Joel Osteen Biography
Joel Scott Osteen is an American lay preacher, televangelist, businessman, and author based in Houston, Texas. He is best known for his weekly televised services. Osteen is one of the more prominent figures associated with prosperity theology and a fulcrum of its critics. In addition to that, he has several best-selling books.
Joel Osteen Age
Osteen is 60 years old as of 2023. He was born (Joel Scott Osteen) on March 5, 1963, in Houston, Texas, United States. Osteen celebrates his birthday on the 5th of March every year.
Joel Osteen Height
Osteen stands at an approximate height of 5 feet 11 inches.
Joel Osteen Family
Osteen was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He is one of six children of John Osteen and Dolores (“Dodie”) Pilgrim. His father was a former Southern Baptist pastor and founded Lakewood Church (of which Osteen is the current senior pastor) in the back of an old feed store.
In 2002, his older siblings, Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, and his younger sister, April, were also involved in full-time ministry, and his half-brother Justin was doing missionary work.
Joel Osteen Wife
Osteen is married to Victoria Osteen (née Iloff). The two tied the knot on April 4, 1987. After marrying for some time, they became co-pastors of Lakewood Church. The couple is blessed with a son Jonathan Osteen, and a daughter Alexandra Osteen. Osteen lives with his family in a 17,000-square-foot mansion in River Oaks, with an estimated value of $10.5 million. He says that as senior pastor, he draws no salary from the church, which has an annual budget of $70 million, and that he instead relies on income from book sales.
Joel Osteen Net Worth
Osteen has an estimated net worth ranging between $10 Million – $50 Million which he has earned from his successful career as a lay preacher, televangelist, businessman, and author.
Joel Osteen Education
Osteen attended Humble High School, a public high school in the city of Humble, Texas where he graduated in 1981 with a Diploma in General Education. From there, he joined Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he studied radio and television communications but did not graduate. Osteen did not receive a degree from a divinity school but he baptizes hundreds at a time despite never being ordained or graduating from seminary.
Joel Osteen Career
Osteen preached his first sermon on January 17, 1999. On October 3, 1999, he was installed as the new senior pastor of Lakewood Church. Lakewood Church acquired the Compaq Center in 2003 and renovated it. It was the former home of the NBA Houston Rockets and the AHL Houston Aeros. In 2008, Lakewood Church’s weekly service TV program was viewed in more than 100 countries according to Osteen.
Osteen was included on Barbara Walters’s list of the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006. Former presidential candidate John McCain described Osteen as his favorite inspirational author. The Osteen family attended an Easter breakfast hosted by President Barack Obama at the White House in 2010.
As of 2014, Lakewood’s attendance had grown from 5,000 to 43,000 people. He returned to Houston in 1982 and founded Lakewood’s television program. Osteen produced his father’s televised sermons for 17 years until January 1999, when his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack.
Joel Osteen’s Father (Heart Attack)
Osteen was raised in the church, a Baptist congregation founded by his father in 1959. He always turned down his father’s requests to step onto the stage because while the elder Osteen stood confidently in front of the parishioners and preached week after week, he worked happily behind the scenes for 17 years. Then, in January 1999, things changed.
He was asked by his father one more time if the then-35-year-old would deliver his first sermon. This time he agreed but he felt an unexplainable shift inside him. That was on a Monday and the week was stressful for Osteen, who was incredibly nervous to stand up and preach. It wasn’t the only concern he had to contend with. Unfortunately, his father landed in the hospital a few days before that fateful Sunday.
Joel Osteen Author
Osteen is also an author. His first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was released in October 2004 and reached the number 1 position on The New York Times Best Seller list. In October 2007, he released his second book, titled Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day. It also topped The New York Times Best Seller list and had a first printing of three million copies.
Osteen has said that the book focuses more on relationships and not getting stuck where we are in life. Besides those two books, he has written more than 18 others including;
Joel Osteen Political and Social Views
Osteen has generally avoided discussing or preaching about controversial issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and politics. Having gone on record saying homosexuality is “not God’s best”, he has stated he believes the church has a tendency to become overly focused on single issues (such as homosexuality) to the point of neglecting others. When asked if he thought God approves of homosexuality, he said homosexuality is a sin according to his interpretation of Scripture but said gay people are welcome in his church without judgment.
In 2008 during the Republican Party presidential primary race, he was in an interview on Fox News. They were discussing whether he thought that Mormons were Christians and he indicated that he believed that they were. He further revealed that he had not studied religion. In an interview in 2011, Osteen stated his support for Israel.
Joel Osteen Preaching style
His sermon preparation involves memorizing his remarks and listening to himself on tape. Osteen’s sermons have been criticized as self-serving and revealing a poor command of scripture. Osteen says he chooses to focus more on the goodness of God and on living an obedient life rather than on sin. He says that he tries to teach Biblical principles in a simple way, emphasizing the power of love and a positive attitude. When asked why he does not focus more on sin, the devil, and hell in detail, Osteen stated in an interview with CBN News:
“When I grew up, the devil was the reason why I had a headache or the devil was the reason I got mad today. We always blamed the devil. I think today when I say the enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the enemy can be our own thoughts. We’ve trained ourselves the wrong way. Or the enemy can be our own lack of discipline. Some people preach about hell like you’re already going there, and to me, the Gospel means “Good News.”
I’d rather say God is a God of mercy. So I think the people already know what they’re doing wrong, and I certainly believe in hell. But to me, when I see thousands of people before me, it just doesn’t come out of me to say, “You guys are terrible, and you’re going to hell.” I’d rather say that God is a God of mercy. You’ve got to live an obedient life, but for every mistake you’ve made, there’s mercy there, and I believe we can do better.”
Joel Osteen Church (Lakewood Church)/ Ministries
Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church with his wife Victoria, who serves as co-pastor. He founded the church on Mother’s Day, May 10, 1959, with his second wife, Dolores. The church was originally called “Lakewood Baptist Church”. Osteen founded Lakewood as a church for charismatic Baptists. Lakewood Church believes that the entire Bible is inspired by God, and the church bases its teachings on this belief. He
inspires people to reach their dreams and live their best life.
Joel Osteen House
Osteen and his wife Victoria purchased an expensive home in 2010 for $10.5 million. Located in the suburbs of River Oak, Houston, the mansion has 17,000 square feet of living space. Osteen’s mansion has six bedrooms, three elevators, six bathrooms, and five fireplaces. It also has a one-bedroom guest house and a pool house in the backyard for ultimate relaxation. The house is 17,000 square feet and sits on 1.86 acres, spacious enough for his family of four.
Joel Osteen Books
- Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (2004)
- Daily Readings from Your Best Life Now: 90 Devotions for Living at Your Full Potential (2005)
- Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (2007)
- Your Best Life Begins Each Morning: Devotions to Start Every New Day of the Year (2008)
- It’s Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God’s Favor (2009)
- It’s Your Time: Finding Favor, Restoration, and Abundance in Your Life Every Day (2009)
- Everyday a Friday: How to Be Happier 7 Days a Week (2011)
- I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life (2012)
- Break Out!: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life (2013)
- You Can You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner (2014)
- Fresh Start: The New You Begins Today (2015)
- The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today (2015)
- Think Better, Live Better: A Victorious Life Begins in Your Mind (2016)
- Blessed in the Darkness: How All Things Are Working for Your Good (2017)
- Empty Out the Negative (2017)
- Next Level Thinking: 10 Powerful Thoughts for a Successful and Abundant Life (2018)
- The Power of Favor: The Force That Will Take You Where You Can’t Go on Your Own (2019)
- The Abundance Mind-Set: Success Starts Here (2020)
- Peaceful on Purpose: The Power to Remain Calm, Strong, and Confident in Every Season (2021)
- You Are Stronger than You Think: Unleash the Power to Go Bigger, Go Bold, and Go Beyond What Limits You (2021)
- Rule Your Day: 6 Keys to Maximizing Your Success and Accelerating Your Dreams (2022)