Sunday, June 3, 2018 |HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com |Vol. 117, No. 233|$4.00 HHH Chance of storms: High 96, Low 74 Letter THE PREACHER’S SON House asserts JOEL OSTEEN AND THE MAKING mulls Trump OF A MEGACHURCH Agent power Orange
Lawyers contend aid bill he’s protected Excluded since from subpoena by ’02, offshore vets special counsel would be covered
NEW YORK TIMES By Bill Lambrecht
WA SHINGTON — WA SHINGTON — Navy President Donald veterans who served off- Trump’s lawyers for shore during the Vietnam months have quietly War appear close to win- waged a campaign to keep ning a final battle as Con- the special counsel from gress prepares to force the trying to force him to an- Department of Veterans Af- swer questions in the in- fairs to restore benefits to vestigation into whether thousands of sailors who he obstructed justice, as- claim exposure to Agent serting that he cannot be Orange. compelled to testify and The $1 billion-plus price arguing in a confidential tag —to be borne by veter- letter that he could not ans themselves through possibly have committed fees onVA loans—is anoth- obstruction because he er of the unanticipated costs has unfettered authority of war measured both in over all federal investiga- dollars and toxic wounds. tions. Gulf War Veterans also In a brash assertion of are pressing the VA to com- presidential power, the 20- pensate them for exposure page letter — sent to the to nerve agents and other special counsel, Robert toxins. The Government Mueller, and obtained by Accountability Office is pre- the New Yo rk Times — paring a report on allega- contends that the presi- tions of Agent Orange use dent cannot illegally ob- in Guam during the Viet- struct any aspect of the in- nam era, which could open vestigation into Russia’s the door to awards of bene- election meddling because fits to veterans stationed the Constitution empow- there. ers him to, “if he wished, With little fanfare, the terminate the inquiry, or House Veterans’ Affairs even exercise his power to Committee last month ad- pardon.” vanced legislation that re- Trump’s lawyers fear stores disability pay and that if he answers ques- care for Blue Water Navy tions, either voluntarily or Veterans continues on A13 in front of a grand jury, he risks exposing himself to accusations of lying to in- vestigators, a potential crime or impeachable of- Permian Trumpcontinues on A13 employers How did battling old box of headwinds evidence Oil field firms find hiring, retention reappear? acostly challenge By Jordan Blum
By Keri Blakinger Elizabeth Conley photos /Houston Chronicle Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen leads his congregation in prayer during a recent service. Josh Garcia found him- The double-barreled self in a position familiar derringer sat waiting for to many energy workers police at Love’s Lounge, a First of three parts lashed out at her hus- when he was laid off from seedy dance hall on the band for putting work Houston’s C&J Energy outskirts of Houston. By Katherine Blunt above their marriage. Services during the recent It was 1978, and Tommy McGinty booked a oil bust. Unemployed for Brown lay dying from a he divorce room at a La Quinta on months and short on op- shot to the heart after a papers took the Southwest Freeway, tions, he went back to late-night brawl over a Vickie a few blocks from Lake- school, earned an MBA girl. McGinty by wood, and drove south and tried a different in- The gunman — known Tsurprise. for more than10 hours to dustry before finding an- as Bubba — fled in his Distraught and alone af- see Osteen in person on other opportunity in ener- Thunderbird, leaving be- ter 22 years of marriage, a balmy May Sunday. gy with a Louisiana chem- hind the weapon. she turned to friends Again, she felt a connec- ical supplier in the boom- But that morning, be- and family — and to a tion, even in an arena ing Permian Basin. fore detectives even fin- stranger with a soothing full of unfamiliar faces. The company, Centuri- ished interviewing the voice and a sunny mes- Vickie McGinty moved to Houston from Wichita, She knew she’d be back. on Technologies, offered a witnesses, Bubba re- sage. Kan., to worship at Lakewood Church. This is how Osteen six-figure salary, free turned, his face still She had discovered has become the nation’s housing for a year, and a bloody from the fight. He Joel Osteen’s sermons a most ubiquitous pastor company car. But Garcia, was arrested on the spot few months earlier. Now, heard him preach from speaking directly to her. and one of its wealthiest. 33, still hesitated, unsure and eventually sent to she set her television the stage of Houston’s “Some people, the only He has earned the alle- about moving far from the prison for manslaughter. and car radio to his Lakewood Church. thing that’s holding giance of the hopeless, state’s population centers Forty years later, the broadcasts. His voice be- “You have a backbone them back from a the doubtful and the and the diversions they of- derringer showed up on a came a constant pres- made of steel.” healthy marriage, from downtrodden with a cre- fer to young professionals. vacant floor of the flooded- ence, urging her to focus “A ll you have to do is good relationships, from do of beguiling simplici- “I knew how remote it is out courthouse. No one on a bright future in- believe.” a promotion, is their ty: Don’t dwell on the out here,” Garcia said. seems to know how it got stead of the clouded Listening to a sermon mouth,” he said. past. Think positive. Be a “There’s not another in- there, or how it ended up past. titled “Tame Yo ur The Wichita, Kan., victor, not a victim. dustry out here if things go in a box full of bloody “God is arranging Tongue,” she felt as homemaker thought of A self-described “en- south. It’s either sink or Guns continues on A6 things in your favor,” she though Osteen was all the times she had Osteencontinues on A14 Housing continues on A11
SPORTS SPECIAL SECTION HERofOES Astros fall HARVEY School to Red Sox Presented by report card AL Pitcher of the Month See what grade your Justin Verlander gets a child’s school gets as no-decision as Boston Recovering from mold we crack the books rallies for a 5-4 win. exposure, volunteer has no open to study the PAGE C1 regrets. PAGE A20 area’s schools.
Index Chron.com HoustonChronicle.com @HoustonChron Houston Chronicle Books...... G4 Directory ...... A2 Horoscope..G12 Sports...... C1 Business ...... B1 Editorials....A33 Lottery...... C14 TV ...... G11 Houston’s Source for Breaking News Go to Chron.com throughout the day for the latest Crossword....G11 Health ...... A19 Obituaries..4F4 Weather ...... B8 stories, and videos from Houston’s No. 1 news site. A14 | Sunday, June 3, 2018 |HoustonChronicle.com and chron.com |Houston Chronicle HH THE PREACHER’S SON
Elizabeth Conley /Houston Chronicle Lakewood pastor Joel Osteen prays with a congregant during a recent service. “I know what my gifts are and where God has blessed me,” Osteen says. Osteen’s influence transcends boundaries
Osteen from page A1 abuses by televangelists. Evans Setbacks, even painful ones, said Osteen stays on the right are the Almighty’s way of bring- courager,” he rarely addresses side of the law. ing out the best in people, Os- or even acknowledges the fun- But he views Osteen’s mes- teen says. damental mysteries of Chris- sage, with its promise that God “God wouldn’t have allowed it tianity, let alone such conten- will fulfill the needs and desires if it was going to keep you from tious issues as same-sex mar- of the faithful, as misleading. your destiny,” he declared on a riage or abortion. Instead, he ex- “He’s a pitchman, selling con- recent Sunday. “Shake off a vic- horts listeners to take charge of geniality and empty promises in tim mentality and have a victor their destinies and confront the name of God,” Evans said. mentality.” whatever “enemies” they face — “A ll you get is an empty box of At the start of the service, the debt collectors, clueless bosses, hope for a better life someday.” arena’s overhead lights fade to a grim medical diagnoses, loneli- Osteen responds that build- soft glow. The choir fills the ris- ness. ing a personal fortune is not in ers flanking the stage. An in- In an era of bitter cultural and conflict with his belief that God house band rides an orchestra political divisions, he has rede- wants all who worship Him to lift to appear behind the pulpit. fined what it means to be evan- prosper. He casts Lakewood’s The music swells as the last of gelical by dispensing with the expert use of marketing and me- thousands of congregants bad news and focusing solely on dia as the contemporary equiva- choose their plush seats. Osteen the good. His vanilla creed has lent of shouting from the moun- climbs the stage, raising a fist to proved irresistible, especially to taintop. And he notes that mil- rally the congregation in wor- those down on their luck. lions of people find solace and ship. He looks straight into the Lakewood is the nation’s larg- strength in his sermons. Vickie McGinty says that now she’s “one of those people, hands camera to welcome those watch- est church, attracting as many as “I’ve outlasted the critics and up, singing loudly” during services at Lakewood Church. ing online or listening on Sirius 50,000 people a week to its cav- figured out what I feel like I’m XM. ernous sanctuary, the former supposed to do,” he said in one He invites congregants in Compaq Center where the of two lengthy interviews with need to come forward to pray NBA’s Rockets once played. the Houston Chronicle. “If you with prayer partners lined up in Broadcasts of its thunderous, have a message to get out, there front of the stage. The rich tones music-filled services reach an has never been a better day.” of a grand piano sound a gentle estimated 10 million U.S. view- Osteen, the son of televange- hymn as he takes his place with- ers each week on television — list John Osteen, Lakewood’s in the line. and more via websites and pod- founder, became head pastor af- Then comes the offering — a casts. Many of them go on to buy ter his father’s death nearly 20 standard church practice on an Osteen’s books, devotionals, years ago. Since then, he has enormous scale. Osteen doesn’t CDs, DVDs and other merchan- overshadowed virtually all his personally solicit the donations, dise. contemporaries, avoiding the in keeping with the church’s me- A 24-hour Sirius XM station, sorts of embarrassments that ticulous, risk-averse manage- launched in 2014, expanded his have toppled other TV preach- ment of his image. Instead, he domain to include people com- ers. cedes the stage to his wife Victo- muting to work or running er- His influence transcends po- ria or his sister Lisa, who re- rands. litical, economic and religious mind the church’s “cheerful giv- He has taken Lakewood on boundaries. His is a church that ers” that God will bless those the road with monthly Night of finds its followers, no matter who tithe 10 percent of their in- Hope events, lavishly produced who or where they are. come or otherwise donate. spectacles of prayer and song On cue, dozens of volunteers that fill stadiums across the BBB file into the sanctuary to pass country at $15 a ticket. Attendees beach-pail-sized plastic buckets post branded photos from the Osteen doesn’t flaunt a life of McGinty has lined her bathroom mirror with notes inspired by down hundreds of rows. events on Facebook and Twitter, luxury, but he does enjoy one. He Joel Osteen’s sermons. Osteen returns to deliver a where Osteen has amassed a and his family live in a $12 mil- half-hour sermon, the highlight combined 28 million followers. lion River Oaks mansion with 13 of the service. His 10 books, self-help manu- rooms, a pool, an elevator and efforts such as feeding the consistent monthly support.” At 55, he is a lithe 5-foot-9 with als filled with homespun wis- five fireplaces, public records homeless or helping at-risk Lately, they’ve included adver- thick, dark hair that he slicks in- dom about the power of positive show. youth. Lakewood spent less tisements for the “You Are to waves. He wears muted suits thinking, have sold more than He and his wife Victoria, also than $1.2 million on missions Healed Kit,” a set of messages with bright but conservative ties 8.5 million printed copies in the a best-selling author, stopped and community service that and Scripture cards available in and speaks with a soft Texas U.S. alone, according to NPD taking salaries from the church year. exchange for donations of any twang. BookScan. in 2005. They live instead on The numbers reflect the high size. Those who send in $125 or Addressing the hushed audi- It’s religion as big business, book royalties. Unlike some oth- priority Osteen puts on expand- more receive a deluxe version ence, he appears both relaxed run by a close-knit family that er televangelists, they have not ing the church’s reach and find- with a Bible and an Osteen- and rehearsed, emphasizing excels at promoting Osteen as an declared their home a parson- ing new adherents. branded journal. each point with a well-practiced earnest, folksy everyman. He is age, which would make it tax-ex- “That’s what we feel like the At joelosteen.com, sermons gesture.He begins with a joke, Lakewood’s most valuable asset, empt. They paid nearly $250,000 media does,” he said. “I know can be ordered on CD or DVD in then recounts stories about ordi- the embodiment of the message in Harris County property taxes what my gifts are and where return for “a gift of any amount.” nary people in difficulty — at itself. last year, records show. God has blessed me, and I’m try- An accompanying message sug- work, in relationships, in strug- Not everyone is sold. Some re- Ye t the cost of operating the ing to be a good steward of that.” gests that donations will bring gles with addiction or illness. ligious scholars and church church and showcasing Osteen Osteen’s TV and radio shows more than just a CD in the mail: “Maybe you’re facing a Goli- watchdogs say Osteen’s wealth on its many platforms does not bring in donations and promote “Our hope is that you see God do ath today,” he tells the congrega- clashes with Christian teachings come out of their pockets. It is sales of his books and spinoff more in you and through you tion. “You have to know that on about the corrupting effects of paid almost entirely by his mil- products. But the exposure gen- than you ever dreamed possi- the other side of that Goliath is a worldly riches, and that Lake- lions of followers. erates little direct income for the ble!” new level of your destiny.” wood’s high-powered marketing Lakewood took in about $89 church. As a result, the cost of From the first word to the last, exploits the vulnerable. million during the fiscal year buying airtime, paying produc- BBB he never stops smiling. “There’s always the question that ended March 31, 2017, ac- tion personnel and other ex- of how much money is too much cording to its financial state- penses has to be underwritten Amid the din of Lakewood’s BBB for a pastor to earn,” said Carl ment. Of that total, nearly 93 by the congregation. 16,000-seat sanctuary, congre- Trueman, a pastor and profes- percent was donated — via mail, Lakewood’s teleministry gants weep, shout in exultation In some Christian traditions, sor of church history at the the internet or collection buck- alone cost about $25 million in or sit in quiet anonymity. The au- repentance is a process heavy on Westminster Theological Semi- ets — in response to an under- the 2017 fiscal year. Royalties dience is black, white, Latino reflection and confession. nary in Pennsylvania. “When stated yet persistent message from both TV and radio, by com- and Asian in roughly equal pro- In Osteen’s church, it’s con- you’re looking at his lavish pri- that God will bless those who parison, totaled less than $1.2 portions. All have come to hear densed to a single moment. At vate lifestyle, I’d say that’s too support the church’s mission. million that year. assurance that God has some- the end of each service, he asks much.” The church spent 70 percent Still, growth in followers cre- thing better in store for them, those willing to accept Jesus Pete Evans, a licensed private of its budget on television broad- ates its own momentum. The that life’s many obstacles are Christ as their savior to “take a investigator, has spent 20 years casts, weekly services and pro- bigger Lakewood’s audience, the surmountable and that investing step of faith.” Hundreds stand to examining church misconduct grams and Night of Hope events. larger its financial base for fur- in themselves and their church recite a simple prayer. for the Trinity Foundation, a do- Almostall the rest went to ad- ther expansion. will unlock the shackles of debt, “The moment you stood up, nor-supported group in Dallas ministration and fundraising, Its TV broadcasts end with an addictions, bad luck or bad atti- God washed away all of your known for exposing financial leaving little for humanitarian appeal for “your faithful and tudes. Osteencontinues on A15 HH Houston Chronicle |HoustonChronicle.com and chron.com | Sunday, June 3, 2018 | A15 THE PREACHER’S SON
Osteen from page A14 sins, your mistakes, your fail- ures,” he tells them. “You are starting with a fresh, clean slate.” The scene encapsulates a key aspect of Osteen’s appeal. He asks little in the way of tradition and formality, and there’s no threat of judgment. He challenges his followers to consider not a godly vision for humanity but rather how to make the most of their individu- al circumstances. His sermons are for problem solving, not con- templation. Phil Cooke, a theologian and media consultant who worked with Lakewood for years, said he didn’t fully understand Os- teen’s appeal until the day the pastor took live calls on Sirius XM for the first time. It was 2014. Osteen had asked Cooke to call in and ask the first question, a softball to ease his nerves. Cooke lingered to hear the second question. It was from a woman who had lost her job, her relationship and her savings. She didn’t know how she would take care of her children. She asked Osteen what to do. “You just have to keep getting up in the morning,” he replied. Cooke was irked at Osteen’s Elizabeth Conley /Houston Chronicle seemingly vapid response. Then Lakewood’s broadcast crew films Joel Osteen’s sermon for his TV program, which has an estimated 10 million U.S. viewers weekly. he heard the woman begin to cry. She thanked Osteen for the best advice she’d ever received. ly to their churches will reap Appeals for donations are ed- and crunches data to determine her birthday, Paul and Dodie “Then it hit me,” Cooke said. rich rewards. ited out of Lakewood’s TV which messages resonate. sorting donations — while Os- “A theologian would have never The son reshaped that creed broadcasts, and the church The company tracks fluctua- teen took to national television reached that woman in that mo- for a new century, emphasizing takes pains to minimize any ap- tions in his millions of followers to try to repair the damage. ment, but Joel was able to.” self-help and positive thinking. pearance of overlap between its and responds to some of the When the floodwaters reced- Attendance more than doubled finances and Osteen’s personal thousands of comments that ed, Lakewood collected more BBB in his first year, and it kept grow- wealth. flood his accounts. Each month, than $1 million in donations for ing. Under an arrangement de- its analysts send Lakewood a de- Harvey victims and organized On stage, Osteen is command- Running what has become a vised by Lakewood’s attorneys, tailed report examining audi- more than 7,200 volunteers to ing. In unscripted settings, he is multimedia empire requires the church keeps royalties from ence engagement and the tenor gut 800 homes. The church has shy and cautious, seemingly about 400 staff members (the Osteen’s books if they’re sold of the online conversation. since rebuilt 20 of them with wary of straying off-message. church had fewer than 30 when through its in-house bookstore “There is always someone help from Samaritan’s Purse, a He is thoughtful and matter- Osteen took over) and a bevy of or Joel Osteen Ministries. Os- talking about Joel, for good or for Christian relief organization. of-fact in talking about the outside consultants. Still, Lake- teen keeps royalties from sales bad,” said Forrest Haag, Brand- For Osteen, the social-media church’s finances and opera- wood remains very much a fam- through outside retailers such Star’s executive vice president of furor still stings, even months tions. But he will not take firm ily affair. as Amazon. digital marketing. His smart- later. He can handle criticism for positions on fraught topics such Osteen’s mother, Dodie, 84, is Lakewood’s marketing mes- phone buzzes any time someone being wealthy, he said. But not as same-sex marriage. Nor does the matriarch, occasionally sages reflect that distinction. mentions Osteen in a post. for being heartless. he readily share reflections on preaching and holding prayer Ads for Osteen products do not Haag and his team were espe- “It bothers me for people to the persistence of suffering or services for the sick and disa- refer customers to traditional re- cially busy late last August, think we weren’t there to take other enigmas of the faith. bled. His wife, Victoria, serves tailers. They include only a when Osteen’s reputation took a care of the city,” he said. Asked his perspective on such as his co-pastor. phone number and website for rare hit. matters, he can seem at a loss for Her brother, Don Iloff, a for- Joel Osteen Ministries. As Hurricane Harvey bar- BBB words. His sentences trail off. mer Republican campaign strat- Ye t Lakewood can’t fully sep- reled across the Gulf, Lake- He glances at the ceiling. Often, egist who served in the White arate its financial interests from wood’s staff did not make prep- In his books and sermons, Os- he says simply, “I don’t know.” House under President George Osteen’s. By broadcasting his arations to open the huge build- teen offers general advice for Though raised in a preacher’s H.W. Bush, is an adviser and sermons and funding his Night ing as a shelter. Afterward, they overcoming life’s many chal- household, Osteen did not seem spokesman for the church. of Hope extravaganzas, the said they had been concerned lenges: Improve your habits. destined for the pulpit. He did Osteen’s older brother Paul, a church inevitably promotes his that high winds and driving rain Change your thinking. Have not pursue religious studies. His surgeon, oversees the church’s brand and his books, wherever could have shattered the faith that God will open doors. interest was broadcasting and many pastoral ministries and consumers choose to buy them. church’s tall glass windows or Ye t to his followers, it’s a deep- developing his father’s TV min- leads medical missions to Africa flooded its lower level. ly personal message. Like Vickie istry. and the Middle East. Paul and BBB The storm stalled over the McGinty, 56, many feel as Pressed into service when the his sister, associate pastor Lisa Houston region on Saturday though he has the answers to the elder Osteen fell ill in January Osteen Comes, often teach Mon- The careful curation of Os- night, Aug. 26, inundating wide very problems that keep them 1999, he showed an unexpected day night Bible study. Her hus- teen’s image extends to social swaths of the city. On Sunday up at night. flair for preaching. His father band, Kevin Comes, is Lake- media. In that free-wheeling morning, Lakewood posted on For months last year, McGinty died that month, and Osteen be- wood’s chief financial officer. arena, detractors are ready at all social media that severe flooding drove from Wichita to Houston came head pastor within a year. Family members and church hours to deride his message as had made the church inaccessi- every few weeks to hear him John Osteen had been an or- staff handle traditional pastoral corporatized Christianity, con- ble and listed places that were preach. She prayed for her hus- dained Southern Baptist minis- duties for Joel — weddings, fu- demn his wealth as sacrilegious accepting evacuees. band to change his mind about ter who parted ways with the de- nerals, counseling — so he can or post satellite images of the It was not a popular message the divorce and come back nomination to preach a blend of preach, write and travel. mansion, guesthouse and pool in a city under water. The blow- home. He didn’t. So she decided charismatic Pentacostalism, They run the church with a on his 1.8-acre property. back was harsh and aimed to move to Houston. born-again Christianity and the focus on shielding his reputa- BrandStar, a marketing firm squarely at Osteen. She found an apartment prosperity gospel — the notion tion from even a hint of impro- in Deerfield Beach, Fla., manag- “Joel Osteen won’t open his down the street from Lakewood that those who donate generous- priety. es Osteen’s social media feeds church that holds 16,000 to hur- and put her divorce settlement ricane victims because it only toward the rent. provides shelter from taxes,” One day while settling in, she one Twitter user wrote in a post paused a sermon playing on a that generated 114,000 likes and CD. She grabbed a Post-it and 45,000 retweets. jotted down a phrase shewanted BrandStar’s social media ex- to remember: “Complain, and perts lived in their operations you’ll remain; praise, and you’ll room for days, monitoring a wall be raised.” of TV screens showing CNN, She stuck it to the bathroom Fox News, Google trends and mirror. other metrics of social senti- The Post-its have multiplied. ment. They stayed in constant They line the kitchen cabinets, contact with the church’s com- the refrigerator and the door- munications staff, detailing the ways. extent of the outrage and craft- She attends five services a ing a response. week, walking from her apart- On Monday, the church hur- ment to the church’s wall of glass riedly bought cots and supplies doors. and opened as a shelter the fol- “Now I’m one of those people, lowing morning, housing as hands up, singing loudly,” she many as 450 people for several said. “I think this is the best days. church in America.” “Victoria and I care deeply At the end of March, when her about our fellow Houstonians,” six-month lease expired, she said a message that BrandStar faced a choice: Move back to an posted to Osteen’s Twitter ac- empty house in Wichita or stay count. “Lakewood’s doors are in Houston, close to Lakewood. open and we are receiving any- She renewed for six more one who needs shelter.” months. The company also posted vid- Osteen takes his place within a line of prayer partners who pray with congregants at each service. eos of scenes from the shelter — [email protected] The Lakewood Church congregation is black, white, Latino and Asian in roughly equal proportions. Victoria hugging a young girl on twitter.com/katherineblunt
How this was reported: About the reporter This series explores the origins and In researching this series, Chronicle staff writer Katherine Blunt came to the spectacular growth of Houston’s Lakewood Katherine Blunt conducted two extended interviews Chronicle in August 2016 as a Church under pastor Joel Osteen. with pastor Joel Osteen and numerous interviews business reporter covering the Today, Part 1: Osteen has built a media empire on a with members of his family. She also spoke to retail industry. She has since simple message devoid of sharp edges or ambiguities: current and former Lakewood staffers and joined the energy team, writing Don’t dwell on the past. Think positive. Be a victor, consultants and Lakewood followers in Houston about refining and petrochemicals not a victim. and elsewhere, as well as church watchdogs, during a surge in Texas oil and gas religious scholars and publishing industry experts. production. She previously Wednesday, Part 2: Osteen found his niche working She obtained and reviewed the church’s audited covered transportation at the San Antonio behind the scenes, editing his father’s sermons for financial statements for the 2016-17 fiscal year and, Express-News, where she investigated the television. Then he was called to deliver a sermon of his for comparison purposes, the 2003-04 fiscal year. bankruptcy of the state’s first public-private toll own. No one knew what to expect. In addition, she attended a Night of Hope event in road in a story that won first place in business Next Sunday, Part 3: Preaching from his Houston Los Angeles and numerous local services, read reporting from the Texas Associated Press pulpit, Osteen keeps money matters at arm’s length. most of Osteen’s books and watched or read Managing Editors in 2016 and an EPPY Award for When he takes Lakewood on the road, it’s a transcripts of his sermons dating to 1999. best business reporting in 2017. different story. Weeknight pastas that arequick, tasty
FLAVOR
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 |HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com |Vol. 117, No.236 |$2.00 HH Partly cloudy: High 95, Low 76 CostofERvisit hasnearly doubled, studyfinds
In adramaticshift, facilitiesare billing for emergency roomvisits designated at thehighest sponsored plansbetween ed,” Hargravessaid. was$247 per insured per- levels of severity and 2009and 2016.The insur- When apatientarrives morecases at highest levels of severity son. thereforebilled at steeper ers includedUnited at an emergency room— In 2009 it was$125, the prices,said John Har- HealthCare,Aetnaand either atraditional one at- By JennyDeam side the door hasnearly Health Care CostInsti- graves, aresearcher and Humana. tached to ahospital or a doubled, accordingtotuteresearchshows. co-author of thereport. “Since the population free-standingemergency Eventhough thenum- newdatareleased by a Thereasonfor the TheWashington,D.C.- of insured people in center located in aretail ber of insured emergency health carepolicygroup. spikeappears to be adra- based nonprofitgroup emergency rooms is not center —the visitisas- room visits has stayed In 2016,the average maticshift in howemer- analyzed 40 million changing,the onlylogical signed aprocedure code about the same in recent amount spent nationally gency visits arecoded by health-careclaims for explanation is achangein ranging from1to 5for years,the costtostepin- by insurers andpatients facilities,withmanymore thosewithemployer- howthings are being cod- Cost continuesonA12
Harvey THE PREACHER’S SON Mexico report ‘A PERSON OF DESTINY’ strikes details STEP BY METHODICALSTEP,JOEL OSTEEN MADE back impact HIMSELF THE EMBODIMENTOFAGUILT-FREE GOSPEL on trade Flooding affected U.S. products hit all 4.7million with tariffsas countyresidents NAFTAtalksdim
By Mike Snyder By AnaSwanson NEWYORKTIMES In the weeksand months after Hurricane WA SHINGTON — Harvey,the evidenceofits Mexico hitbackatthe historic scope and intensi- United States on Tuesday, ty trickled out bitbybit: imposing tariffs on Recordrainfall totals. Re- around $3 billion worth of cordreservoir levels. Re- U.S. pork, whiskey, cheese corddestruction. and other goods in re- Now,ninemonths after sponse to the Trumpad- the storm, areport by the ministration’s steel and Harris County Flood Con- aluminum levies, further trolDistrict combinesand straining relations be- analyzesall the available tween the twocountries as data aboutHarveyand its they struggle to rewrite aftermath, distillingthe the North American Free numbers into asingle mes- Trade Agreement. sage:Byevery conceivable Thetariffs came as the measure and in every Trumpadministration imaginable context, Har- threwyet another compli- veycaused the mostdisas- cation into the fractious Elizabeth Conley /HoustonChronicle trous flooding in thena- Aproduction crew monitorsaudio and visuals asJoelOsteen preaches duringatour stop in LosAngeles. NAFTAtalksbysaying it tion’shistory.And it could wantstosplinter discus- have been worse. sions with Canada and “A ll 4.7million peoplein Second of threeparts he’d last onstage. Maybe Mexico and work on sep- Harris County were im- 10 minutes, shethought. arate agreements rather pacted directlyorindirect- By Katherine Blunt than continue three-coun- ly duringthe floodand af- BBB trydiscussions to rewrite terthe floodwatersreced- He stumbled through the 1994 trade deal. ed,”states the 32-page sentences. He shuffled From thatfaltering LarryKudlow, Presi- memorandum by two his notes. He shifted start, Osteen went on to dent Donald Trump’s floodcontroldistrict offi- nervously in an over- became Lakewood’s chief economic adviser, cials, Jeff Lindnerand sized suit. newleaderand vision- said TuesdaythatTrump’s SteveFitzgerald. Joel Osteen hadnever ary, and the church “preference now, andhe Thecompilation of all delivered asermonbe- grewtobecome Ameri- askedmetoconveythis, is the data into one document fore. ca’slargest. to actuallynegotiate with provides auseful backdrop Steadying himself,he Hisrise is ararity in Mexico and Canada sepa- for ongoing policydiscus- directed the congrega- the historyofAmerican rately.” sions aboutrecovering tion to verses from 1Co- religion. Seldom has the Kudlow, speaking on from Harvey andstrength- rinthians. As several HoustonChroniclefile son of afamous evange- “Fox &Friends,” said pur- ening the region’s resil- thousand worshippers In 1990,JoelOsteen worked behind thescenes, listeclipsed his father. suing separate deals might ience to futurefloods. On at Houston’s Lakewood editinghis father’s sermons at Lakewood Church. At first, fewwould allowanagreementtobe Tuesday night, county offi- Churchflippedthe pag- have thoughthim capa- reached “more rapidly,” cials hosted the firstof23 es of their Bibles, he “God has apurpose the next fewyears. But ble of it.Acollegedrop- adding:“Ithink planned public meetings readaloud: “Run your and aplan for you.” on thatJanuarymorn- out, he lacked his fa- Tariffs continuesonA12 on a$2.5billion August race with purpose in ev- “You’vegot to realize ing in 1999,hewas justa ther’s theological train- bond issuefor flood con- erystep.” thatyou are aperson of stand-in for his father, ing and masteryof Tradewars ReportcontinuesonA13 Then he offered his destiny.” televangelistJohn Os- Scripture.Hehad no ex- » Baytown steel plant seeks owngloss on the Scrip- Those ideas would teen, wholay dying in a perience as apreacher. tariff exemption. Page B1 » The first public meeting on ture. vault him from obscuri- hospital bed. Buthehad an intuitive abondproposalfor flood “You have value,”he ty to the height of reli- Hismother,Dodie, feel for television and, » China offers to buyU.S. control is held. Page A3 said. gious celebrity within didn’t knowhow long OsteencontinuesonA10 goods if tariffshalt. Page B2 Delays,cancellationsjeopardizethree NASA missions
Moon roverisscrapped forparts; botic missions to the lunar Prospector“will help in- surface—missions that form future missions,” 2telescope projects arethreatened will useparts from the Cheryl Warner,aNASA canceled rover, such as its spokeswoman, told the By AlexStuckey exploration campaign. ice drill, asystem to search Houston Chronicle. Thedecision stunned sci- for hydrogen below the lu- Alongwiththe rover, NASA spent $100 mil- entists and researchers nar surface, andatool to twotelescopes also arein lion on alunar roverbefore alike, especiallygiven the quantify water extracted limbo,faced with repeated deciding to scrapthe pro- recentpushbyPresident from the moon. delays,growing costsand gram for parts, the third Donald Trump’sadminis- Butthe decision to scrap threatenedcancellations. space project nowinlimbo tration to return Ameri- the roverfor parts wasn’t Those telescopes arethe because of delays andcan- cans to the moon as astep- made untilthe agency had James Webb Space Tele- cellations. ping stone for amissionto spentmore than fouryears scope, the successor to That rover, called Re- Mars. and almost half of the proj- Hubble,and the Wide- sourceProspector,was Thespace agency has ect’s$250 million budget. Field Infrared Survey abruptlycanceled in April, sinceannounced it will be Theroverwas being built Telescope (WFIRST), Brett Coomer /HoustonChronicle with officials saying it no relying on commercial to find water on the moon. meanttofollow theWebb. Bill Bluethmann, aNASAengineer at Johnson Space longer suited theagency’s companies for future ro- TheworkonResource NASA continuesonA13 Center, withthe Resource Prospector rover.
NATION WORLD INDEX Houston’s Source forBreaking News Kate Spade dies Business...... B1 Horoscope...... D7 Go to Chron.comthroughout the dayfor the Policy condemned Comics...... D7 Lottery ...... C7 latest stories, and videos from Houston’s Thefashion designer known forher TheTrump administration’s practice No.1newssite. Crossword...... D6 Markets...... B4 sleekhandbags is found hanged in of separating children from migrant Chron.com thebedroom of her Park Avenue familiesviolatesinternational law, Directory ...... A2 Obituaries...... B8 HoustonChronicle.com apartment in an apparent suicide, the United Nations human rights Editorials...... A14 Sports...... C1 Twitter: @HoustonChron policesay.She was55. PAGE A2 officesays. PAGE A7 Flavor...... D1 Weather ...... B10 Facebook: HoustonChronicle A10 | Wednesday, June 6, 2018 |HoustonChronicle.com and chron.com |Houston Chronicle HH THE PREACHER’S SON Osteen had to transform himself to reshape church
Osteen from page A1 later, social media. He under- stood that he could use both to reach large numbers of people and forge intimate connections at the same time. He recognized that corpo- rate-style marketing could make Joel Osteen a national, even a global, brand synony- mous with his particular creed of personal empowerment through God. One of his earli- est hires was a branding ex- pert. In his sermons and his per- sonal appearance, he focused intently on the details — on finding the memorable word, the emphatic gesture, the right color combination, neither too bold nor too quiet. To transform his church, he had to transform himself. Shy and private by nature, he learned to be ebullient, funny and self-deprecating before a crowd. He succeeded so well that in time, his closest friends barely recognized the man they saw on stage. His father had filled church- es with avid followers. He would fill whole sports arenas. BBB Elizabeth Conley /Houston Chronicle John and Dodie Osteen Behind Joel Osteen’s visionary leadership, Lakewood Church grew from humble beginnings to become the biggest church in the U.S. founded Lakewood Church in 1959, in an abandoned East Houston feed store. their wrenching dramas and The son of a cotton farmer divine mysteries, became sim- from Paris, Texas, John had pler and fewer. been working at a Fort Worth He began to craft sermons movie theater 20 years earlier with the same meticulousness when a friend introduced him he had shown as a TV produc- to Jesus. He went to college to er, retreating on Wednesday study religion and was or- and emerging on Saturday with dained as a Southern Baptist seven single-spaced pages that minister. he had committed to memory. He moved to Baytown, He rehearsed them until the where he met and married Do- delivery seemed effortless. Af- die Pilgrim. He preached at ter Sunday’s service, he edited Houston-area churches before the recording for broadcast, deciding to establish his own. frame by frame. About 90 people gathered to “He was extraordinary in the hear his inaugural sermon at sense that he was all about de- Lakewood. tails,” Cooke said. “A nd he al- Paul Osteen, the oldest of the ways had the long view in couple’s five children, swept mind.” the floors of the church as a young boy. They were so worn BBB that dirt disappeared through the cracks. Osteen knew that the “You didn’t have to really church’s growth depended on have a dust pan,” he recalled. exposure. His father’s sermons The church grew quickly in had aired on one national cable an era of healing revivals and channel and several local sta- miracle-making that gave rise Courtesy of Lakewood Church tions. Now, Lakewood bought to the prosperity gospel, the be- The first building Lakewood ever occupied, an abandoned feed store in East Houston. airtime in each of the 25 largest lief that God would reward his TV markets. truest followers with material As his fame grew, the church wealth so long as they invested turned low to appreciate how “I realized I wasn’t like Victoria helped calm his had to add another service, in their churches. The notion much could be communicated my father,” Osteen said. doubts about whether he could then another, to accommodate had mass appeal and turned by facial expressions alone. carry the mantle. After his fa- all who wanted to hear him. many fledgling ministries into The smallest details con- “He was more of a ther’s death, he called Lake- In 2003, the church took in megachurches. sumed his attention. He arrived traditional pastor. wood’s TV agent to cancel its nearly $50 million in revenue, a By 1979, the little church in at his parents’ house every Sat- Sunday night program on the five-fold increase since Osteen the feed store had moved into a urday to pick out a suit, shirt I’m more of an Family Channel. became head pastor. Almost all new building next door with and tie for his father to wear at encourager.” His wife persuaded him to of it was in the form of dona- seating for 5,000. They called it the next day’s service. Dodie re- call back and reclaim the time tions from people moved by his the Oasis of Love. called purchasing ties for her slot. message. Lakewood’s attorneys husband at Foley’s, only to re- “I always knew Joel had trademarked his name and the BBB turn them when he admitted he niche within the family busi- something else in him,” she church’s. preferred the ones Joel picked. ness. said. Early the following year, Rolf The Osteens and their chil- Phil Cooke, a theologian and By the time the church Zettersten, senior vice presi- dren lived in Humble in a ranch media consultant who helped moved into its new sanctuary, BBB dent of Hachette Nashville, a house on Mustang Trail. Joel produce John’s TV programs, he was married. He had met publisher of Christian books, filled his childhood days riding watched the younger Osteen’s Victoria Iloff in 1985 when he His earliest sermons had an heard that Osteen had an idea his bike and playing Little pursuit of perfection with as- walked into her family’s jewel- edge. He spoke of Satan’s de- for one and flew to Houston to League baseball. He spent tonishment as they shot open- ry store and saw her behind the ceit, the evils of temptation and discuss it. A Sunday lunch end- summers in the mail room at ings and transitions. Gentle but counter. He wanted to buy a the degeneration of a seculariz- ed with a deal for “Your Best Lakewood, filling orders for his determined, he would cajole watch battery. She persuaded ed society. He sounded like his Life Now.” father’s books. Eventually, he his father to do another take. him to buy a new watch. father. Osteen appeared at an annu- learned to operate the boxy Then another. And another. The couple sought challeng- A few weeks after the Col- al convention for Christian cameras the church used to “I’d have to be the referee,” es to tackle together, sometimes umbine massacre — the 1999 booksellers to talk about the film services. Cooke said. “He had a vision in buying old houses to fix and shooting that killed 13 people at project. Company representa- He played basketball at his mind of how he thought flip. a Colorado high school — he tives formed lines around the Humble High School, never that scene should be like, and “It was just fun,” Victoria re- pointed to the tragedy as evi- hall to hear him. making varsity. But he did he would not let it go.” called of their early years. dence of Satan’s power. “We knew we had lightning stand out for a quality that As the prosperity gospel “Through that, we learned how “That is the devil and demon in a bottle at that point,” Zetter- would prove useful years later. gained influence, some televan- to work together.” forces at work,” he said. “We sten recalled. During his senior year, he gelists rattled their collection Their son Jonathan was born must realize who our enemy The book, a seven-step guide was voted “best dressed” along tins on television, beseeching in 1995, followed by a daughter, is.” to making the most of the mo- with classmate Kerrie Outlaw. the audience to “sow more Alexandra, in 1998. He soon developed a style of ment with a little help from They appeared together — he seed” in anticipation of a rich Not long after, the Osteen his own, relying less on the Bi- God, was an instant bestseller. in a suit, she in a white dress — harvest. clan faced a crisis. Their 77- ble and more on stories about At one of Osteen’s first book at an awards ceremony that John Osteen’s approach cen- year-old patriarch was gravely people who had triumphed signings, the store sold out of spring of 1981. tered on overall well-being ill with heart and kidney dis- over great hardship. copies. She remembers him as kind rather than financial riches. He ease, and he had never desig- Victors, not victims, as he “People were bringing him and well-liked. He was also never asked for money on tele- nated a successor. began to say. stacks of Bibles and asking Joel quiet and introverted. That he vision, an example followed by By January 1999, he was in “I realized I wasn’t like my to sign,” recalled Victoria’s would someday stand before his son. the hospital, too weak to father,” Osteen said. “He was brother, Don Iloff, an adviser thousands of people preaching As sexual improprieties or preach. To Dodie’s surprise, more of a traditional pastor. I’m and spokesman for the church. the gospel would have been un- financial scandals disgraced her husband called Joel to ask if more of an encourager.” The book became a board imaginable. other TV preachers, Lakewood he would fill in for him that He began assembling a sta- game. Players start on the “To- “I could never have seen him thrived. In 1988, the congrega- Sunday. He agreed, reluctantly. ble of metaphors to draw on. day” space at the base of a doing that,” she said. “He tion moved into an 8,200-seat Family members didn’t know One Sunday, he told the con- mountain and ascend to the would never bring attention to building in northeast Houston. what to expect. gregation that psychologists “Choose to Be Happy” space at himself.” Ten thousand people packed He spoke for 35 minutes, and had identified two main memo- the summit by answering ques- He enrolled at Oral Roberts the sanctuary for the dedica- for all his jitters, he had an un- ry files in the mind, one to store tions about their goals and suc- University to study broadcast- tion. John delivered a fiery ser- mistakable presence. successes, the other failures. cesses. ing but dropped out after his mon that would usher in an- The elder Osteen died a few “They tell us that a person’s Along the way, they recite freshman year. He returned to other decade of growth. days later. At his memorial ser- outlook on life usually is de- their positive attributes while Houston, saying he felt God’s “The greatest day of the vice, Dodie told a packed house pendent on which file cabinet looking into a palm-sized mir- calling to help his father start church is just ahead of us,” he that the family had discovered you go back to,” he said. “Don’t ror. his own TV ministry. proclaimed. “Hallelujah!” a new preacher in its ranks. you go back to that negative He mastered camera angles “Guess who asked me if they file.” BBB that showed the congregation’s BBB could preach again Sunday,” He became more life coach size and racial diversity. While she said. “Would you think it’d than theologian, extolling the Sophisticated marketing editing videotape of his father’s Joel’s behind-the-scenes role be Joel Osteen?” power of positive thinking in helped power the church’s rise. sermons, he sometimes perfectly suited his personality. He stared at his shoes as the revealing God’s plan. Interpre- Soon after taking over, Osteen watched with the volume He seemed to have found his audience rose to applaud him. tations of the Scriptures, with Osteencontinues on A11 HH Houston Chronicle |HoustonChronicle.com and chron.com | Wednesday, June 6, 2018 | A11 THE PREACHER’S SON
Elizabeth Conley /Houston Chronicle Once-shy Joel Osteen developed an onstage persona that has allowed him to fill sports arenas, including in Los Angeles for one of Lakewood’s Night of Hope events.
Osteen from page A10 erated another $60 million. The project ultimately cost $115 mil- hired Duncan Dodds, an or- lion. The church closed the gap dained Southern Baptist minis- with $20 million in bank loans, ter who was also a branding which it is still paying off. specialist. Lakewood moved into its Dodds served as executive new home in 2005 (it later director of the church and bought the building from the helped guide its growth. He city for $7.5 million, in addition preached the importance of to its earlier lease payment). By building Lakewood’s name the then, weekly attendance had way corporations promote grown to more than 30,000. their products. Osteen would never again “We wanted to be on the enjoy anonymity.The family leading edge,” he said. “What had vacationed at Disneyland better thing to market than the for years, but when they re- Gospel?” turned in 2005, they found Dodds saw no ceiling on Os- themselves under siege. teen’s popularity. With the “A ll of a sudden, it’s like, right marketing support, he ‘Why does everyone know who thought, Osteen could match you are, and why does every- the name recognition achieved one want a picture?’ ” recalled by no less a figure than Billy Osteen’s son, Jonathan, then 10. Graham, the 20th century’s pre- Osteen eventually went back eminent evangelist. to the hotel for a hat and sun- “I became a believer during glasses. the Billy Graham crusades,” Dodds recalled. “I saw that BBB there was that potential.” Courtesy of Lakewood Church He developed a strategy de- Joel Osteen became the spiritual leader of Lakewood Church after the death of his father, John. In 2006, Lakewood hosted a signed to deliver on that ambi- ministries conference that of- tion. It had four elements: “Je- fered the religious community rusalem,” an effort to become of their senses.” production designer who had the chance to learn, for a small the dominant congregation in The focus on branding and worked on the Academy registration fee, how the Houston; “Judea,” a regional user experience would shape Awards, Olympics ceremonies church had more than quadru- strategy to draw visitors from one of Osteen’s boldest under- and other high-profile events, pled its audience under Os- Dallas, Austin and San Anto- takings, an audacious project to construct a curved stage teen’s leadership. Dodds held a nio; “Samaria,” national out- he had conceived shortly after with a spinning golden globe in session on branding. reach through television, radio succeeding his father. the background and giant vid- Phillip Sinitiere, a professor and traveling shows; and “Ut- eo screens framing the pulpit. at Houston’s College of Biblical termost,” a worldwide effort to BBB The goal was to keep congre- Studies and author of a book attract followers through tele- gants transfixed from the mo- about Lakewood called “Salva- vision, crusades and missions. The church was outgrowing ment they chose a plush stadi- tion with a Smile,” was in the Dodds emphasized that all of its 8,200-seat sanctuary, and a um seat. audience. He described the pre- the church’s “brand touch- bigger building, one of the big- Osteen asked his congrega- sentation in a recent interview points,” from sermons to letter- gest in Houston, would soon tion to help shoulder the cost of and shared handouts he had heads, had to work in unison to become available. the overhaul through a three- saved. reinforce Lakewood as the ulti- City officials were looking year fundraising campaign. He recalled his wonder at the mate religious brand and Os- for a new tenant for Compaq The appeal depicted donations boldness of Lakewood’s mar- teen as its embodiment. Center. The Rockets would as obligations to God, invest- keting strategy, one that few No detail was too small: leave after the 2003 NBA sea- ments in a spiritual legacy. churches at the time could ri- When Osteen preached in son for the new Toyota Center. Cash, property, jewelry and val. Houston, the pulpit was Osteen was confident he Courtesy of Lakewood Church stocks were all accepted. Dodds asked the assembled adorned with an “L” for Lake- could draw enough people to John Osteen founded “Trust God to provide what church leaders to identify luxu- wood; on the road, it bore an fill the arena’s 16,000 seats and Lakewood Church in 1959. He lays on your heart to give, ry car brands. BMW and Lexus “O” for Joel Osteen Ministries, collect enough donations to pay even if the amount is more than came to mind. When he asked a better-known name outside for the necessary renovations, your current resources can about coffee, most people the city. which were expected to cost effort. readily identify,” a solicitation thought of Starbucks. Dodds often cited “Mickey’s $80 million or more. A separate fleet of consul- read. “Remember, these gifts Then, Sinitiere recalled, Ten Commandments,” the fa- Lakewood marshaled well- tants helped Lakewood craft a are above and beyond your reg- Dodds brought up the Lake- mous set of principles written connected lobbyists and two plan to transform the arena, ular tithes.” wood pastor. by then-Disney executive Mar- teams of lawyers to negotiate a adding indoor waterfalls, an By the end of 2004, donors When Americans thought of ty Sklar. They included know- 30-year lease with the city, paid orchestra lift for musicians, had given about $35 million for religion, Dodds said he wanted ing your audience, communi- in a lump sum of $11.8 million. and 5,500 holders for offering renovations, according to them to think of Joel Osteen. cating with “visual literacy” Dave Walden, a political insid- envelopes. church estimates. Subsequent and creating interactive set- er who was Mayor Bob Lanier’s The church hired René La- contributions and the sale of a [email protected] tings for guests to “exercise all chief of staff in the1990s, led the gler, an Emmy Award-winning church-owned TV station gen- twitter.com/katherineblunt
How this was reported: About the reporter This series explores the origins and In researching this series, Chronicle staff writer Katherine Blunt came to the spectacular growth of Houston’s Lakewood Katherine Blunt conducted two extended interviews Chronicle in August 2016 as a Church under pastor Joel Osteen. with pastor Joel Osteen and numerous interviews business reporter covering the Part 1: Osteen has built a media empire on with members of his family. She also spoke to retail industry. She has since a simple message devoid of sharp edges or current and former Lakewood staffers and joined the energy team, writing ambiguities: Don’t dwell on the past. Think consultants and Lakewood followers in Houston about refining and petrochemicals positive. Be a victor, not a victim. and elsewhere, as well as church watchdogs, during a surge in Texas oil and gas Part 2: Osteen found his niche working behind religious scholars and publishing industry experts. production. She previously the scenes, editing his father’s sermons for She obtained and reviewed the church’s audited covered transportation at the San Antonio television. Then he was called to deliver a financial statements for the 2016-17 fiscal year and, Express-News, where she investigated the sermon of his own. No one knew what to expect. for comparison purposes, the 2003-04 fiscal year. bankruptcy of the state’s first public-private toll In addition, she attended a Night of Hope event in road in a story that won first place in business Sunday, Part 3: Preaching from his Houston Los Angeles and numerous local services, read reporting from the Texas Associated Press Managing pulpit, Osteen keeps money matters at most of Osteen’s books and watched or read Editors in 2016 and an EPPY Award for arm’s length. When he takes Lakewood on the road, it’s a different story. transcripts of his sermons dating to 1999. best business reporting in 2017. SPORTS HERofOES Triple Crowning HARVEY moment for Justify Presented by Late-blooming colt who didn’t race as a 2-year-old earns his place in history as horce racing’s St. John Vianney’s priest and parishioners put 13th Triple Crown winner. PAGE C1 others first. PAGE A8
Sunday, June 10,2018 |HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com |Vol. 117, No. 240 |$4.00 HH Chance of storms: High 93, Low 77 Trump THE PREACHER’S SON Power rejects NOT-SO-HARD SELL prices G-7 joint WHEN JOEL OSTEEN HITS THE ROAD, EVENTS ARE jolting statement FILLED WITH MERCHANDISE, DONATION REQUESTS U.S. allies defiant buyers at summit in face of trade threats Costs surge amid By Michael D. Shear fear of shortages and Catherine Porter in blazing summer NEW YORK TIMES By L.M. Sixel QUEBEC CITY — Presi- dent Donald Trump re- Consumers hoping to fused Saturday to sign a find better deals when joint seven-nation state- their electricity contracts ment negotiated during the expire are in for a shock as Group of 7 summit this retail prices have soared in weekend, saying in tweets anticipation of hot weath- from Air Force One that er, potential power short- Justin Trudeau, the prime ages and spikes in whole- minister of Canada, had sale electricity prices. made false statements and The low teaser rates for was “very dishonest and consumers available just a weak.” month ago have disap- Trump abruptly upend- peared, making it impossi- ed two days of global diplo- ble for buyers who average macy after Trudeau an- about 1,000 kilowatts a nounced broad agreements month to lock in a three- by the seven nations but month rate for less than 18 pledged to retaliate against cents a kilowatt-hour, ac- U.S. tariffs cording to PowertoChoo- on steel and Elizabeth Conley /Houston Chronicle se.org, the price compari- aluminum Attendees at a Night of Hope event raised their arms and their voices in worship during a music-filled son tool run by the Public products. show last year at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Utility Commission of Tex- “Based on as. A year ago, Texans Justin’s false Last of three parts mobile app, his social shopping for a three- statements media platforms. month contract could find at his news By Katherine Blunt Religious scholars rates that were less than 7 Trudeau conference, and church watchdogs cents a kilowattt hour and the fact OS ANGE- have long faulted Os- while earlier this spring, that Canada is charging LES — A teen for peddling what bargains were still avail- massive Tariffs to our U.S. crew of tech- they consider a simplis- able for less than a nickel a farmers, workers and com- nicians tic, feel-good version of kilowatt hour. panies, I have instructed Lworked the Gospel. But it is the “It’s harder to find a our U.S. Reps not to en- through the night to barnstorming Osteen good deal,” said Fred An- dorse the Communiqué as prepare the arena. They who evokes their deep- ders, founder of Texas we look at Tariffs on auto- emptied three tractor- est reservations. They Power Guide in Houston, a mobiles flooding the U.S. trailers packed with depict the Night of Hope website that calculates the Market!” Trump wrote as production equipment, as the epitome of hol- cost of retail electricity he flew to Singapore for a lined the venue with low, consumer-focused plans. summit with Kim Jong Un, stacks of merchandise Elizabeth Conley /Houston Chronicle Christianity aimed Prices on longer term the North Korean leader. and assembled giant Joel Osteen released his 10th book, “Blessed in above all at drawing in plans of a year or more “PM Justin Trudeau of screens to magnify Joel the Darkness,” shortly before a book signing at more donors. have also risen significant- Canada acted so meek and Osteen’s smile for the Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, Calif. “We are seeing reli- ly. Retail electricity provid- mild during our @g7 meet- nosebleed seats. It took gion commodified to an ers are reluctant to discuss ings,” Trump added in a them 10 hours to build Tables near the pop- At his home pulpit in extreme,” said Albert their prices — especially second tweet, “only to give the pulpit. corn stands were Houston’s Lakewood Mohler, president of the rising ones — but the As- anews conference after I By noon, more than stacked with other Os- Church, Osteen keeps Southern Baptist Theo- sociation of Electric Com- left saying that, ‘US Tariffs 6,000 rapturous fans teen bestsellers and solitcitations and mar- logical Seminary in panies of Texas, a trade were kind of insulting’ and had filed in to The Fo- “Night of Hope” shirts. keting at a minimum. Louisville, Ky. “The group, estimated that the he ‘will not be pushed rum in Inglewood, Cal- Program inserts adver- Appeals for donations simple gospel of Jesus Consumerscontinues on A22 around.’ Very dishonest & if. They had paid $15 tised $15 audio devo- and book promos are Christ has been trans- weak. Our Tariffs are in re- each to experience a tionals by the preach- subdued. There is no formed into a massive By the numbers sponse to his of 270% on traveling spectacle er’s wife, Victoria, $20 admission fee, and mer- business that is now ex- Estimated dairy!” called the Night of limited-edition crew chandise sales are gen- emplified by charging 20%retail rate Earlier, Trump said he Hope, 2½ hours of song necks and $39 branded erally confined to a admissions to events.” increase on one-year fixed had brought up with the and sermon designed to tote bags filled with Os- bookstore on a different To Osteen, the Night price offer over the past United States’ closest allies raise the celebrity pas- teen books, a CD and a floor. of Hope crowds testify year. the dramatic prospect of tor’s profile still higher shirt. When he hits the to the overwhelming completely eliminating tar- and bring more follow- Offering envelopes road, however, many of success of his church’s Average iffs on goods and services, ers into the fold. tempted givers with still the restraints come off. media-savvy evange- $200wholesale even as he threatened to Audience members more stuff: An Osteen- Ads for merchandise lism. He describes the price for a megawatt hour end all trade with them if settled in to their seats branded journal and his and requests for dona- events as a way to forge of electricity during peak they didn’t stop what he as a church spokesman annotated “Hope for tions are pervasive. The a connection with peo- demand so far this year. said were unfair trade touted copies of Os- Today” Bible for anyone monthly events are sat- ple outside Houston, Average whole- practices. teen’s latest book, who pledged at least $30 urated with messages the books and mer- $55sale price for a The other six leaders “Blessed in the Dark- a month to Joel Osteen promoting Osteen’s Sir- chandise as a means to megawatt hour of electric- U.S. continues on A22 ness,” for $15 each. Ministries. ius XM channel, his Osteencontinues on A13 ity last summer. Zero tolerance policy packs McAllen court with migrants Parents fearful for children separated from ed States before and sat, shack- led and terrified, with one over- them are among the hundreds prosecuted riding concern. “A ll I could think about was By Lomi Kriel » New policy allows feds to investi- my daughter,” Choc Chomo said. gate, arrest families who host chil- The Rio Grande Valley is the MCALLEN — Like hundreds dren found at the border. Page A19 epicenter of President Donald of other illegal border crossers Trump’s latest controversial im- last week, Santiago Choc Chomo migration policy, a hardline ap- piled into the downtown federal proach to curbing illegal immi- courtroom, focused not on his floor court, still wearing the gration that has met resistance misdemeanor charge but on his same jeans and hooded sweat- from even some Republicans. 10-year-old daughter. There’s a shirts from when they were ap- About 60 percent of all migrant new law, he said Border Patrol prehended days before. families and children appre- agents told him when they found Under the U.S. government’s hended at the southern border the two near the Rio Grande. new “zero tolerance” strategy of wade across the river near McAl- She’s going to a federal shelter. prosecuting every migrant en- len and since mid-May, public But they did not tell him tering illegally, many were par- defenders here said, more than where. Along with Choc Chomo, ents separated from their chil- 430 parents were parted from as many as six dozen immigrants dren after the adults were im- their children after facing prose- Lomi Kriel / Houston Chronicle at a time filled nearly all the prisoned for the alleged crime. cution. Migrants show Santiago Choc Chomo, a Guatemalan father, how wooden benches in this eighth- Most had never been in the Unit- Border continues on A12 to charge his electronic ankle monitoring bracelet.
Index Chron.com HoustonChronicle.com @HoustonChron Houston Chronicle Books...... G4 Directory ...... A2 Lottery ...... C13 Sports...... C1 Business ...... B1 Editorials.....A31 Obituaries.....F4 TV...... G13 Houston’s Source for Breaking News Go to Chron.com throughout the day for the latest Crossword ..G13 Horoscope..G12 Outlook ...... A29 Weather ...... B8 stories, and videos from Houston’s No. 1 news site. HH Houston Chronicle |HoustonChronicle.com and chron.com | Sunday, June 10,2018 | A13 THE PREACHER’S SON Osteen knew ‘this is bigger than I realized’ in 2004
Osteen from page A1 key had fallen into a deep well. To put the donkey out of its maintain that bond. misery, the farmer began to fill “Every city we go, the arena the hole. The donkey shook off is filled up,” Osteen said. “The each shovelful of dirt, which thing I’m most proud of is the settled beneath its feet. Gradu- lives I’ve been able to touch.” ally, the dirt filled the well The exposure inevitably re- shaft, and the donkey walked dounds to his personal benefit free. as well as the church’s. His Jacob repeated that story to publisher often organizes book herself as her family suffered signings to coincide with Night one hardship after another. She of Hope shows. Though the thought of herself as the don- events aren’t marketed jointly, key, shaking off each shovelful one drums up excitement for of dirt. the other, and Osteen followers At last, she walked free. often attend both. Three years ago, she used Osteen also uses the Night of $5,000 in savings to go into Hope to draw attention to char- business as a mortgage broker. itable causes. Her business, located in a Lately, he and his wife have small Glendale, Calif., office appealed to arena audiences to lined with Osteen’s books, has support World Vision, a non- tripled in size since then. She profit that finds financial spon- donated $5,000 to Lakewood’s sors for children in developing Hurricane Harvey relief fund, countries. The couple sponsors the same amount she had in- four children through the orga- vested to start her company. nization, and after each show, “I owe everything to Joel,” Osteen shakes the hand of ev- she said. eryone who commits to spon- Just before noon, he ap- sor a child. Elizabeth Conley /Houston Chronicle peared at Vroman’s to find Ja- Osteen said he first realized Joel Osteen keeps a tissue in his pocket for those moments onstage when the spotlights catch his cob and about 100 others wait- the immense potential of the tears, as was the case when he was talking about his brother during a Night of Hope event. ing. Many had bought multiple Night of Hope events when the copies of his new book, at $26 church held the first one in At- each. lanta in 2004. The 21,000-seat Osteen, wearing dark jeans, Philips Arena overflowed with a gray button-down and a mut- fans. ed plaid blazer, worked his way “That’s when it really hit up the line, pausing to shake me,” he said. “When I pulled each person’s hand before tak- up to the arena that night, I ing his place at the signing ta- thought, ‘Wow, this is bigger ble. than I realized.’ ” When her turn came to ap- Since then, Lakewood has proach the table, Jacob im- staged more than 180 Night of plored him to continue preach- Hope shows in 83 cities, includ- ing. He smiled as he signed her ing some abroad. Osteen has four copies of “Blessed in the sold out Madison Square Gar- Darkness,” as well as the Bible den seven times. she had brought from home. BBB BBB The shows are loss leaders. Saturday’s Night of Hope Ticket proceeds rarely cover matinee at The Forum had the the cost of renting an arena, trappings of a modern-day tent paying Ticketmaster fees and revival. Fans raised their arms transporting truckloads of in worship. They echoed equipment and dozens of crew “A men.” Almost everyone members. sang. In the fiscal year ending Osteen told the audience of March 31, 2017, Lakewood spent more than 6,000 that their nearly $6.7 million on Night of dreams were not dead, just Hope, according to the church’s asleep. Victoria encouraged financial statement for the year. them to stir up the goodness Ticket sales brought in less deep inside them, like choco- than $1.8 million. Tables displaying Joel Osteen merchandise line the outside of The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. late settled at the bottom of a The difference was paid Ticket prices don’t come close to covering Lakewood Church’s cost for putting on the events. glass of milk. from the church’s budget, near- Backstage, the church’s so- ly 93 percent of which came cial media manager sat in the from individual donations their followers for funding. God cleared a path main family-run. shadow of the curtain, trying to gathered online, by mail or in “Big churches of that kind, “It’s been family since my hide the glow of her computer collection buckets. In other they really look like large cor- to his destiny, he dad, and I’ve felt good keeping screen as she saved snippets of words, Osteen’s followers pay porations,” said Carl Trueman, it like it is,” he said. Osteen’s sermon for Lake- to send him and his supporting a pastor and professor of tells the audience wood’s Twitter and Facebook cast on the road in pursuit of church history at the Westmin- BBB accounts. still more followers. ster Theological Seminary in — just as He will The Osteens spotlighted lo- He and his wife don’t take Pennsylvania. “A re they really Ninet Jacob arrived at Vro- cal pastors and closed with an that backing for granted. using that money for the bene- for them. man’s bookstore in Pasadena, altar call that moved hundreds When he returned from a fit of the people in the church Calif., at 7:30 a.m. so she would of people to stand for a born- Night of Hope event in Albany, and in the community?” be first in line when Osteen ar- again blessing. N.Y. , in April, he told the Hous- Unlike other tax-exempt rived to sign copies of his 10th They had just a few hours ton congregation how pleased nonprofits, churches are not ing tax-exempt status. book, “Blessed in the Dark- before the evening show. Os- he’d been to fill an arena in a required to file annual disclo- Some churches have sought ness.” It was the last Friday in teen retreated to his dressing city with relatively few church- sures of revenue, expenditures to earn public trust by joining October — the day before the room to recharge, a silent peri- es per capita. Victoria thanked and executive compensation the Evangelical Council for Fi- Night of Hope at The Forum — od that could not be interrupt- the audience for the financial with the Internal Revenue Ser- nancial Accountability, found- and she had 4½ hours to wait. ed. support that enabled Lake- vice. ed in 1979 by Billy Graham and In 2004, the year Osteen re- He emerged for the second wood to spread its message Calls for transparency others. Members commit to ap- leased his first book, “Your show looking as fresh as be- there. picked up in the 1980s, when a point independent boards and Best Life Now,” Jacob was at the fore. This time, there were At every show, Osteen tells string of famous televangelists release financial statements, end of her rope — so desperate, more than10,000 people. He re- the story of Lakewood’s re- fell from grace. Jim Bakker among other requirements. she said, that she contemplated peated the same jokes and sto- markable growth since his par- served prison time for funding Lakewood has taken steps to suicide. Her husband had ries, gesticulating exactly as he ents founded the church in an a lavish lifestyle with millions separate its nonprofit opera- opened a Subway restaurant, had hours earlier. abandoned feed store in 1959. of dollars in donations. Sexual tions from Osteen’s personal but the numbers hadn’t Osteen urged the audience to He recounts his own modest trysts toppled Jimmy Swag- fortune, and it has never been worked. They lost the business strive for an A instead of set- beginnings working in the gart’s ministry. Oral Roberts publicly accused of misappro- and had to sell their house. tling for a C in their jobs, rela- wings as a cameraman and warned viewers that he’d die if priating funds. “It was the lowest point in tionships and aspirations. producer for his father’s televi- a multi-million-dollar fund- Its financial operations, my life,” she said. Giving in to an addiction? sion ministry. raiser fell short (it didn’t and he however, are mostly shielded A chance visit by two door- “That’s a C!” Osteen said, God cleared a path to his des- didn’t). from view. The church is ineli- knocking Jehovah’s Witnesses pointing a finger high above his tiny, he tells the audience — just The new millennium gible to join the Evangelical prompted her to connect more head for emphasis. as He will for them. brought a fresh spate of scan- Council because its board is deeply with her faith. Doubting your ability to get He keeps a tissue in his pock- dals, and renewed scrutiny. controlled by Osteen, his wife Born an Orthodox Christian in shape or overcome an ill- et for when the spotlights catch In 2007, Sen. Chuck Grass- Victoria and his sister Lisa. Un- in a God-fearing Iranian ness? Also a C. his tears. In the darkened rows ley, R-Iowa, launched a three- like many council members, household, Jacob spent most of Staying with that guy, even of seats, fans dab at their eyes. year inquiry into some of the Lakewood does not routinely her life believing He doled out though he treats you poorly? country’s wealthiest televange- make its financial statements nothing but punishment. That “That’s an F!” Osteen ex- BBB lists. He investigated Joyce public or post them on its web- changed when she saw Osteen claimed, drawing laughter Meyer for a pricey furniture site. (It did provide the Chron- on TV, preaching about God’s from the depths of the arena. Despite a long decline in purchase, Creflo Dollar for al- icle with a portion of its most love and generosity. Jacob took it all in from a seat American religiosity, the na- legedly spending church funds recent financial statement up- She began watching his ser- at the end of the eighth row. tion’s megachurches have con- on two Rolls Royces, and Ken- on request.) mons every weekend. Soon, With a cross around her neck tinued to expand under the neth Copeland for his use of a Osteen said he’s comfortable she purchased his books and and her hands in her lap, she leadership of charismatic pas- $20 million jet. The effort end- releasing some details of the set her car radio to his Sirius wore a smile that mirrored his. tors like Osteen — television ed without determining wheth- church’s finances but sees no XM channel. personalities, bestselling au- er the preachers had run afoul need to go further. He added She once heard him tell a sto- [email protected] thors and radio hosts who tap of IRS standards for maintain- that Lakewood’s board will re- ry about a farmer whose don- twitter.com/katherineblunt
How this was reported: About the reporter This series explores the origins and In researching this series, Chronicle staff writer Katherine Blunt came to the spectacular growth of Houston’s Lakewood Katherine Blunt conducted two extended interviews Chronicle in August 2016 as a Church under pastor Joel Osteen. with pastor Joel Osteen and numerous interviews business reporter covering the Part 1: Osteen has built a media empire on a with members of his family. She also spoke to retail industry. She has since simple message devoid of sharp edges or current and former Lakewood staffers and joined the energy team, writing ambiguities: Don’t dwell on the past. Think consultants and Lakewood followers in Houston about refining and petrochemicals positive. Be a victor, not a victim. and elsewhere, as well as church watchdogs, during a surge in Texas oil and gas religious scholars and publishing industry experts. production. She previously Part 2: Osteen found his niche working behind She obtained and reviewed the church’s audited covered transportation at the San Antonio the scenes, editing his father’s sermons for financial statements for the 2016-17 fiscal year and, Express-News, where she investigated the television. Then he was called to deliver a for comparison purposes, the 2003-04 fiscal year. bankruptcy of the state’s first public-private toll sermon of his own. No one knew what to expect. In addition, she attended a Night of Hope event in road in a story that won first place in business Today, Part 3: Preaching from his Houston Los Angeles and numerous local services, read reporting from the Texas Associated Press Managing pulpit, Osteen keeps money matters at arm’s most of Osteen’s books and watched or read Editors in 2016 and an EPPY Award for length. When he takes Lakewood on the road, it’s transcripts of his sermons dating to 1999. best business reporting in 2017. a different story.