Joel Osteen’s mom, matriarch of Lakewood Church, dies at 91

Dolores Osteen, mother of megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, died at her home of natural causes, her son said on Wednesday. She was 91. Better known as Dodie, Osteen co-founded the Houston-area Lakewood Church in 1959 with her husband, John, who preceeded her in death. The two also hosted a weekly televangelism program, according to the church’s website. She was known as Lakewood’s matriarch, Joel Osteen said. Dodie Osteen was also known for a book she wrote in 1986, Healed of Cancer, chronicling her sudden recovery from metastatic liver cancer, according to the church’s website.

Her husband died in 1999, leading Joel Osteen to become the senior pastor of Lakewood Church. He expanded the church’s television programs and became well known for teaching that the gospel includes promises of healing and financial success. Osteen’s broadcasts now reach about 200 million households in the United States, as well as a widespread international audience, according to the church’s website. The nondenominational church has about 45,000 weekly attendees, according to Outreach100.

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