Joel Osteen is an American best-selling author and the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. His ministry reaches over seven million broadcast media viewers weekly in over 100 nations around the world.

Joel, the son of John Osteen, a highly respected minister of the Gospel and the founder of Lakewood Church, attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he studied radio and television communications. In 1982, Joel returned to Houston and founded Lakewoods television ministry where he produced John Osteens televised sermons for 17 years until January 1999 when his father passed away suddenly from a heart attack.

For many years, John Osteen encouraged Joel to preach, but he always declined preferring to work behind the scenes. But, in early 1999 Joel felt compelled to accept his fathers invitation and he preached his first sermon on January 17th of that year. Little did anyone know that would be the last Sunday of John Osteens life. Two weeks later, Joel began preaching and later that year was installed as the new Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church.
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