Pastor Joel Osteen, whose televised sermons are seen by more than seven million viewers weekly, has been hit with criticism after he closed his Lakewood church due to the severe floods in Texas.
Hurricane Harvey has dumped over 30 inches of rain throughout parts of southeast Texas since it made landfall Friday evening.
In the wake of this natural disaster dozens of Houston-area churches, schools and community centers have opened their doors to offer temporary shelter to survivors.
The perpetually smiling pastor told followers on Twitter on Monday to lean on their faith.
“Jesus promises us peace that passes understanding,” he wrote. “That’s peace when it doesn’t make sense.”
But Osteen’s comforting words didn’t sit well with critics, who want to know why the doors to his 16,800-seat arena at his Lakewood Church near downtown Houston are closed.
Social media users say the pastor – who has an estimated net worth north of $50 million – could help by allowing thousands to shelter in his megachurch.
The storm and ensuing flooding have left at least 300,000 people without power and roughly 30,000 displaced to temporary shelters.
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