Joel Osteen Biography
Joel Osteen fully known as Joel Scott Osteen, is an American preacher, televangelist, author, lead pastor of Lakewood church, husband of Victoria Osteen and father to Jonathan and Alexandra Osteen.
He was born on March 5, 1963. He is the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church, the largest Protestant church in the United States, in Houston, Texas.
Joel Osteen Age
Being born on the March 5, 1963 , Joel is 59 old (2022). He celebrates his birthday on the 5th day of March every year.
Early life
Joel Osteen was born to his parents John Osteen and Dolores Pilgrim in Houston, Texas, and is one of six children of the parents. . His father, a former Southern Baptist pastor, founded Lakewood Church, of which Osteen he handed over to Joel Osteen who currently serve as the lead pastor.
Pastor Joel Osteen attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he studied radio and television communications, but neither graduated nor received a degree from a divinity school.
In 1982, he returned to Houston and founded Lakewood’s television program, where he produced his father’s televised sermons for 17 years (1982-1999), until when his father died unexpectedly from a heart attack.
Joel Osteen Wife
Pastor Joel Osteen married Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Iloff on April 4, 1987. Their marriage is blessed with a son (Jonathan Osteen) and a daughter (Alexandra Osteen).
Joel’s older siblings, Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, and his younger sister, April, are also involved in full-time ministry. His half-brother Justin who is based in the UK also does missionary work.
Joel Osteen children
The marriage of Joel and Victoria is blessed with two children named Jonathan (son) and Alexandra (daughter).
Alexandra Osteen is an American singer born and raised in Houston, Texas, United States. She was born on the 9th November 1998.
Jonathan was born on 20th April 1995. He is an American musician by profession. Also, Jonathan is one of the avid Periscope users. Jonathan and Alexandra both feature greatly in the music department of Lakewood church
Career
Joel’s father, John, founded Lakewood Church back in 1959. The son of a Texas cotton farmer, John Osteen was a Southern Baptist minister before his faith took on a more charismatic turn in the late 1950s.
Joel Osteen’s father encouraged him to preach for many years, but he declined, preferring to work behind the scenes until January 17, 1999, when he accepted his father’s suggestion and preached his first sermon. John Osteen died six days later of a heart attack. Two weeks after his father’s death, Joel began preaching regularly and later that year was installed as the new senior pastor of Lakewood Church on October 3, 1999. Since then, Lakewood’s attendance has grown tremendously.
In 2003, Lakewood Church acquired the Compaq Center, former home of the NBA Houston Rockets. Renovations cost $105 million. The renovations took over 15 months to complete, and included the addition of five stories to add more capacity. Lakewood’s 2005 grand opening was attended by an estimated 56,000 people, including Texas Governor Rick Perry and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Joel Osteen Net worth
Joel Osteen of Lakewood church appears to be one of the most popular and richest pastors/preachers in United States with a net worth of at least $50 million.
Joel Osteen’s source of income is simply the proceeds of the sale of his books, book advances, book royalties, calendars, speaking fee, etc.
To read more about his net worth and sources of income, Click to read our article on Joel Osteen net worth
Joel Osteen books
In addition to being a televangelist, Joel is a renowned and bestselling author with many books to his credit.
To see the list of wonderful books by Joel Osteen, Click to read our article on Joel Osteen books
Osteen has generally avoided discussing controversial issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and politics. When asked, Osteen said that he is opposed to same-sex marriage. He refuses to preach about homosexuality due to his belief that God likes, accepts, and approves of all people. When asked if he thought God approves of homosexuality, Osteen said that homosexuality is a sin according to the Scripture, but that gay people are welcome in his church. He has said that sin is human nature, nobody’s perfect, and that he is not judging but that God is the judge. Osteen has also stated that he believes a person can be freed from a lifestyle of homosexuality; that it is a process and that God can free anyone of any sin or addiction. Osteen has also stressed that he does not approve of homophobia, but that his faith is based on his reading of the Scriptures. He has said that the church has a tendency to become overly focused on single issues (such as homosexuality) to the point of neglecting others.
Prosperity gospel criticism
Osteen’s sermons and writings are sometimes criticized for promoting prosperity theology, or the prosperity gospel, a belief that material gain is a reward for pious Christians. On October 14, 2007, 60 Minutes ran a twelve-minute segment on Osteen, titled “Joel Osteen Answers his Critics”, during which Reformed theologian Michael Horton told CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts that Osteen’s message is heresy. Horton stated that the problem with Osteen’s message is that it makes religion about us instead of about God.
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, but if it is about money, he does not. He has specifically stated that he never preaches about money because of the reputation of televangelists.
In an interview with The Christian Post on April 21, 2013, Osteen expressed his sentiments on being perceived as being part of the prosperity gospel. “I get grouped into the prosperity gospel and I never think it’s fair, but it’s just what it is. I think prosperity, and I’ve said it 1,000 times, it’s being healthy, it’s having great children, it’s having peace of mind. Money is part of it; and yes, I believe God wants us to excel … to be blessed so we can be a bigger blessing to others. I feel very rewarded. I wrote a book and sold millions of copies; and Victoria and I were able to help more people than we ever dreamed of. But when I hear the term prosperity gospel, I think people are sometimes saying, ‘well, he’s just asking for money’.”
Basic information about Pastor Joel Osteen at a glance
Birth name Joel Scott Osteen
Popular name – Joel Osteen
Age – 56 years
Date of birth — 1963-03-05
Gender – Male
Profession – Author
marital status – Married
Spouse – Victoria Osteen
Place of birth – Houston Texas
nationality – American
Ethnicity – White
Religion – Evangelical
Horoscope – Pisces
Children – Two ( Son Jonathan Osteen , Daughter Alexandra Osteen)
High school attended – Humble high school
college attended – Roberts Oral University
Birth nation – U.S
Father – John Osteen
Mother – Pilgrim Dolores
Siblings- Six
Eye color – Black
Hair color Dark brown
Shoe size – 10.5 (United Kingdom)
Net worth – Appr $ 100 million
Salary Under review
Richness’ fountain Multiple Profession
Sexual orientation Right
