Sermon With a Smile
Texas televangelist Joel Osteen talks about the power of positive preaching
When Pastor Joel Osteen took the helm of Lakewood Church in Houston back in 1999 after the death of its founder--his father, John Osteen--he had no formal training and exactly one sermon under his belt. Six years later, the nondenominational congregation has grown from 6,000 to more than 30,000, making it the country's largest megaministry, and Osteen's message of hope and optimism has reached millions more through weekly broadcasts on networks like BET and USA and his bestselling book , Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential . The sunny, charismatic 42-year-old preacher chatted with U.S. News recently before a sold-out engagement at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.
What accounts for your success?
Maybe I can relate in a different way because I'm 40 years younger than my dad--[I'm] a new generation. I think, too, that my message is just very positive and hopeful, and I think people are looking for that. There's so much negativity pulling people down that I think they respond when you say, "You know what: God's not mad at you; he's on your side, he's got a good plan for your life, and when we obey what he wants us to do, we're going to prosper."
Do people misunderstand the term "prosperity gospel"?
I think they do. You know, we never ask for money on television, and I never have preached a message on money. But I do believe that God wants us--when I say prosper --I think he wants us to have healthy relationships; he wants us to have good families. I don't think God wants everybody to be a millionaire ... it's that he wants us to go higher than we are.
To get back to your other question, I think our message is very practical and relevant. I'm not necessarily explaining deep, theological questions and doctrine and stuff like that; I'm talking about how you can live your everyday life. When I speak, I try to make it a point to talk about something people can take home and use that day or tomorrow at work.
You get criticized a lot for your relentless positivity. Why?
I think maybe it's because it's not old school. People are used to being beaten down, they're used to [churches] condemning people to make them feel bad so that they'll repent, so they'll know that they're sinners, but I think there's a different approach. Maybe some people think I'm not hard enough on 'em, but I talk about hard issues; I just do it in a positive way. I do it in a way that says, "Hey, you can overcome--it doesn't matter where you've been or what you've done."
Since the last presidential election, there's been a lot of talk about the intersection of politics and religion. You seem to shy away from the topic. Why?
It's not in my heart to be the one who's leading the pack in the political area. What I usually do around election time is encourage people to vote. The thing that's interesting about Lakewood is that it's very diverse--there may be as many Democrats and Republicans as independents--and I feel like the message God's given me is hope and inspiration and how to live life. The moment I go and say I'm a staunch this supporter or that supporter, I divide my audience. I tell people all the time, "We're not for abortion, I don't think that's best, I don't think gay marriage is best, but our doors are open to everybody." We have every kind come in.
Why is that distinction important?
I think [these sorts of political issues] divide us . ... A lot of times, it draws people away from God, and I think there's a fine line of balancing it. I know people are always asking, "What do you think, is this right?" but I just think we've got to be open. I have always said, "I'm not here to convict people or to condemn them--God's going to do that--I've just got to put the truth out there and the message out there and let God deal with the people's heart."
Does it bother you that your book, which advises steps such as "Enlarge Your Vision," "Let Go of the Past," and "Live to Give!" has been labeled self-help by some?
It doesn't. I wouldn't have necessarily put it in that category by choice, but it doesn't bother me because it does, it's there to help you live a better life, to live by God's principles, so it doesn't bother me at all.
Has your background in television production helped you?
I know it's helped me. We started a station before my dad died, and I learned how to run the station--the lead-in, the lead-out, all the different aspects... Also, it's important to me that the production of our broadcast is very high quality. I realize that you've got to have good cameras and lighting and good presentation if you expect your message to be received, because you're competing with people that are doing the Grammys and local news, and you can't be subpar.
How do you keep the megachurch experience personal?
I think it starts from the platform. I try to act like I'm just talking to you; I don't try to talk down to people. I try to keep it warm and personal--personable, I guess. The other thing is, in our big church we have a lot of small groups that meet. Someone was telling me on the way here, "Well, I don't go to a big church because I want somebody to miss me if I'm not there," and I thought, we would miss you--it'd just be in a different way. If you want to be involved, we would miss you. The bigger the church is, the smaller it's got to get.
What are your hopes for the future?
I believe we're in a day in America and the world where faith is at an all-time high, and I think that there are going to be some new doors opening up. Like we've seen with the book that crosses over, we can have more of an impact not just in the church world but in the culture in general.
You've been nicknamed "the smiling preacher" by the media. How do you feel about the moniker?
[Laughs.] Some people thought I would be offended by it, but I'm not. Beyond the funny part of it, it shows that it's ok to be happy, it's ok to enjoy your life. I've got a good marriage, great kids, and I'm happy, and I love the Lord, and it's ok. For a while, if you went to church, you were not supposed to have fun--you went in there and got told what you were not supposed to do and came out of there kind of dragging--and it's really just the opposite. We try to make it a celebration.
This story appears in the October 3, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.