Joel Osteen’s Church Criticized For Receiving $4.4 Million In PPP Loans After Previously Denying Applying

Joel Osteen’s Church Criticized For Receiving $4.4 Million In PPP Loans After Previously Denying Applying

Joel Osteen has been in the hot seat with the public before, but the megachurch pastor is now the center of criticism for reportedly receiving $4.4 million in PPP (paycheck protection program) loans for his Lakewood church after he allegedly denied applying for federal loans.

The country is still in the midst of a pandemic and millions of Americans have been financially affected with loss of employment and businesses closing down at an alarming rate.  So when Houston, TX pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church reportedly received millions to keep his organization afloat, critics on Twitter chimed in, slamming Osteen and calling him a “grifting scumbag”.

Read some of the comments below.

With so much backlash coming his way, Joel Osteen seemingly responded to the backlash on his Twitter account saying,

Everything that happens in life–the difficulties, the delays, the things that are not fair–they’re not random.  God is giving you the opportunity to grow to come up higher.  He’s getting you prepared to handle the weight of favor, the weight of influence.

Critics of Osteen pointed out the accusations that 3 years ago, the pastor was accused of not helping fellow Houstonians use his church for shelter during Hurricane Harvey, although he claims he helped people “from the very beginning” of the disaster.

He said,

We were here for people. We were a shelter. We were taking people as soon as the floodwaters receded. 

Even still, the rumors have been hard to silence amongst the public so receiving millions in federal funds due to the COVID-19 outbreak just doesn’t sit right for many people.  Some people, though, would argue that Osteen reportedly employs more than 140 people and the amount needed to cover the employment of the church’s employees would run into the millions.

What are your thoughts on the megachurch receiving millions in PPP relief?  Share your comments below.