Joel Osteen is in damage control mode.
As we previously reported, the famed Texas pastor has been facing backlash on social media following claims that he’s kept his massive Lakewood Church closed to the flood victims caused by Hurricane Harvey. Uh oh.
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Osteen was first hit with criticism over the weekend when the Lakewood Church’s Facebook account announced that the house of prayer was “inaccessible due to severe flooding.” This post had tongues waggin’ as photos surfaced proving the Church was unaffected during the start of the hurricane.
In an attempt to clean up this controversy, Joel released another statement where he defended that Lakewood had NOT closed its doors to those in need, but is simply waiting for the “shelters [to] reach capacity” before welcoming evacuees.
The religious leader added:
“We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens to rebuild our lives.”
One Lakewood worshipper weighed in on the controversy as she shared on Twitter:
However, thanks to footage (below) from a local resident, it’s been proven that there is still no flooding outside of the church.
As you surely know, Hurricane Harvey was a Category 4 when it first touched down on Friday. The storm has taken at least 10 lives and has left numerous homes flooded. Not to mention, several Texas towns are bracing themselves for the next phase of the catastrophic storm.
The state of Louisiana has already begun evacuating residents. Oh man.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey.
[Image via Instagram.]