

Raised in Houston, Osteen initially worked behind the scenes in television production rather than preaching. Beginning in 1982, he produced his father's televised sermons and developed Lakewood's television ministry, continuing in that role for 17 years.

After John Osteen died in 1999, Joel delivered his first sermon at Lakewood on January 17. He became the church's senior pastor later that year and expanded its broadcasts, advertising, and network presence. His weekly services eventually reached audiences in more than 100 countries.

Under Osteen's leadership, Lakewood Church grew from about 6,000 weekly attendees in 1999 to tens of thousands. In 2003, the church acquired Houston's Compaq Center, the former home of the Houston Rockets and Houston Aeros, and renovated it into a 16,000-seat worship facility.

The first services in the converted arena took place in July 2005. Lakewood's weekly attendance later rose to more than 50,000, while its televised services attracted millions of viewers. Osteen and Victoria have also hosted the Night of Hope events since 2004, including the annual America's Night of Hope stadium event.

Osteen's first major book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was published in 2004 and became a bestseller. Other books include Become a Better You, Think Better, Live Better, Blessed in the Darkness, Peaceful on Purpose, Believe, and Speak the Blessing.

His sermons emphasize the goodness and mercy of God, personal responsibility, hope, faith, and a positive attitude. He generally presents biblical principles in simple language and says that he prefers encouraging people to live obediently rather than focusing extensively on sin, the devil, and hell. Critics have characterized this approach as a diluted form of Christianity or as prosperity theology, while Osteen rejects a purely material definition of prosperity.

Osteen's public ministry has included collaborations with named performers and public figures. He hosted a 2018 Sunday Service at Lakewood with Kanye West and held an Easter service during the COVID-19 pandemic featuring Mariah Carey and Tyler Perry. In 2022, he interviewed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu virtually.

Lakewood faced criticism after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 because the church did not open immediately as an emergency shelter. Osteen disputed the criticism and said flooding and safety concerns affected the timing. Lakewood opened the facility as a shelter on August 29, and Houston later honored the church and Osteen for assistance with rebuilding efforts.

On February 11, 2024, a woman entered Lakewood between services and opened fire. Two off-duty police officers working security killed her during the exchange. Her seven-year-old son was critically injured, and another man was wounded.