Sr. Pastor Lakewood Church
Joel Osteen
Notes from Evan Smith
"Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston. Joel Osteen's father, John Osteen, founded Lakewood Church in 1959, with 90 members in a converted feed store. Under the elder Osteen's leadership, the church grew rapidly, expanding into a 7,800-capacity auditorium in the late 1970s, with many community outreach ministries. In 1983, Joel Osteen suggested to his father that he bring the church's services to television. John Osteen agreed, and under the direction of his son, Lakewood's services began to be broadcasted worldwide, eventually to over 100 million households across the United States and over 100 countries worldwide. Following the unexpected death of his father, Joel Osteen became senior pastor of Lakewood Church in October 1999. Under his leadership, the church continued to grow, adding two additional worship services. Lakewood now claims 25,000 members in weekly attendence. Joel Osteen's best-selling first book Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential was published in October 2004 by Warner Faith. " - Evan Smith, Texas Monthly Talks, Broadcast 1.20.05
