Joel Osteen

Joel Scott Osteen (b. 1963) is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, and author of the New York Times bestselling book Your Best Life Now. He is a proponent of the word of faith movement and prosperity gospel.
Osteen took over the ministry of North America's largest and fastest-growing church About Joel in 1999 upon the death of his father, founder John Osteen. He assumed leadership of the church and the role of pastor-teacher with limited biblical training and no experience as a pastor, having dropped out of Oral Roberts University after just one semester to manage Lakewood's television production department.
==Background==
Osteen was born in Houston as the oldest son of John Osteen, a former Southern Baptist pastor who became a charismatic in the late 1950s and founded Lakewood Church. After graduating from high school, Joel Osteen attended Oral Roberts University. However, after his first semester he moved back to Houston where he became director of television production for Lakewood Church in 1982-1999.
Osteen's father developed Lakewood into a body of approximately 6,000 members with an active television ministry, crusades, conferences, missionary support and food distribution. He died of a heart attack in 1999. Having produced his father's television program for years, Joel Osteen succeeded him on October 3, 1999. Joel Osteen never received any formal religious training. Adopting the slogan "Discover the Champion in You," Lakewood was holding six weekly services in a 7,800 seat sanctuary by fall 2004. Osteen is associated with the Word of faith movement in charismatic protestantism.
Osteen lives in the Houston area with his wife Victoria and two children, Jonathan and Alexandra. Critics have decried his lifestyle as "lavish" pointing to the fact that he lives in a house valued at over $1 million. Supporters, however, say that his income is largely the result of his book sales and state that he declined to take his 2005 annual salary of $174,000 as pastor of the church, in order to use the money for other ministries. They also point to the church's charity work, particularly during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison. According to Lakewood, the church donated over 1 million dollars to flood victims in one year alone. 
==Quotes==
== Publications ==
* Hope for Today Bible, NLT. Featuring notes and encouragement from Joel and Victoria Osteen. Free Press, 2009.
* Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day. Free Press, 2007.
* Making Wise Choices: Your Decisions Determine Your Destiny. Joel Osteen Ministries, 2005.
* Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential. Warner Faith, 2004.
==Notes==
== Further reading ==
* Michael Horton, Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church. Baker, 2008.
* Richard Young, The Rise of Lakewood Church and Joel Osteen. Whitaker House, 2007.
==External links==
;Informational
*Interview with Megachurch Pastor Joel Osteen - Christian Post interview.
;Favorable
* Lakewood Church
* Joel Osteen Ministries
* 'Expect God's Favor': Interview with Joel Osteen - Interview by Laura Sheahen
* Step Up to God's Banquet Table, by Joel Osteen - Excerpted from "Your Best Life Now"
;Critical
* Joel Osteen: the Prosperity Gospel's Coverboy
* A Critical Review of Your Best Life Now, by Daryl Wingerd
Osteen
Category:Living people