Lakewood Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lakewood Church |
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Worship in 2013
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| Location |  Houston, Texas |
| Country |  United States |
| Denomination | Non-denominational, Evangelical, Charismatic Christianity, Pentecostal |
| Weekly attendance | 45,000 |
| History | |
| Founded | May 10, 1959 (64 years ago) |
| Founder(s) | John Osteen |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 16,800 |
Lakewood Church is a non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It is among the largest congregations in the United States, averaging about 45,000 attendees per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church building, home to four English-language services and two Spanish-language services per week, is located at the former Compaq Center. Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church with his wife, Victoria, who serves as co-pastor.
It has 368 full-time and part-time staff.
Contents
History
Lakewood Church, originally called Lakewood Baptist Church, was founded by John Osteen and his second wife, Dolores (Dodie) on Mother's Day, May 10, 1959, in a tent. The church then moved to an abandoned feed store in northeast Houston. John was a Southern Baptist minister, but after experiencing baptism in the Holy Spirit, he founded Lakewood as a church for charismatic Baptists. The church soon dropped "Baptist" from its name and became nondenominational. In 1961, John Osteen left the church and was called to missions. Marvin Crow became the pastor in his absence until John returned in 1969. In 1972, Lakewood broke ground for a new building that seated seven hundred people. By 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 one hundred countries worldwide. On February 15, 1987, a groundbreaking was held for a new eight-thousand–seat sanctuary, which was completed in April 1988.
Following John Osteen's death on January 23, 1999, his youngest son, Joel Osteen, became the pastor that October.
In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison caused flooding in the Houston area. Lakewood Church was opened as a shelter to approximately five thousand displaced persons.
Under Joel Osteen, Lakewood's congregation increased almost fivefold. Attendance increased to thirty thousand 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.
Lakewood Church relocated to the Compaq Center on July 16, 2005. It is a 16,800-seat facility in southwest downtown Houston along U.S. Highway 59, that has twice the capacity of its former sanctuary. The church was required to pay $11.8 million in rent in advance for the first thirty years of the lease. Lakewood renovated the new campus at an estimated cost of $100 million.
The church received $15 million after selling the former building to New Light Christian Center Church. On March 31, 2010, the Houston City Council voted 13–2 to sell the property to Lakewood for $7.5 million.
On December 3, 2021, national news services reported that a plumber found cash and checks within a wall behind a toilet that was being repaired. They may have been related to a 2014 incident in which $600,000 in cash and checks disappeared from a safe.
On January 14, 2024, Joel Osteen announced that Lakewood Church had paid off the $100 million dollar loan used to renovate the campus.
Shooting
On February 11, 2024, a woman with a history of mental health issues, Genesse Ivonne Moreno, accompanied by her 7-year-old son, entered the church between services and began firing an AR-15. Two off-duty police officers working security returned fire and killed her. Her boy was critically injured with a gunshot to the head during the exchange of gunfire. Another man who was present was wounded in the hip, treated at a local hospital and released.
Beliefs
Lakewood Church believes that the entire Bible is inspired by God, and the church bases its teachings on this belief. The church also believes in the Trinity, and recognizes the death of Christ on the cross and resurrection.
The church practices the following, believing them to be commanded in the Bible:
- The pursuit of Salvation: Each service offers an Altar call at the end in order for people to accept Christ as Lord and Savior.
- Water baptism: The church believes the Bible asks for this as a symbol and a testimony to faith in Jesus Christ – in "his cleansing power through his shedding of blood on the cross for us." Baptism is practiced every Saturday night in the church's Chapel.
- Communion: The church believes the Bible asks for this act of remembering the death of Jesus on the cross. It is offered every week in the New Beginnings room (just down from the bookstore).
- The seeking of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ: Lakewood believes that every believer should be in a growing relationship with Jesus by obeying the rules laid out in the Bible, yielding to the Holy Spirit and by being conformed to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Lakewood Church is known for its Word of Faith teaching. It is also known, before every sermon, for a creed (originally led by John and continued by Joel) which the congregation repeats in unison.
Church organization
Lakewood offers different types of ministries, fellowships, and services depending on the age, marital status, and need of its members.
Services
- Kidslife: Children
- Champions Club for Special Needs
- Lakewood Next Gen: Middle School, High School, and Young Adults
- Main Service: all adults
During weekend services, Joel Osteen, Victoria Osteen, or Danilo Montero preach. On Wednesday nights, associate pastors Paul Osteen, Lisa Osteen Comes, Nick Nilson, and Craig Johnson, or guest speakers preach.
Education
Various classes are offered through the Compass Classes ministry, meeting before and after weekend services.
Television
The church's weekly services are broadcast on Trinity Broadcasting Network and Daystar Television Network, as well as local channels in most major U.S. markets. Lakewood also appears on secular networks, such as Fox Network, Freeform, and USA Network. In 2007, Lakewood reported spending nearly $30 million every year on its television ministry. Osteen's sermons are also televised in more than 100 countries, with an estimated 7 million viewers each week. Lakewood also hosts a Night of Hope every month. This is when the church hosts a Christian service event in one of the arenas or stadiums all across America.
Hispanic ministry
In 2002, Lakewood began a Hispanic ministry, Iglesia Lakewood, founded by Hispanic Pastor Marcos Witt and his wife, Miriam Witt. In September 2012, Danilo and Gloriana Montero assumed the role of associate pastors for the Hispanic ministry. Lakewood has two services each week in Spanish and translates all English services into Spanish. The weekly attendance at the Spanish services is approximately 6,000 people.
Charitable work
Since 2016, Lakewood Church organizes an annual Mobilizing Medical Missions Conference to equip doctors for on-field medical missions. The church has been active during natural disasters by organizing food distribution programs and blood donation drives during COVID 19, providing shelter services during Hurricane Ida and 2021 Texas Freeze, and serving as a distribution center for essential supplies during Hurricane Harvey.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Lakewood para niños
- Christianity in Houston
- List of the largest churches in the US
- List of the largest evangelical churches
- List of the largest evangelical church auditoriums
- Worship service (evangelicalism)
