Social media users shared online reports claiming that Pastor Joel Osteen did not allow people in need of shelter from the icy temperatures of Texas to enter his Lakewood Church in Houston. This assertion is untrue.
Examples can be seen here, here and here.
One report here reads: “Homeless people freeze in Houston. Shelters are full. Joel Olsteen will not reopen his 18,000-seat arena. WWJD? ”
Osteen is one of the richest and most popular preachers and prosperity preachers in the United States. He heads a mega-church in Houston and said he reached 100 million homes in the United States through broadcasts, videos and podcasts (here).
Most posts refer to Osteen as “Olsteen” and mention an arena of 18,000 seats. The mega church has seating for 16,000, not 18,000, as explained here and here.
Since February 14, the Lakewood Church has posted several times on its Twitter page to explain that the church is a “designated heating center for anyone in need of shelter.” Examples can be seen here , here , here , here , here and here .
The church that acts as a shelter is visible in videos shared by Osteen here and here .
It has also been reported here and here by local news organizations. A video shared by the local NBC station can be seen here.
The social media messages may have stemmed from previous criticism of the church that initially did not open its doors to the victims of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, as reported here and here.
VERDICT
Untrue. Lakewood Church did allow people to seek shelter from the cold in Houston, Texas.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.