Out of a cancelled storm watch in Houston and into sunny California, Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church – one of the largest churches in the nation – is getting a rare refresher before heading into another weekend of services with some 40,000 attendants.
After giving the first part of his day to God, which he encourages his church to do for a positive and productive day, Osteen spoke with The Christian Post Tuesday morning talking about megachurches, megapastors, and what a typical day for the pastor looks like.
CP: Your second book is coming out this fall? You said you wanted to expand your outreach with this book and you've already reached millions. What is it in this new book that will reach out to even more?
Osteen: I’m just covering some different subjects that I didn’t in my last book so I’m just excited just for a new way to touch people’s lives and hopefully plant a seed of hope in their hearts.
CP: Do you have a title yet for your upcoming book?
Osteen: I don’t have it 100 percent yet. I probably would rather not just say it yet.
CP: I saw a broadcast of one of your services and it seems your wife Victoria has a strong presence on the pulpit as you do. I heard she’s also coming out with a book. What will she be writing on?
Osteen: I don’t think she’s totally decided on what subject yet but she is very involved and she’s just in the process of getting her thought together on it now. She’s got something coming out on Mother’s Day of 2008.
CP: I spoke with your brother-in-law Jim Graff several months ago on his book A Significant Life. He highlights the fact that most of America doesn't attend megachurches. At the same time, megachurches are growing. What does the future look like for American churchgoers? Will more people be in megachurches?
Osteen: I think so; I believe that all the churches are going to continue to grow. I think faith in America is at an all-time high. And I think as we continue to help people and to change with the time, to be relevant and practical. I don’t see it going down at all. When I grew up – you know I’m a preacher’s kid – it was a big deal to have a church of a thousand. But now there’s churches all over the world with thousands and thousands. I just see it continuing to grow.
CP: You said that faith in America is at an all-time high. But many Christians believe America is more secularized than ever. What are your thoughts on that?
Osteen: That may be true as well. I just see again from growing up in this, I’ve never seen people talking about their faith as much, I’ve never seen a city like Houston, we have probably about a dozen churches that have thousands of people in them. So everywhere I go, I can see that people are just hungry for hope and hungry for the love of Christ. I’m sure somebody could see it the other side but I’ve never seen faith so high and I’ve never seen people talk about their faith so much.
CP: Scott Thumma at Hartford Seminary said that pastors of the largest megachurches are in some sense “a brand in and of themselves.” Do you feel you’ve made yourself a brand or at least that that’s how people in America view you as?
Osteen: I don’t really think about it. He may be right. I know it’s something we haven’t done intentionally. I think anytime you try to reach out and help people and use the media … you know all my stuff, it’s just who I am. I’m positive and I’m hopeful but I don’t know that I would disagree; maybe it is [true], but I don’t know if it’s a bad thing. My hope though is that everything points toward the Lord.
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