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<h2 class="posttitle">UPDATE: Osteen opening megachurch&#8217;s doors to shelter flood victims after outcry</h2>


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By <a href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/author/jeff-taylor/" title="Posts by Jeff Taylor" rel="author">Jeff Taylor</a> &middot;
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<time class="post-timestamp" datetime="2017-08-29T10:28:05+00:00">Tuesday, August 29, 2017</time>
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<img width="500" height="333" src="https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2017/08/800px-Joel_Osteen_Preaching-500x333.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" title="" srcset="https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2017/08/800px-Joel_Osteen_Preaching-500x333.jpg 500w, https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2017/08/800px-Joel_Osteen_Preaching-400x267.jpg 400w, https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2017/08/800px-Joel_Osteen_Preaching-102x69.jpg 102w, https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2017/08/800px-Joel_Osteen_Preaching-160x106.jpg 160w, https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2017/08/800px-Joel_Osteen_Preaching-702x468.jpg 702w, https://lgbtqnation-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/2017/08/800px-Joel_Osteen_Preaching.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> </div>
<p class="wp-caption-text"> <span class="media-credit">RobertMWorsham via Wikimedia Commons</span></p> </div>
<style>
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<script type="text/javascript" class="teads" async="true" src="//a.teads.tv/page/13538/tag"></script><script type="text/javascript" class="teads" async="true" src="//a.teads.tv/page/13538/tag"></script><p>Preacher Joel Osteen took heavy criticism on social media for failing to open up the doors of its megachurch, Lakewood Church, in <a href="http://www.lgbtqnation.com/tag/houston/">Houston</a> to take in victims of the severe flooding.</p>
<p>Lakewood posted a message to social media on Sunday, providing shelter information and saying the church had been flooded. A backlash followed when some individuals posted photos of the church, which appeared to show that it had not been flooded.</p>
<p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLakewoodChurch%2Fphotos%2Fa.235152305863.170713.128556930863%2F10155840979705864%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="690" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>The church <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/29/us/joel-osteen-houston-megachurch-criticism/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded with photographs showing flooding</a> inside and around the facilities.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need,&#8221; said church spokesman and Osteen&#8217;s father-in-law Donald Iloff.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are prepared to shelter people once the cities and county shelters reach capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives.&#8221;</p>
<p>Charles Clymer, a Houston journalist who had been a vocal critic of Osteen and the church for not opening its doors, posted a photo to <a href="http://www.lgbtqnation.com/tag/twitter/">Twitter</a> reportedly from inside the church.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lakewood Church apparently bought countless air mattresses and are prepping to open their doors. Took a while but good news.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JoelOsteen?src=hash">#JoelOsteen</a> <a href="https://t.co/MYXf1HqAbF">pic.twitter.com/MYXf1HqAbF</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Charles Clymer?️‍? (@cmclymer) <a href="https://twitter.com/cmclymer/status/902331820745924610">August 29, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Clymer&#8217;s wording, &#8220;apparently,&#8221; caused us to wonder if he took the photograph himself or had it sent to him, and have inquired to determine if he has been inside the church yet himself.</p>
<p>CNN is confirming the news, citing a statement on <a href="https://www.lakewoodchurch.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the church&#8217;s website</a>, although a review of the site did not turn up any such statement.</p>
<p><iframe src="//fave.api.cnn.io/v1/fav/?video=us/2017/08/29/osteen-church-open-up-to-shelter-flood-victims-vause-sot.cnn&amp;customer=cnn&amp;edition=domestic&amp;env=prod" width="416" height="234" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>There was also no such statement on the church&#8217;s social media accounts, which are all still offering up only prayers and the promise of goods like diapers and infant formula. They have been calling for others to donate these items as well.</p>
<p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLakewoodChurch%2Fposts%2F10155844844710864&amp;width=500" width="500" height="249" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Please bring these items to Lakewood Church, Circle Drive off Timmons St. <a href="https://t.co/XxIbYde0L6">https://t.co/XxIbYde0L6</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Lakewood Church (@lakewoodch) <a href="https://twitter.com/lakewoodch/status/902324417660846084">August 29, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>We will update this story if more information becomes available.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>UPDATE: </strong>Lakewood Church is opening its doors to let in those seeking shelter from the flooding resulting from Hurricane Harvey.</p>
<p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLakewoodChurch%2Fposts%2F10155846913945864&amp;width=500" width="500" height="646" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
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