Joel Osteen has gained a lot of attraction both from his followers and detractors for his charismatic Christian evangelism. But with the tarnished reputation of those disgraced televangelists before him, he has had to spend much of his career debunking rumors about his personal life, including the divorce issues and alleged vast fortune.
Find out more about the truth to the story that he divorced his wife, Victoria Osteen.
Joel Osteen’s Journey To Becoming A Pastor
Joel, 58, is an American pastor, televangelist, and author based in Houston, Texas. Following in the footsteps of his father, a pastor, he preached his first sermon in 1999. He is currently the senior pastor of Lakewood Church founded by his dad in 1959. He is considered one of the richest pastors in the world.
The televangelist graduated from Humble High School in Texas in 1981 and attended Euro Roberts University in Oklahoma with a degree in radio and television communications. But then, he dropped out of college and helped his father produce a television show for Lakewood Church.
After the death of his father, Joel assumed the office. Under his leadership, the church became one of the largest churches in the country. By 2016, the congregation started receiving more than 50,000 attendees each week, including celebrities and well-known stars.
At the same time, his television service has accumulated nearly 10 million views in the United States and is broadcast in more than 100 countries around the world. Joel, who lacks a degree and has never formally studied religion and theology, is a proponent of the prosperity gospel. The core belief is that financial success and happiness is God’s will for “good” Christians.
He said in an interview, “I think prosperity, and I’ve said it 1,000 times, it’s being healthy, it’s having great children, it’s having peace of mind. Money is part of it; and yes, I believe God wants us to excel.” It is a controversial take, but it works for him.
Joel Osteen And Victoria Osteen Relationship
Joel has been married to Victoria Osteen since 1987. She has been a conservative Christian since she was a child. Her father was a deacon and her mother was a Sunday school teacher. The relationship she has with Joel is tremendous. They share two kids, Jonathan, and Alexandria Osteen.
The couple is a perfect example of the ideal marriage goals. Their romance is still alive and growing for more than three decades of being together as husband and wife. From their social media posts and updates, one can assume that they are satisfied with their lives and are sure to have happiness blooming in the family.
While Victoria projects the image of a good and devoted wife and mother, she has had to face controversies over the years. In 2008, she was named in a civil lawsuit that claimed she assaulted a flight attendant. She was not completely innocent of the case. The Federal Aviation Administration fined her $3,000 for interfering with a crew member, thus causing the flight to be delayed by two-and-a-half hours because of the incident.
Are Joel Osteen And Victoria Osteen Already Divorced?
Rumors of the Osteens’ relationship have been making the headlines for years. Victoria has confirmed that the rumors about their divorce are false. She says that they’re building a life together founded on trust and communication, adding: “This is just another time where we get to show people what it’s like when you have two believers in this day and age.”
Perhaps their unusual marriage rules do the trick for them. Joel expects his wife to maintain an attractive appearance, telling in an interview, “Wives, don’t look good for everybody else. Look good for your husband, too. Don’t wear that same old bathrobe you’ve been wearing for the last 10 years,” Victoria chimed in. “That’s what he meant. We all needed to be reminded, you know, that, ‘Hey, you know what? We do need to take that extra time.’”
How Did The Divorce Rumors Start?
The divorce rumors started on a 2014 blog of Joel Osteen titled, “Let Go of the Ashes.” In it, he wrote: “The enemy wants you to sit on the ashes your whole life, suffering from an unresolved relationship…It’s time to let go of the ashes. If you’ve experienced a divorce, let it go. God has somebody for you in future.”
His words do not sound good to some conservative Christians who do not tolerate divorce. Others speculate that he may not be satisfied with his marital relationship with Victoria. However, this is not true. Looking at their social media accounts, one can witness how they are still united amid controversies – including the criticism against Joel he received $4.4 million from the COVID-19 fund.
Rumors are rumors. For a relationship as strong as Joel and Victoria Osteen’s, it will perhaps remain a rumor. Only time could tell!