Joel Osteen denies closing church doors to hurricane victims
Joel Osteen, senior pastor of the 16,800-seat Lakewood church in Houston, Texas, has denied accusations that he is refusing to open his church's doors to victims of Hurricane Harvey.
The church drew widespread criticism on social media after it announced in a tweet on Sunday that it was "inaccessible due to severe flooding."
ABC15 reported that Lakewood later released a list of shelters available in the Houston area, but the church itself was not included in the list.
Don Iloff, a spokesperson for the church, said that the water had already risen above the church's floodgate.
"It's not our unwillingness, it's just practicality. It's been a safety issue for us. Lakewood Church has a heart for this city," he said.
Some Houston residents reportedly posted photos of the neighborhood surrounding the church showing wet but passable streets.
In response, Houston blogger Lynne Gabriel tweeted photos showing the church's flooded interior and wrote, "Seriously quite sickening when people spread negative news without knowing the situation."
On Saturday, Osteen sent a tweet offering prayers to the hurricane victims, but some social media users criticized the megachurch pastor for not making any contributions to the recovery efforts.
"Where's Joel Osteen? His church in Houston holds 16,800, and he has plenty of money. Open the doors and help people! Well, guess not eh!" Twitter user Phillip Harris wrote.
On Tuesday, Osteen issued a statement denying that the church had closed its doors to the hurricane evacuees.
"We have never closed our doors ... We will continue to be a distribution center to those in need. We are prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm," Osteen said.
Lakewood Church, which is a converted arena that was once home to the Houston Rockets, hosts about 52,000 attendees weekly and is one of the largest congregations in the U.S.
On Monday, the church announced that it is soliciting donations from the public and noted that it would collect infant and adult diapers, baby formula and baby food, and help distribute to the community.
Iloff said that most of Lakewood's missionary efforts involving Hurricane Harvey will come in the aftermath. He noted that the church will be involved in rebuilding homes in the Houston area for years to come, and it will also partner with the evangelical humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse to conduct and raise funds for relief efforts in the city.