John Osteen

John Hillery Osteen (August 21, 1921 - January 23, 1999) was the founder and first pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, from its beginnings in 1959 until his death in 1999. His son Joel Osteen then succeeded him as pastor.

Osteen was born in Paris, Texas. He earned his bachelor's degree from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and his Masters degree from Northern Baptist Seminary. He also held a Doctorate of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts University.

Osteen began preaching at the age of 17 and initially was ordained as a minister in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). He shifted his views toward a more charismatic perspective in 1958 and founded his own independent, interdenominational church. On Mother's Day May 10, 1959 he started what is now Lakewood Church in what was described as a "dusty, abandoned feedstore" in northeast Houston.

In the mid-1980s, Osteen launched the Lakewood Bible Institute (LBI), an "unaccredited school devoted to biblical training from a charismatic perspective." LBI offered a variety of classes including principles of Bible study, healing, conversion, and prayer. Osteen served as LBI's president until its closure in the late-1980s.

John Osteen founded Lakewood Church in 1959 in Houston, Texas, widely known as "The Oasis of Love in a Troubled World", and developed Lakewood into a body of approximately 15,000 members with active ministries in televangelism, conferences, missionary support, and food distribution. He hosted the weekly "John Osteen" television program for 16 years, reaching millions in the U.S. and in many other countries with his preaching. His numerous books, cassettes, and videotapes are widely distributed. On January 23, 1999 he died after a heart attack at the age of 77. His youngest son Joel Osteen later succeeded him as pastor.