Posted on 12/20/2005 4:08:06 PM PST by truthandlife
A dispute that involved the wife of Houston's most famous pastor, Joel Osteen, and a Continental Airlines flight attendant ended up delaying a flight for hours Monday. And now, Victoria Osteen's actions on that flight are in the spotlight. Also on ABC13.com: Send us a news tip | RSS feeds | ABC13 E-lert | Info mentioned on air Statements from Lakewood and Continental Following the incident on Continental flight 1602 Monday, both Lakewood Church and Continental Airlines released these statements. The Osteens run the largest church in the nation, so passengers on a Continental flight were shocked Monday when Mrs. Osteen was removed from that flight after a disturbance.
Taking time off from the high profile hustle and bustle of running a mega-church, Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen and his family boarded Continental flight 1602 Monday morning at Houston's big airport. They were bound for the slopes in Colorado.
Their trip was delayed and so was the entire flight by almost two hours. Fellow passengers blame the popular Osteens, specifically Joel's wife, Victoria.
According to passenger accounts, the Osteens were sitting in first class. Soon after the plane's door was closed, the FBI says Victoria Osteen was removed following what Continental would call only a disturbance. The Osteens' spokesman confirms it involved a flight attendant, but that's all. However, one passenger tells Eyewitness News she was alerted to the front of the plane when she heard a commotion.
"She violently ran towards the cockpit, scaring everyone around her," said passenger Knicky Van Slyke. "Everyone was terrified about what was going on. And a bunch of flight attendants ran up and had to restrain her. She was banging on the door."
"Of the cockpit?" we asked.
"Yes."
Passengers say Victoria was removed first. Joel and the children followed. Meantime, everyone waited.
"They unloaded all the luggage to get their luggage and deplaned her, Joel, and the kids," said passenger Dawn Dixon.
Passenger Chad Clay said, "They kept telling us they were waiting on some passengers to find their luggage underneath in the plane, and it was going to be delayed for looking for that luggage."
According to the Transportation Security Administration, federal air marshals were never involved. Local authorities also know nothing of this event. Continental would not discuss details.
The Osteens' spokesman denies a physical altercation, denies Victoria ever banged on the cockpit door, and says she left on her own.
"The account of the event which has come to our attention is inaccurate and overblown. The misunderstanding was minor and was resolved when Victoria voluntarily removed herself from the situation," read the statement.
The FBI says it was not voluntary. Though agents are not investigating, they will review the incident as the Osteens enjoy their Colorado vacation.
The Osteens' spokesman says they took another flight to Colorado Monday.
Nobody has been charged. As for the FBI's involvement, we're told it's standard procedure for them to review all passenger removal incidents. According to Continental, this one is a closed case.
Pastor Joel Osteen preaches to an average of 40,000 people a week at Lakewood Church services. Lakewood opened in the former home of the Rockets, Compaq Center, back in July. It took $90 million and a year and a half of renovations. Osteen's ministry is taped and aired around the world.
Given what you say after the word "but," I severely doubt what you say before it.
They were on their was to Aspen to help the poor huddled masses survive the Brutal Colorado Winter.
I was trying to explain Joyce Meyer to a Muslim friend of mine (yeah, I know it's a shock- you thought I didn't have any friends), anyway, I was explaining her view that if God loves you He will give you material blessings. My friend said "God must not love 2/3 of the world" I think he has a better grasp on the main tennants of Christianity than most TV preachers.......
Well, bless them. *hork*
‘Discover the Champion in You’ – Lakewood’s Gospel of Greed
Under the new leadership of Joel Osteen, son of the late founder, John, Lakewood Church has grown in church attendance, tithes and television markets. It has also provided numerous benefits to Joel, including a $1 ¼ million dollar home. [Source: http://north-valley.com/realestate_board/messages/157.html ]
One can only imagine the number of servants needed to keep this busy, professional, prosperous, religious household of four afloat and fed. One can also only imagine the budget needed to keep the Osteens cloaked in Neiman Marcus’ finest.
Never short on million-dollar smiles and warm, humorous anecdotes, many about ‘Daddy,’ Senior Pastor Joel, an Oral Roberts University dropout, exudes confidence and success. Certainly, in worldly terms, he has achieved this at the young age of 39, thanks to the multitudes of deceived tithing Lakewood churchgoers. In what is no less than a meteoric rise to prominence, Joel Osteen has invented an extremely lucrative career as a ‘Christian’ Motivational Speaker, having worked diligently for years behind the scenes supervising the television production of his father’s services. Awarding himself the title of pastor, ‘one who feeds his flock,’ Joel reluctantly took the torch passed to him by his dying father. Today, boosted by his sudden and unexpected success, a confident Pastor Joel urges his disciples to discover the champion in you, teaching them weekly how they, too, can achieve their dreams and hearts’ desires. God wants to reward his congregation and viewers abundantly, he tells them, if only they would use the principles the Word-Faith Teachers have discovered to tap into this divine treasure trove.
******
The latest "star" among the Christian world is Joel Osteen, pastor of nondenominational Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Osteen claims the nation’s largest congregation with over 30,000 members. Lakewood recently purchased the colossal Compaq Center, formerly home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. After a whopping $95 million in renovations, the Compaq Center now houses Osteen’s empire called Lakewood Church. Osteen continually sells out huge arenas (at $10 a ticket) across the country. (on ebay Osteen’s tickets list for over $100—can you say $ch-ching$?) New York Times (July 18, 2005) reports Lakewood’s 2004 revenue’s of $55 million. Osteen’s book of human-potential, self-esteem, "feel good," self-help-guide titled, Your Best Life Now: Seven Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, ranks number one on the prestigious "New York Times" best-seller list. Wxyz.com writes of Osteen’s enormous popularity, "In the world of religion, he’s achieved the status of a rock star. . ." Clearly, Mr. Osteen wears the coveted crown prince of the Christian kingdom.
http://tinyurl.com/b8cty
church encourages Christians to ‘Sponsor-A-Seat’ in the nearly 18,000 seat Center at a cost of $2,500 per to pay for the rebuilding effort
Joel & Victoria Osteen standing beside $2,500 theater seat.
http://www.iconbusters.com/iconbusters/docs/letter/letter.files/image003.jpg
It follows that a church of Lakewood's size draws in an enormous amount of income. As a church and a registered nonprofit, it doesn't have to reveal its budget. But public records show Joel and Victoria Osteen's home in Tanglewood is worth more than $1 million --
And when it came time to hire a lobbyist, Lakewood settled for no less than one of the best: Dave Walden, right-hand man for former mayor Bob Lanier.
The straight-shooting Walden, who smokes Marlboros and swears freely, might have seemed like an odd choice at first for a bunch of Christians. After all, when asked if he goes to church, Walden answers bluntly, "I don't like the circus."
Guess again.
Sums it up right there. Looks like the judgment of Jerusalem and Judah over at Isaiah 3:4.
I heard Benny Hinn's Nehru jacket was seen running from the scene, across the tarmac with a can of Jan Crouch's spackle and into a waiting limo...those nutty televangelists are such practical jokers. ;o)
Pukin, they committed the unpardonable sin of being successful. That's all it takes to trip some triggers.
Why would a church hire a lobbyist?
Maybe Osteen and the family plans on distributing presents and serving Christmas dinner in the Eagle county homeless shelter, instead of hitting the slopes.
I'm with you. Neither my husband or myself are religious but we both enjoy him. He seems like a nice guy. I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt before I'll believe anything the media says.
Bite me. I'm healthy, wealthy, and it ain't false. But suit yourself. Guess you enjoy being sick and poor.
Umm, judge not? Do you know the situation? Do you trust the press? What if she had a medically-related panic attack? Some other condition of which we aren't aware? Care to wait until the facts are in?
So you agree with me that he does not preach to 40,000 people each Sunday.
Jesus was pretty well off.
Really. Some people just aren't cut out to be CHAMPIONS!!!
His church holds 16,000. Guess again.
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