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	Joel Osteen's first book, ''Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential'', was released in October 2004. Soon after publication, it was ranked at the top of the New York Times Bestseller's list and continues to be among the top 10 best selling books (as of ], ]).		Joel Osteen's first book, ''Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential'', was released in October 2004. Soon after publication, it was ranked at the top of the New York Times Bestseller's list and continues to be among the top 10 best selling books (as of ], ]).

	As well as being the center of several print and television news stories, Osteen was featured as the cover story of ''Texas Monthly Magazine'' in August ~~2005~~.<ref name=texas-Monthly></ref>		As well as being the center of several print and television news stories, Osteen was featured as the cover story of ''Texas Monthly Magazine'' in August 02005.<ref name=texas-Monthly></ref>

	In December 2006, he was named one of the year's "Ten Most Fascinating People" by Barbara Walters.<ref></ref>		In December 2006, he was named one of the year's "Ten Most Fascinating People" by Barbara Walters.<ref></ref>

Revision as of 03:41, 21 February 2007

Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963, in Houston, Texas) is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, North America’s largest and fastest growing church averaging more than 42,000 attendees at weekly services. He is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Your Best Life Now.

Biography

Joel, son of John and Dodie Osteen, is one of six children. His elder siblings, Paul, Lisa, Tamara and his younger sister April, are also all involved in full-time ministry. . Joel's half-brother, Justin, is his father's son from his first marriage which ended in a divorce..

Joel's father, John Osteen, a former Southern Baptist pastor who became Charismatic in the late 1950s, founded Lakewood Church on Mother's Day, 1959. 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.

Joel attended Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma for a semester, but he chose to return home to continue working at the church. After 17 years of working side-by-side with his father producing the church's television program, Joel succeeded his father on October 3, 1999 as pastor of Lakewood Church. Ironically, Joel had only preached once in his life, the week before his father's death.

Today, Lakewood Church services, led by Pastor Osteen, are seen by nearly 200 million households in the United States and in over 100 nations around the world.

Joel Osteen's first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was released in October 2004. Soon after publication, it was ranked at the top of the New York Times Bestseller's list and continues to be among the top 10 best selling books (as of May 28, 2006).

As well as being the center of several print and television news stories, Osteen was featured as the cover story of Texas Monthly Magazine in August 02005.

In December 2006, he was named one of the year's "Ten Most Fascinating People" by Barbara Walters.

Presently, Osteen and several Lakewood Church team members travel across the nation, presenting programs in large stadiums to a paying public. The event titled "An Evening with Joel Osteen: A Night of Inspiration, Encouragement and Hope," includes worship music led by Lakewood Church Music Director Cindy Cruse Ratcliff as well as a sermon from Pastor Osteen. In 2007, the tour expanded to include stops in several other countries, including Canada, England, Ireland and Israel..

Osteen is set to release his second book, tentatively titled Become a Better You, in October 2007 under Simon & Schuster publishing. Osteen told Larry King the new book will focus more on relationships and not getting stuck where we are in life. "Just my basic message of becoming all God's created you to be," he added.

Victoria Osteen

Joel is married to Victoria Iloff Osteen (born March 29, 1961). Victoria, often called co-pastor, occasionally gives the sermon at the church, which holds four services each weekend. Victoria and Joel have two children, Jonathan and Alexandra.

Victoria leads the Women's ministry at Lakewood. There are special programs presented each week with occasional guest speakers.

The Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce named Victoria Osteen a Community Impact Award winner in 2006. Her activities include a regular feature on 89.3 KSBJ-Houston's afternoon drive show with Chuck Pryor and Amanda Carroll. She calls in every Wednesday to encourage and pray for children. She also supports the organizations Feed the Children and The Bridge, a shelter for battered women.

Victoria and Joel were the featured cover story of the May/June 2006 issue of Texas Family magazine. She was also on the cover of Houston Pet Talk magazine, October 2006.

Joel and Victoria met when he came into her family's jewelry store to have his watch battery replaced. She sold him a watch. Later, for the first date, he invited her to a Rockets game in the Compaq Center, which later became the new location of the Lakewood church.

In late September 2005 Victoria Osteen was fined $3000 by the Federal Aviation Administration for allegedly failing to comply with a flight attendant's instructions. She was asked to leave the aircraft and the flight was delayed for more than an hour.

Victoria will release her first book in Spring of 2008 which focuses on the influence of women. She also is working on a series of books specifically for children and teenagers. According to the church's website, "This new series promises to be a resource for parents who are seeking to raise children in the knowledge of God's Word."

Criticism

Joel Osteen is considered to be part of the Word of Faith movement, which has drawn criticism from many in the Christian community.

On a 2005 broadcast of Larry King Live, Joel Osteen refused to say that Jesus Christ was the only way to get to Heaven, instead saying, "Only God can look at somebody's heart."

In late 2006, Osteen again appeared on Larry King Live choosing to clarify his prior statement, saying he believes a personal relationship with Christ is the only way to Heaven. Osteen also said he chooses to teach about the goodness of God rather than sin.

Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and board member of Focus on the Family, has publicly criticized Osteen for what he calls a weak stance on homosexuality, calling him a "pandering prophet" and not presenting a "clear declaration of biblical truth".

Osteen has also been criticized for preaching a prosperity gospel.

Quotes

Larry King: There are some critics, Joel, of many in the church today. The critic is saying instead of all this, about how you're a sinner, and you're a sinner, no gay marriage; why don't you talk about poverty and the environment, issues that really hit people?

OSTEEN: I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I think that's a good -- I think that's a good thing, as well. I think very often you could get focused, the church as a whole, on what we're against. We need to be what we're for. And that's why our message is very hopeful. And I get criticized for it, that we're hopeful, that you can rise higher and, you know, part of my main focus is: "Are we doing something for anybody else?" I mean I believe that's why God wants us to -- wants to bless us, is that so that we can be a blessing. So I think there's some truth to that argument, as much as it can kind of hurt, because, again, if, you know, it seems to me -- and I'm young at this, but it seems like if we don't watch it, a certain -- you know, the church can be politicized and, well, they only believe this or only believe that. And that's why I try to stay --stay out of that.

Larry King: If you believe you have to believe in Christ, they're (Jews, Muslims) wrong, aren't they?

OSTEEN: Well, I don't know if I believe they're wrong. I believe: here's what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith, this is what I believe. But I just think that only God (will) judge a person's heart.

Joel's statements to Lakewood Church made after appearing on Larry King are available on line as a . Other quotes should be readily available by listening to his sermons, which are available on-line. Many of the current weekly messages are linked on his web site, http://www.joelosteen.com/. Others available for listening on-line include , from late 02001, part two of his series SIX STEPS TO ENJOYING LIFE, which was before he developed his book Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, Step Six is the same in both, , and also , the one given the weekend following 02001-September 11 th attacks, and the first service from the former compaq center . Quotes from his live messages are also streamed over the internet .