Reluctant pastor’s son to most-viewed preacher: Shooting puts new spotlight on Joel Osteen
By BEN FINLEY
Associated Press
The pastor who leads the Houston megachurch where a shooter opened fire on Sunday is one of the most familiar faces in American religion. Joel Osteen preaches to about 45,000 people a week in a former basketball arena. The 60-year-old had never preached until the Sunday before his father died in 1999. Known for a laid-back and positive style, Osteen has been nicknamed the smiling preacher.  In the mid-2000s, Osteen was viewed by more people than any preacher in the United States. His services over the years have drawn an almost equal mix of whites, Blacks and Hispanics — a diversity not seen in most churches across the nation.
