Posted on 12/20/2005 4:08:06 PM PST by truthandlife
A dispute that involved the wife of Houston's most famous pastor, Joel Osteen, and a Continental Airlines flight attendant ended up delaying a flight for hours Monday. And now, Victoria Osteen's actions on that flight are in the spotlight. Also on ABC13.com: Send us a news tip | RSS feeds | ABC13 E-lert | Info mentioned on air Statements from Lakewood and Continental Following the incident on Continental flight 1602 Monday, both Lakewood Church and Continental Airlines released these statements. The Osteens run the largest church in the nation, so passengers on a Continental flight were shocked Monday when Mrs. Osteen was removed from that flight after a disturbance.
Taking time off from the high profile hustle and bustle of running a mega-church, Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen and his family boarded Continental flight 1602 Monday morning at Houston's big airport. They were bound for the slopes in Colorado.
Their trip was delayed and so was the entire flight by almost two hours. Fellow passengers blame the popular Osteens, specifically Joel's wife, Victoria.
According to passenger accounts, the Osteens were sitting in first class. Soon after the plane's door was closed, the FBI says Victoria Osteen was removed following what Continental would call only a disturbance. The Osteens' spokesman confirms it involved a flight attendant, but that's all. However, one passenger tells Eyewitness News she was alerted to the front of the plane when she heard a commotion.
"She violently ran towards the cockpit, scaring everyone around her," said passenger Knicky Van Slyke. "Everyone was terrified about what was going on. And a bunch of flight attendants ran up and had to restrain her. She was banging on the door."
"Of the cockpit?" we asked.
"Yes."
Passengers say Victoria was removed first. Joel and the children followed. Meantime, everyone waited.
"They unloaded all the luggage to get their luggage and deplaned her, Joel, and the kids," said passenger Dawn Dixon.
Passenger Chad Clay said, "They kept telling us they were waiting on some passengers to find their luggage underneath in the plane, and it was going to be delayed for looking for that luggage."
According to the Transportation Security Administration, federal air marshals were never involved. Local authorities also know nothing of this event. Continental would not discuss details.
The Osteens' spokesman denies a physical altercation, denies Victoria ever banged on the cockpit door, and says she left on her own.
"The account of the event which has come to our attention is inaccurate and overblown. The misunderstanding was minor and was resolved when Victoria voluntarily removed herself from the situation," read the statement.
The FBI says it was not voluntary. Though agents are not investigating, they will review the incident as the Osteens enjoy their Colorado vacation.
The Osteens' spokesman says they took another flight to Colorado Monday.
Nobody has been charged. As for the FBI's involvement, we're told it's standard procedure for them to review all passenger removal incidents. According to Continental, this one is a closed case.
Pastor Joel Osteen preaches to an average of 40,000 people a week at Lakewood Church services. Lakewood opened in the former home of the Rockets, Compaq Center, back in July. It took $90 million and a year and a half of renovations. Osteen's ministry is taped and aired around the world.
"Don't you know WHO I AM???"
I'm waiting for a popular talk show host to lose it..
But DO you know him?
Billy Graham is the most honest and down-to-earth, you ask me. I don't see him living in a mansion with an air conditioned dog house.
Myself, I prefer men like Dr. James Dobson or Dr. James Kennedy, and their examples of leadership in the Christian kingdom. Nellie Grey, with the American Life League, is another example of leadership in the Christian kingdom that I admire. Chuck Colson rings true as well. John Hagee, Dr Tony Evans, there are many others that come to mind.
Incoming mail.
I hate delayed flights.
ok, einstein...have you ever considered that the church holds 16,000 and that there may be more than one service on Sunday??? duh.
Back in the day we called it "The Summit".
Basketball and concerts were held there. (Go Ozzy! Go Blue Oyster Cult!)
Later it was called "Compaq Center".
More basketball.
The city leased it to Osteen and now it's a Mega-Church.
I was driving through Dacula about 15 years ago (right around Christmas time) when I saw a car go (literally) flying off the road. It was very surreal. For a moment the car was suspended in the tree tops (the shoulder fell off about 20 feet), then it was flipped over on the ground. I stopped, as did a number of people, and went to see if I could help the driver or passengers.
The driver had been alone and pulled himself out of the car. There was an open 12-pack of Miller Lites and some of them had busted open and started spewing all over him, the car and the ground around.
Like a maniac he was throwing the beer cans off into the woods, muttering about falling asleep.
You don't have fun like that in Dacula ever since they opened 316.
Do the names Jim and Tammy Bakker sound familiar? Sounds a lot like this Osteen duo. Does the word scam fit in here?
Is this another Tammy Faye in the making?
ROFLOL! Ain't it the truth!
I have had 4 decades+ of close-up observation of several women who were psychotic (I mean this in a layman's, not a clinical sense), and there is a deranged look in their eye that is instantly recognizable. Whenever I've seen it I've been right.
Confused? Think "Hitlery Klintoon".
I like him too. Wait and see what the disturbance was all about.
Osteen? No. Never met him.
Doing God's work for Godly sums of money.
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