Lakewood Church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lakewood Church is a large, non-denominational church (megachurch) located in Houston, Texas.
The church currently has three English services and one Spanish service each weekend, plus a Wednesday evening service. The services are webcast live at www.lakewood.cc.
John Osteen, a former Southern Baptist minister who adopted the teachings of the Charismatic movement, started Lakewood on Mother's Day in 1959 with his wife Dolores (Dodie), a nurse, inside an abandoned feed store in northeast Houston (the area was known as Lakewood, thus the name). Upon his death in 1999, one of his sons, Joel, became pastor. Due to a tremendous increase in attendance, the church needed a new facility and leased the former Compaq Center (a stadium) from the City of Houston. As of July 2005, it is the largest church in America. [1]
Church services are televised and are aired weekly in over 140 countries, and the Internet at www.lakewood.cc. Lakewood broadcasts multiple times on Trinity Broadcasting Network and Daystar Television Network, as well as local channels in most major markets. Listings are available at their website. Lakewood also appears on "secular networks" such as Black Entertainment Television and USA Network. Lakewood does not produce any shows other than re-broadcasts of its services. However, two CD's are available by Music Director Cindy Cruse-Ratliff and the Lakewood Choir.
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[edit] The Lakewood Confession
One of the notable features of Lakewood's services is the "confession" that is repeated before the sermon (after Joel tells his joke of the week). The practice started while John Osteen was pastor, and has continued during Joel's tenure.
Lakewood members will take their Bibles, raise them in their right hands, and repeat the following "confession" (Joel will lead, and the congregation will repeat):
This is my Bible.
I am what it says I am.
I have what it says I have.
I can do what it says I can do.
Today I will be taught the Word of God.
I boldly confess:
My mind is alert,
My heart is receptive.
I will never be the same.
I am about to receive the incorruptable, indestructable, everliving seed of the word of God. I will never be the same -- never, never, never. I will never be the same. In Jesus’ name.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Lakewood Church
- Joel Osteen Ministries
- Joel Osteen Article Article about Joel Osteen and the history of Lakewood Church.
- Texas Monthly Cover Article on Joel Osteen
- Texas Family Cover Article on Joel and Victoria Osteen
- Reference to Lakewood and 30,000 membership
- Christian Apologetics Ministry (critical opinion)
[edit] References
- Portions of this article are taken from an investigative report done by WXYZ-TV of Detroit, Michigan (available as a link on the Joel Osteen Ministries website) and the August, 2005 edition of Texas Monthly magazine.
