Joel Osteen was back to preaching the word of God Sunday after belatedly opening his megachurch to victims of Harvey flooding … but not before clearing his name (again). Joel’s Sunday service at Lakewood Church — the first since massive…
Showing posts with label Osteen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Osteen. Show all posts
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Friday, September 1, 2017
Tyler Perry Donates $1 Mil for Harvey Relief to Various Charities, Including Joel Osteen
Tyler Perry’s joining the Hurricane Harvey million dollar club … donating his own cash to relief efforts and spreading it around to charities that have boots on the ground. Tyler commended the massive relief efforts in Houston ……
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
TMZ Live: Joel Osteen: Responds To Hurricane Harvey Criticism
ON TODAY’S SHOW Kanye West: Drugs & Booze Allegations Star-Studded Hurricane Benefit Concert Master P Goes After Kevin Hart Kathy Griffin: I’m Not Sorry Anymore!
Joel Osteen Claps Back Against Controversy: My Church Was Never Closed!
Joel Osteen would like to have a word with the general public.
And the word is basically this:
WRONG!
You’ve all been so very WRONG about me and my church!
Earlier this week, outrage emanated from the Internet after it appeared as if Osteen’s Lakewood Church was refusing to open its doors to displaced Houston residents affected by Hurricane Harvey.
This was especially infuriating for two reasons:
- Osteen is a pastor who supposedly spreads the word of Jesus Christ, who we’re pretty sure was big on helping the less fortunate.
- Osteen’s megachurch can hold 17,000 people.
There was A LOT of good Osteen could conceivably be doing, and yet he was not.
On Facebook, the church said it was “inaccessible” due to flooding.
But photos quickly cropped up on social media that showed there was no actual flooding in the area, prompting some serious roasting of Osteen on social media.
Following this public outcry, the church did open its doors yesterday.
This morning, meanwhile, Osteen appeared on The Today Show and clapped back against all haters and critics.
He said the perception that the church was ever not welcoming to hurricane victims was simply incorrect.
“Our church doors have always been open,” Osteen said on the program.
He then elaborated in detail:
“In fact, we took people in when the water started to recede, which was just a day after the big storm hit. We worked very closely with the city, four miles down the road, the city established its biggest shelter with room for thousands, with beds, with kitchen supplies, with everything they need, security.
“They didn’t need us as a shelter right then. We coordinate with them all the time. If we needed to be a shelter, we would have certainly been a shelter right when they first asked.
“But once they filled up, never dreaming we’d have this many displaced people, they asked us to become a shelter.
“And we said, ‘Hey, we would love to be a shelter. That’s what Lakewood is all about.’
“But I think this notion that somehow we would turn people away or weren’t here for the city, is about as false as can be.”
Osteen is worth around $ 50 million.
This was yet another reason why folks couldn’t believe the preacher refused to help those in need.
But the famous author says it was all a case of miscommunication.
“We’re all about helping people. This is what the churches and our church is all about,” he said today, adding:
“I think if people were here, they would realize, there were safety issues.
“This building had flooded before and so we were just being precautious but the main thing is that the city didn’t ask us to become a shelter then.”
Also appearing on HLN, Osteen echoed this same sentiment:
“The church doors have always been open,” he said.
“We received people right after the water started receding the first day or two. For a while, it was inaccessible, but the notion that we weren’t going to receive people in here is not true.
“There is a shelter four miles away, it’s the big city shelter. Once they filled up, people started coming here more.”
But we’re here to help the community, to be here, to make a difference. But it is a huge storm and it’s difficult and there were safety issues as well.”
Joel Osteen Says Church Was Always Open to Harvey Evacuees and Twitter Got it Wrong
Pastor Joel Osteen says his church was unfairly criticized for locking its doors to Hurricane Harvey evacuees. The man who leads the Lakewood Church in Houston says the doors were always open, despite the video TMZ posted which was shot Monday ……
Gospel Star Israel Houghton Vouches for Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen ain’t lying about not being able to open his megachurch earlier to Houston flood victims … this according to the gospel star who worked with Joel for years. We got Grammy winner Israel Houghton Tuesday night at Catch and asked what he…
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Joel Osteen Relents, Allows Hurricane Victims to Use Church
Joel Osteen remains a liar and a hypocrite.
But at least he’s a liar and a hypocrite who cares about public perception.
The celebrity pastor and author came under major fire over the weekend after he initially claimed his mammoth Lakewood Church in Houston was inaccessible due to flooding from Hurricane Harvey.
The facility can hold up to 17,000 people and there are many more than 17,000 people who need shelter after this natural disaster dumped over 40 inches of rain on the city on Saturday and Sunday.
Shortly after Osteen’s church made this statement, photos appeared on social media that debunked the claim.
Multiple onlookers wrote that the Church was readily available for use… while hordes of Internet users expressed shock that someone who owns such a large building would not open it up to a desperate public.
Especially someone who claims to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“We have never closed our doors,” Osteen said in a statement on Monday, adding at the time:
“We will continue to be a distribution center to those in need. We are prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity.
“Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm.”
Most people saw this as a fairly ridiculous stance to take, however.
Why equivocate? Why mention anything about shelters being over “capacity?” Why not immediately open your doors and try to help as many locals as possible, Mr. Multi-Millionaire Preacher?
After facing a great deal of backlash and trending on Google for the wrong reason, Osteen finally caved.
“Lakewood’s doors are open and we are receiving anyone who needs shelter,” he Tweeted on Tuesday afternoon.
A Lakewood Church spokesperson told ABC News, meanwhile, that its doors have always been open.
This individual says the church is waiting for city officials to designate it as am official shelter so it can obtain cots and receive other forms of assistance.
According to updated reports, meanwhile, five school buses filled with evacuees, toting their belongings in plastic garbage bags, have arrived at the church.
Hurricane Harvey ripped through the Houston area last weekend.
It has forced mass evacuations, wiped out homes and at least seven people have died.
The National Weather Service has deemed the flooding “epic and catastrophic,” while Texas Governor Greg Abbot said the aftermath of Harvey will probably be “horrific” and leave behind a mess that will “take years” to rebuild.
In response, celebrities have come together and donated millions of disaster relief charities.
In times such as this, when the President is bragging about the “turnout” he’s received in Texas, and when pastors need to be pressured by Twitter to open their church, it is helpful to remember:
Not everyone sucks.
Some people are actuall ypretty awesome.
TMZ Live: Joel Osteen: Church Finally Opens Its Doors To Flood Victims
ON TODAY’S SHOW Beyonce Pledges Support To Houston Victims Justin Bieber: Epic Swollen Groin Lawsuit Melania Trump: Catching Heat For Storm Fashion Paris Jackson: My Dad Would Be Proud
Joel Osteen Refuses to Open Church to Hurricane Victims, Gets DESTROYED on Social Media
Joel Osteen is a celebrity pastor and author who spreads the word of God from inside a converted NBA arena that holds nearly 17,000 people.
He also sucks. A LOT.
Allow us to explain why…
Osteen’s Lakewood Church is located in the Houston area, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall over the weekend and where thousands upon thousands of people are now homeless as a result of extreme flooding.
In response, various local businesses have opened their doors to displaced residents, doing all they can to be of assistance.
Consider this Tweet and this inspiring photo from Gallery Furniture, for example:
But Osteen has not followed helpful suit.
Despite teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (who did say a few things about helping your fellow man, right?), Osteen has refused to offer his giant church as shelter to those desperately in need.
For what possible reason?
Initially, representatives for Lakewood Church said the facility was closed due to flooding in the area.
Except… there is no flooding in the area.
A number of photos have since cropped up on social media that make it clear cars are parked right outside the building and the streets look relatively calm and safe.
After these photos made their Internet rounds and Osteen was slammed by bad press, he amended his church’s original statement and claim.
“We have never closed our doors,” Osteen said in a statement, adding:
“We will continue to be a distribution center to those in need. We are prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm.”
Lakewood is a nondenominational church that hosts about 52,000 attendees weekly and is one of the largest congregations in the United States.
Osteen has penned a number of self-help and religious books and is worth about $ 50 million, according to reports.
He’s under extreme fire for not doing more to help his community during this extraordinarily difficult time.
“#Houston’s Joel Osteen has a net worth over $ 50m and a church that holds 16,800 but this is all he’s offering,” Tweeted Mark Elliott, with a link to a picture of the preacher’s packed Lakewood Church.
Hurricane Harvey has dumped around 40 inches of water on Houston and neighboring areas.
More rain is expected this week.
The reported death toll is somewhere between five and 10, but damage caused by floods is incalcuable.
The city will need years to recover.
“Victoria & I are praying for everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey,” Osteen Tweeted on Saturday. “Please join us as we pray for the safety of our Texas friends & family.”
Residents do not need prayers, however. They need food, shelter and hope.
It’s perhaps worth noting that this church has previously been active in relief efforts, including sheltering displaced victims during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
We’ll keep readers apprised of the situation and we urge everyone to do everything you can to assist those affected by this catastrophic storm.
You can follow this link to donate to the Red Cross, for instance. Any amount will help.
Comedian King Keraun to Joel Osteen ... Helping Houston Ain"t About the Money
Comedian King Keraun’s not buying Joel Osteen’s explanation for closing his megachurch’s doors in Houston’s time of need … especially because Houston puts so much in his offering plates. Osteen’s Lakewood Church says flooded roads have…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)