Lakewood Church
| Lakewood Church | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Non-denominational, Word of Faith, Charismatic |
| Weekly attendance | 52,000 |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Founded | May 10, 1959 |
| Founder(s) | John Osteen |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 16,800 |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Joel Osteen and Victoria Osteen |
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Lakewood Church is a nondenominational charismatic Christian megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It is the largest congregation in the United States, averaging about 52,000 attendees per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church Central Campus, 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. Lakewood Church is a part of the Word of Faith movement.
Lakewood Church was founded by John Osteen and his second wife, Dolores (Dodie) on Mother's Day, May 10, 1959, inside 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 non-denominational. From the beginning, Lakewood has been racially inclusive. 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 100 countries worldwide. Upon John Osteen's death of a heart attack January 23, 1999, his youngest son, Joel Osteen, became the pastor.
Under 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.
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