Lakewood Church - History

History

Lakewood Church was founded by John Osteen and his second wife, Dodie in 1959 inside an abandoned feed store in northeast Houston. Previously, John Osteen had been a Southern Baptist minister; however, after experiencing a self-described baptism in the Holy Spirit, he withdrew from his Baptist fellowship and began Lakewood Church. From the beginning, Lakewood was non-denominational and racially inclusive. In 1979, attendance was over five thousand, and the church was becoming prominent among Pentecostals and charismatics. John and Dodie created and hosted Lakewood's weekly television program, which could be seen in 100 countries worldwide. Upon John Osteen's death in 1999 after suffering from a heart attack, his youngest son, Joel, became pastor.

Under the leadership of Joel Osteen, Lakewood's congregation increased almost fivefold. Attendance increased to 30,000 weekly, prompting a move from its location at 7317 East Houston Road to a larger facility. In late 2003, the church signed a long-term lease with the city of Houston to acquire the Compaq Center, a 29-year-old former sports arena. Before being acquired by Lakewood, tenants to the arena, once called The Summit, included the Houston Rockets, the Houston Aeros, and the Houston Comets.

On July 16, 2005, Lakewood Church relocated from its old building in northeast Houston into its new home, a 16,800-seat facility southwest of Downtown Houston along U.S. Highway 59, having twice the capacity of its former sanctuary. The church was required to pay $11.8 million in rent in advance for the first 30 years of the lease, and renovated the new campus at an estimated cost of $75 million.

On March 31, 2010 the Houston City Council voted 13–2 to sell the property to Lakewood for $7.5 million. In November 2011 Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry visited Lakewood. Joel Osteen is going to have a reality TV series. In 2011 Joel and Victoria were sued for $3 Million Dollars. On February 21, 2012 Joel Osteen won the lawsuit. Daniel Alvaro Guzman a former Lakewood Church Volunteer sued Joel Osteen for accusing him of Child molestation. When Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell was in Houston he visited Lakewood.