Posted on 12/03/2021 8:31:52 AM PST by DFG
Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen has been questioned by police after 'bags and bags' of cash and checks were found in about 500 envelopes in a bathroom wall at Lakewood Church in Texas.
A plumber who worked at the church and only gave his first name, Justin, called into a Houston radio morning 100.3 The Bull show to tell them about his shocking discovery, which comes seven years after about $600,000 in donations was stolen and hasn't been recovered.
Justin was called in to America's largest church, Lakewood Church, on November 10 to fix a broken toilet, he said.
'There was a loose toilet in the wall, and we removed the tile,' he explained during the call Thursday morning. 'We went to go remove the toilet, and I moved some insulation away and about 500 envelopes fell out of the wall, and I was like 'Oh wow!''
He said hundreds of envelopes were filled with cash and checks. Houston police confirmed to DailyMail.com that cash and checks were found in the wall, and that they talked to 'everybody associated with the building' they were able to contact.
In 2014, $600,000 worth of donations were stolen from the church. The amount was just a portion of donations made from one weekend of services and it has never been found.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Not a fan of Joel Osteen. In fact, I strongly object to his “prosperity gospel” teachings.
However, I don’t see how this could be tied to Joel. It makes no sense. Cash and checks hidden in a bathroom wall for 7 years? Why? I can only assume that someone took it, hid it there and was unable to retrieve it later (died, imprisoned, who knows). Or, someone did it to uncover the obscene amount of money this organization is hauling in.
Whatever.
The $600,000 was just a portion of the donations from one weekend?!
I need to go online and get a ministry degree then open a church!
Yeah, no fan of Osteen and his prosperity theology, but if the money was stolen for personal use, it sitting in the wall all of these years doesn’t make sense, including checks, it makes no sense for it to sit there for years in the wall.
Sounds like another party did this and then never went back for it like you said.
Justin was called in to America’s largest church, Lakewood Church, on November 10 to fix a broken toilet, he said.
‘There was a loose toilet in the wall, and we removed the tile,’ he explained during the call Thursday morning. ‘We went to go remove the toilet, and I moved some insulation away and about 500 envelopes fell out of the wall, and I was like ‘Oh wow!’’
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I wish the toilet clogs in my house were caused by wads of cash.
Osteen didn’t do this by himself. I think his father was a successful clergy. He would know to surround his son with top notch people and top-notch people would know he is a cash cow
“Borrowing” money from offering plates happens way too often in all-sized congregations. The culprits are usually those who handle the money.
> People get all in a wedgie about his wealth meanwhile the government rips us all off taking big bites out of our incomes and revenues. <
I understand what you’re trying to say, but that’s really two separate, unconnected topics.
Anyway, I would hope that a pastor would follow the Gospels. And I would hope that our government would follow the Constitution. As I see it, Osteen is failing in the first regard, and our government is failing in the second regard.
Just my two cents. Your mileage may vary.
I imagine it’s a “wet wall” extra thick to contain the plumbing.It’s usually a shared wall between men’s and women’s facilities.
If the perp stood on the toilet to stash the cash above the lay-in ceiling, it likely fell into the wall cavity making it irretrievable except by going through the wall.
I
What was the actual amount of cash and checks?
What were the checks dated for?
So many unanswered questions.
My school portion of property taxes are 55%. Never had any children. Then the Federal Govt taxes our non-tax free accounts on money that we already paid taxes on. I don’t donate to Joel Osteen and for those who do then it’s their choice. Point being that Joel Osteen doesn’t raid our assets but this over bloated government certainly does.
Or he’s an honest man.🤔
My guess would be that it was put in the wall from the other side. Like a utility room. You’d be concealed and nobody would notice if the drywall was cut and replaced. It would look like a crappy repair job.
Hmmm.🤔
What in the hell do you do with a seven year old stolen check - oh I know, endorse it over to yourself, take it to the bank and deposit into your account.
Would have been easier to be a radio or tv evangelist. The lord intended you to send me your money! Hallelujah!
I agree, and it makes NO sense for Osteen to stash checks.
I’m sure the stash will be checked for fingerprints, as well as the interior of the hidey hole.
I’m no fan of the guy, but former or current employees as of the earliest date on those checks are the most likely suspects.
Why would he steal *checks*; they’re easily traceable, aren’t they?
These days that’s like bad side effects of CONvid shots. You know, “rare”. :-} I’d turn it in as well.
Bathroom tile is rather stubborn; for all intents and purposes, permanent.
But a tile “fell out” easily. Because it was set up to do that(?). The employee who stashed the offerings either died, went to prison or just lost the job and key to the building.
Or just decided the risk of removal was too great.
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