Despite offering to help as Hurricane Beryl slams Houston, Joel Osteen’s mega church is getting slammed for not doing enough.
Lakewood Church posted this message online Sunday as Beryl, which came on shore as a Category 1 hurricane but has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, approached Texas.
‘We are praying for everyone on the Gulf Coast,’ the Sunday tweet read.
‘Lakewood is working with the Office of Emergency Management, and are standing by to help those impacted by the storm. Please stay safe!’
But many Houstonians still remember the church’s highly criticized response to 2017’s Hurricane Harvey.
Many of the city’s churches opened their doors seven years to people needing shelter after larges areas were left under feet of water because of Harvey,
Lakewood, a well-funded 17,000 seat congregation housed in a former basketball arena, seemed to only responded after criticism started pouring in.
Osteen himself is often targeted by internet trolls who drag him for his lavish lifestyle.
The 61-year-old pastor’s son turned pastor worth of at least $50 million.
He owns two homes in the Lone Star State valued at $10.5 million and $2.9 million.
His $10.5 million Houston estate includes a pool, pool house and three elevators.
The church receives millions in donations from churchgoers and followers from around the world, and operates on an annual budget of around $70 million.
‘Joel Osteen when he hears another hurricane is about to hit Houston,’ one user posted, including a picture of a closed door secured by at least a dozen locks.
Many other users shared similar memes of someone boarding up their door, or pretending they couldn’t hear because they had head phones on.
The criticism this time around grew even louder after local hero Mattress Mack, a Houston furniture businessman whose real name is James McIngvale, tweeted out his personal cell phone number in advance of Beryl making landfall.
‘Gallery Furniture is here for you as Hurricane Beryl approaches. Call us if you need us! Mattress Mack’s cell – 281-844-1963, Gallery Furniture – 713-694-5570. Stay safe, Houston,’ he tweeted Sunday.
The comments on his post lavished Mattress Mack with praise, while drawing a sharp comparison with Osteen.
By Monday morning, Mack had turned one of his stores into a shelter.
‘GF 6006 N FRWY WILL BE OPEN AS A SHELTER AS OF 8AM CST 7/8/24 AS A RESPONSE TO TROPICAL STORM BERYL. SORRY, NO ANIMALS ALLOWED. FURTHER UPDATES TO COME,’ Mack’s account announced.