As Houston recovers from Hurricane Harvey, a new controversy brews amidst the storm waters.
Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen is under fire for allegedly rejecting victims and closing the doors of his Lakewood church to victims. Osteen tweeted Saturday that he and his family are praying for the victims affected by 30 inches of rainfall and catastrophic storm damage.
Victoria & I are praying for everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey. Please join us as we pray for the safety of our Texas friends & family.
— Joel Osteen (@JoelOsteen) August 26, 2017
Critics wanted more than prayers.
When @JoelOsteen has a gigantic church and 10 mil home in Houston but is only offering prayers to ppl affected by #Harvey ????
— KL ???? (@kbarnie34) August 28, 2017
You and Victoria need to helping by opening your church and providing that money that gets donated to you for those in need .????
— Monica.dlsm (@Mbabyyyy) August 28, 2017
He'd rather send prayers than money or resources
— Alan Hollingsworth (@go49ers_az) August 28, 2017
But the church claims that there was substantial flooding near, around and inside the vicinity.
"We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need," the statement reads.
The statement adds: "Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives."
However, Twitter refuted those claims with more photos.
Houston's @indivisible_usa is acquainted with @JoelOsteen's Lakewood Church. They took these pics about an hour ago w/ commentary. pic.twitter.com/YTWrD9UG1z
— Charles Clymer????️???? (@cmclymer) August 28, 2017
So, what is the truth?
As of Tuesday, August 29, it has been reported that Osteen and his church have finally opened their doors to the masses.
