Joel Osteen Biography
Joel Osteen ( Joel Scott Osteen) an American pastor, televangelist, motivational speaker, theologian, and author, based in Houston, Texas. He is famous for his Lakewood church leadership and sermons.
He as well broadcast sermons are watched by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries.
Joel Osteen Age
Osteen was born on March 5, 1963, in Houston, Texas, the United States of America.
Joel Osteen Family
Osteen was born among six children born to John Osteen and Dolores (“Dodie”) PilgrimOsteen in Houston, Texas. His father, John, worked at Southern Baptist pastor and founder of Lakewood Church where Osteen is the current senior pastor located in the back of an old feed store.
He was raised up along with his older siblings, Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, and his younger sister, April, are also part of the full-time ministry. His step-brother Justin lives in New York where as well does missionary work.
Joel Osteen Wife
Osteen got married to Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen (née Iloff) on April 4, 1987. The pair are blessed with two children; a son Jonathan Osteen and a daughter Alexandra Osteen.
Joel Osteen House
Osteen resides with his family in a 17,000 square-foot mansion in River Oaks, having an estimated value of $10.5 million.
Joel Osteen Books
Osteen penned his first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential and launched it in October 2004 and rose to number 1 position on The New York Times Best Seller list.
He as well penned his second book, Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day, in October 2007. It as well got ranked highest on The New York Times Best Seller list and with a first printing of four million copies. Osteen has stated that the book focuses more on relationships and not getting stuck where we are in life.
Joel Osteen Career
He took over as the lead pastor after the death of his father John. Under his leadership, He has seen Lakewood grow to become the largest and fastest-growing congregation church in the United States.
He robustly expanded the church’s media platform by purchasing advertisements on billboards and other venues. He further doubled the church’s budget on television airtime while targeting the largest media markets.
Within a few years, his weekly television broadcasts reached households in over 100 countries becoming the top-rated inspirational program on the air. In addition, his book; Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential was a best seller.
In 2005, Joel conducted a 15-city United States tour, preaching to large crowds at every stopover. The same year, Lakewood opened a new 16,000-seat megachurch in Houston’sCompaq Center. This made the weekly attendance at Lakewood to rise from 6,000 to more than 50,000.
He as well had televised services attracted an estimated 10 million viewers weekly. During this period, Osteen published various books. These include; How to Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (2007), Think Better, Live Better: A Victorious Life Begins in Your Mind (2016), and Blessed in the Darkness: How All Things Are Working for Your Good (2017).
His father tried leading him to preach for some years back with failure. However, he worked behind the alter until January 17, 1999, when he agreed to his father’s offer and he preached his first sermon.
His father John died six days later of a heart attack. Two weeks after his father’s death, hebegan preaching regularly. He got anointed as the new senior pastor of Lakewood Church on October 3, 1999. Since then, Lakewood’s congregation has grown from 5,000 to 43,000.
In 2003, Lakewood Church got the Compaq Center, former home of the NBA Houston Rockets. Renovating the new church cost them $105 million. These renovations as well had the addition of five stores for more capacity. The church in 2005 hadmega opening was attended by an estimated 56,000 people, inclusive of Texas Governor Rick Perry and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Lakewood Church services sermons are are also followed by over 100 countries. He got nominated by Barbara Walters as one of her 10 Most influential People of 2006. Former US presidential candidate John McCain described Joel as his best inspirational author.
His family attended Easter breakfast hosted by President Barack Obama at the White House in 2010.
Joel Osteen Net Worth
Osteen has an estimated net worth of between $40–60 million. He gets an annual budget of $70 million and as well relies on income from book sales.
Joel Osteen Education
Osteen joined the school at a public school, Humble High School, in the city of Humble, Texas and geaduated in 1981. After the latter studies, he enrolled at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma majoring in radio and television communications. However, he did not graduate for his degree from a divinity school.
His parents as well founded the nondenominational charismatic Lake wood Church in Houston in the year 1959. In 1981, Joel left Oral Roberts University after barely one year of study to help his father run the Church.