Lakewood Church was founded by
John Osteen and his wife,
Dodie in 1959 inside an abandoned feed store in a predominantly black neighborhood of northeast Houston.
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| Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas |
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 Charismatic’s.
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, his youngest son, Joel, became pastor. 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.
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| Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas |
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. On March 31, 2010 the
Houston City Council voted 13-2 to sell the property to
Lakewood for $7.5 million.
Lakewood Church
believes that the entire Bible is inspired by God, and the church bases
its doctrine in this belief. The church's weekly services are broadcast
on
Trinity Broadcasting Network and
Daystar Television Network, as well as local channels in most major US markets. Lakewood also appears on secular networks, such as
Fox Network, ABC Family, and
USA Network.
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