When millionaire televangelist Joel Osteen took to X with a post that saw him telling people to enjoy the “simple things,” he probably expected them to feel lifted. Perhaps even encouraged. However, the action backfired.
Those who gave him the time of day were not in the mood for pretty words. Perhaps it was his emphasis on the importance of enjoying simple things even when there’s not “a lot of resources.” But netizens were furious.
Osteen is one of the wealthiest televangelists. He has a net worth of at least $50 million, with two homes in Texas valued at $10.5 million and $2.9 million, respectively. Such a message from someone like that did not seem right, and users wasted no time pointing that out.
His church, Lakewood Ministries, receives millions in donations from the congregation, who simply obey Osteen’s requests for donations during sermons. It is not a business, but it reportedly operates on an annual budget of around $70 million.
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Osteen’s post also says that those with good health are blessed even if they lack many resources. He added, “If you’re able to look at the stars at night, you’re blessed.” The virtual bashing that followed was relentless, leaving the pastor trending. One user expressed confusion, wondering “how anyone could send a dime” to the “morally bankrupt conman.”
Another user said that Osteen got all his assets off the back of those his post was addressing. One internet user mentioned how Osteen’s church made headlines some years ago for refusing to shelter victims during Hurricane Harvey. It took intense backlash before the preacher relented, opening a facility that could comfortably house 16,000 people.
There was also one user who compared Osteen to Donald Trump. They wrote, “Joel Osteen and Donald Trump are basically the same person. Both fake Christians that sucker the weak-minded out of their money.”
Someone also called attention to Osteen’s rumored salary at Lakewood. It is reportedly over $54 million annually. But he always claims he forgoes annual pay because he makes enough from book sales.
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One user wrote about how Joel Osteen has so much but can comfortably say those things won’t bring people joy. The user also pointed out that in the meantime, Osteen wants “you to send him all of the money you can.”
All the focus on the pastor led to a trend that revealed he inherited the church from his father, the founder, after his demise in 1999. The roast was a royal one, but it is not the first time Osteen and the Lakewood megachurch have experienced such a thing.
In 2021, the church was criticized when it became public knowledge that it received $4.4 million in PPP loans that were later returned. It also faced backlash in 2019 when The Financial Times revealed that in 2017, the church cashed in $89 million in donations. However, it only spent $1.2 million on charitable causes.
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