Wife of Joel Osteen Asked to Leave Plane (posted 12/20/2005)

Chron.com ^ | 12/20/2005 | PAM EASTON

[devane617]

HOUSTON — The wife of the pastor of the nation's largest church was asked to leave a plane after she failed to comply with a flight attendant's instructions, the FBI said Tuesday.

Houston Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, his wife, Victoria, and their two children boarded a Continental Airlines flight from Houston to Vail, Colo., Monday. The plane's door had been closed when Victoria Osteen and a flight attendant had a disagreement.

"She failed to comply with the flight attendant's instructions, and they were asked to leave the flight," FBI spokeswoman Luz Garcia said without elaborating on the disagreement.

The FBI reviewed a report from Continental after the incident, Garcia said. No charges will be filed, she said.

The flight was delayed more than an hour while the Osteens' luggage was retrieved, Garcia said. The family took another flight to Colorado, where church spokesman Don Iloff said they were skiing Tuesday.

Iloff called the disagreement with the flight attendant "minor" but would not say what happened.

"In semantics, they might have been asked to be removed," he said. "Really, it was more of a mutual thing."

Continental spokeswoman Julie King would not discuss the disagreement but said in a statement that the situation was resolved.

Osteen's sermons are broadcast across the country and his book "Your Best Life Now" has become a best seller. His church has more than 30,000 worshippers weekly and meets in a renovated arena where the Houston Rockets once played.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Anyone know the real story?

Apparently a flight attendant asked Victoria what her secret was one too many times.

[Siena Dreaming]

I suspect that there are a lot charities who take in a lot of that money.

If the pastor is the one responsible for any good works being done, he may be entitled to a nice vacation every once in a while.

[Patriot Hooligan]

Oh, I have. It was my old boss.

[Rodney King]

If the pastor is the one responsible for any good works being done, he may be entitled to a nice vacation every once in a while.

Google around on him. Amoung other things, he lives in a multi-million dollar house. He also doesn't teach that the only way to heaven is through jesus. He also doesn't seem to beleive in sin. He is just a motivational speaker masquerading as a pastor.

[pepperhead]

If the pastor is the one responsible for any good works being done, he may be entitled to a nice vacation every once in a while.

Your right.

[sinkspur]

I also have never personally met anyone who was asked to get off of an airplane for their behavior.

I was thinking the very same thing.

The plane hadn't pushed back from the gate, and this banshee is being asked to get off.

Unless Osteen explains this, he'll have 40,000 congregants at his next service not listening to a word he says, but wondering what his wife did to get booted off a plane.

[khnyny]

"Google around on him. Amoung other things, he lives in a multi-million dollar house. He also doesn't teach that the only way to heaven is through jesus. He also doesn't seem to beleive in sin. He is just a motivational speaker masquerading as a pastor."

I'm not a Joel Osteen expert, but aren't there other pastors who've been financially successful too? I'm thinking in particular of Billy Graham and his son. I happen to like Billy Graham from what I've observed over the years.

[bism]

The real story: In Mrs Osteen's seat a soda had been spilled. She asked for the seat to be mopped up and cleaned. The stew took a wet cloth and wiped the seat but left residue of the soda and left the seat wet from the rag used to wipe the soda up. It was wet and sticky. The stew would not clean it further. Mrs. Osteen was insistent and I do not blame her as I have been is a similar situation. No one wants to sit in a wet, sticky seat for three hours.

[Luigi Vasellini]

Billy Grahams salary was based on the average of his parishioners salaries. He drove an old car and lived in a ranch style house. Robert Tilton and alot of the other phonies on TV live in palaces and are able to go to places like Vail. I like the hair dos and expensive clothes of those on TBN, I cant believe anyone would send them money!!

[khnyny]

Thanks for the additional info.

[Luigi Vasellini]

read post 30

[khnyny]

Right, I've seen some "tele-evangelists"(?) and thought I'd stumbled across a bad SNL episode. Maybe "telecrooks" would be a more appropriate term.

[Moorings]

I have listened to him a couple of times. I thought he sounded like a motivational speaker. I don't waste my time listening to him anymore.

[Warriormom]

I read somewhere that he doesn't take a salary from the church.

[CAWats]

I do not know the real story but I want to know how many of their followers tithed 10% so they could fly first class to go skiing.

Well I don't want to know how many of their followers tithed 10%, it's not coming out of my pocket.

[khnyny]

I've been on flights with some god-awful flight attendants. The airlines' employees are pissed off and increasingly bitter because of the mismanagement of the airlines (numerous bankruptcies). The employee's have had to take pay cuts, give up certain benefits, etc. depending upon the airline (not to mention all the added stress after 9/11).

It used to be fun to fly years ago, when customer service and courtesy actually meant something. Today, it feels like riding the subway.

[pepperhead]

I like the hair dos and expensive clothes of those on TBN, I cant believe anyone would send them money!!

Speaking of sending the people on TBN money. Guess who is on TBN?

Joel Osteen

[Rodney King]

The real story: In Mrs Osteen's seat a soda had been spilled. She asked for the seat to be mopped up and cleaned. The stew took a wet cloth and wiped the seat but left residue of the soda and left the seat wet from the rag used to wipe the soda up. It was wet and sticky. The stew would not clean it further. Mrs. Osteen was insistent and I do not blame her as I have been is a similar situation. No one wants to sit in a wet, sticky seat for three hours.

What's the source for the story?