Victoria Osteen -- partner at the pulpit and in life. (ABC News)
Posted on 10/17/2007 11:30:28 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Victoria Osteen -- partner at the pulpit and in life. (ABC News)
Joel Osteen may be the head of the country's largest church, but he says he is first and foremost a husband and a father, and his co-pastor at work is also his partner at home.
Osteen's wife and co-pastor, Victoria Osteen, is every bit the charismatic leader her husband is.
One fall afternoon, while Joel played football with the couple's children, their home was filled with women -- cousins, sisters, mothers and in-laws.
"We love to just have people over, and I love sports, so we go out and play ball a lot, and it's just -- it's kind of how I grew up. Sundays were a big day, and we'd have our friends and family come over, and we still do it today," Joel said.
Just like in his home, Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston is known for the women in leadership positions. In addition to Victoria, Osteen's mother, Dodie, also plays a visible role.
He says the two strong women influence and teach him every day.
"From both of them -- persistence, determination -- I know I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't be half who I am today without Victoria. I mean, she has pushed me in a good sense and told me I can do things," he said of his wife.
Osteen noted that many churches still don't have women in leadership roles, but his father John was a forerunner in the field, encouraging his wife to get involved in the church.
Continuing his father's example, Osteen encouraged his wife to get involved, too.
"I said, 'Victoria, for this to really grow and to reach all the people we should, you gotta get up here and be a part.' I mean, I looked at her today and I thought, 'Man, she can preach better than me,'" he said.
Just as important as Victoria Osteen's role in the church is her role as mother. She says motherhood is a constant learning experience.
"I try to listen to my children. I try to change with my children. That's something I've really, really worked on because it's easy when they're little to move them from one place to the other. But now my son, he's gonna be 13 years old," she said.
Victoria Osteen said that on the podium she preaches, but at home, she listens
"I'm like OK, let me hear what you're saying, and let me try to understand where you're coming from. And I always teach my children to just -- to tell me what they're thinking. Tell me if you have another perspective on it 'cause I wanna hear your perspective," she said.
Her lessons from life become a mother's ministry and help form a partnership that Osteen says makes the church stronger.
"She'll reach people that I never could reach and, you know, the Scripture even talks about, two are better than one," he said.
Yeah, that passage is in 2 Hezekiah 14:28, right after, "God helps those who help themselves."
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Uxoriously oedipal? Oedipally uxorious? What a mess. Probably could just call it "Your Best Nighmare Now".
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Of course if Protestants had a celibate clergy, they might put being a pastor first rather than their family...
Welcome to Free Republic! We all know Ben Franklin said,
“That God helps those that help themselves” Victoria really can’t help it, she has her plate full. These kids need our prayers.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 is what Victoria Osteen is referring:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?”
I’m not a fan of her and her husband’s prosperity gospel but that verse does exist.
They need to renounce their false doctrines, repent and come into the Truth of Christ.
Hey , I agree. They still need prayers for that to happen.
Of course they did, and it's very unflattering. It makes her look like a spastic airhead.
I make no comment on their theology, or the practice of their ministry. Not being a Protestant (whatever), I don't really have a dog in that fight.
My point is more general: the leftist press uses pictures as a part of their bias and spin. The sort of picture they run with the article tells us more about what they want us to think of that person than the words of the article do. It's a subconscious way of preparing the reader/listener/viewer's mind to accept whatever (story|propaganda) they're peddling.
I used to be a professional photographer. I guarantee you, it's not hard to get an unflattering picture of anybody. Similarly, with a little effort, you can make almost anybody look good.
The reason I pointed it out was that this was intended to be a positive article on Victoria Osteen, on ABC's part. Now Joel's expressions are fairly consistent and natural-looking (well, except for that smile), regardless of who's doing the photographing. About half of Victoria's photos have something wierd going on with her eyes being too wide open, or her eyebrows being too arched, or her mouth twisted, or something. Her facial expressions are all over the map, at least when she's in front of the camera. Who does she think she is, Kathie Lee Gifford?
Case in point: Here's a couple of pics of her.
And I'm pretty sure this last one's been doctored, but I can't find another version that isn't:
On to the additional pictures: The first 5 don't really bother me much ... in fact, Mr. O comes off looking more plastic (to me, at least) than Mrs. O. Picture #2 is obviously posed, and they apparently haven't learned that "saying 'cheese'" is a good way to get a bad picture. So, the weird photo in the article doesn't seem to match. Which supports my point: somebody deliberately picked a bad picture.
Then, there's the last one ...
EEEK!!!!
She looks like a robot-villain from a bad scifi movie.
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