The Houston megachurch of televangelist Joel Osteen was mocked by social media users for not offering enough aid as Hurricane Beryl pummeled the city.
The megachurch leader was criticized by a barrage of X users who have not forgotten his church’s slow response in offering shelter to victims of Hurricane Harvey, which rampaged the area in 2017.
Osteen’s Lakewood Church used to be the arena for the Houston Rockets and can hold nearly 17,000 people, meaning it could serve as an air-conditioned safe haven for many impacted by the storm.
“We are praying for everyone on the Gulf Coast. Lakewood is working with the Office of Emergency Management, and are standing by to help those impacted by the storm. Please stay safe!” the Texas church tweeted at 11.30pm Sunday. The Category 1 hurricane made landfall hours later, early on Monday.
Social media users posted memes suggesting the megachurch leader was scrambling to shut and lock up doors – making reference to the church’s 2017 response when discussing the most recent storm. There were also altered photos of Osteen, whose net worth is believed to soar into the tens of millions, next to his sprawling property saying he had no room to shelter anyone.
