Joel Osteen Biography
Joel Osteen is a famous American pastor, televangelist, motivational speaker, theologian, and author, based in Houston, Texas. He is well known for his Lakewood church leadership and sermons. Moreover, his broadcast sermons are watched by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries.
He is the author of ten books, most of which have ranked number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. Osteen joined the school at a public school, Humble High School, in the city of Humble, Texas graduating in 1981. After the latter studies, he joined Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma majoring in radio and television communications. However, he did not graduate making him not receive a degree from a divinity school.
His parents founded the nondenominational charismatic Lake wood Church in Houston in the year 1959. John Osteen, his father was the then lead pastor. In 1981, Joel left Oral Roberts University after barely one year of study to help his father run the Church. He majorly assisted his father in developing Lakewood’s growing national television ministry, working behind the cameras as a producer of the church’s broadcasts.
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In 1999, Osteen took over as the lead pastor after the death of his father John. Under his leadership, Joel 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 rise from 6,000 to more than 50,000.
Furthermore, his 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).
Joel Osteen Age
How old is Joel Osteen? Osteen is 60 years old as of March 2023. He was born on March 5, 1963, in Houston, Texas, the United States of America. His birth name is Joel Scott Osteen.
Joel Osteen Family
Osteen is among six children born to John Osteen and Dolores (“Dodie”) PilgrimOsteen in Houston, Texas. His father, John, is a former Southern Baptist pastor and founder of Lakewood Church. This is the church in which Osteen is the current senior pastor located in the back of an old feed store.
Osteen’s older siblings, Paul, Lisa, Tamara, and his younger sister, April, are also part of the full-time ministry. His step-brother Justin lives in New York where he does missionary work.
Joel Osteen Wife
Osteen married Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen (née Iloff) on April 4, 1987. Together with his wife, Joel is blessed with two kids; a son Jonathan Osteen and a daughter Alexandra Osteen.
Joel Osteen Residence | House
Osteen lives with his family in a 17,000-square-foot mansion in River Oaks, with an estimated value of $10.5 million.
Joel Osteen Books
Osteen’s first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was launched in October 2004 and rose to the number 1 position on The New York Times Best Seller list.
He wrote his second book, Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day, in October 2007. It also ranked highest on The New York Times Best Seller list and had a first printing of four million copies. Osteen said that the book focuses more on relationships and not getting stuck where we are in life.
Joel Osteen Career
Osteen’s father had tried leading him to preach for many years with failure. However, Joel preferred working behind the altar until January 17, 1999, when he accepted his father’s offer and he preached his first sermon.
Unfortunately, his dad, John died six days later of a heart attack. Two weeks after his father’s death, Osteen majored in preaching regularly. Later that year, Joel was 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 acquired the Compaq Center, former home of the NBA Houston Rockets.
Renovating the new church cost them $105 million. These renovations included the addition of five stores for more capacity. The church’s 2005 mega 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 watched in over 100 countries. He was 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. Osteen’s 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 over $50 million. However, as the church senior pastor, Joel Osteen says he draws no salary from the church. Despite the church having an annual budget of $70 million, he relies on income from book sales.