Lakewood Church

Lakewood Church is a large non-denominational evangelical church based in Houston, Texas, led by Joel Osteen as senior pastor. The congregation is housed in the former Compaq Center arena and is one of the largest single churches in the United States.

Large, multi-service worship gatherings and staged music-led services are the norm, with programs for children, youth and community outreach operating alongside the main services. The church runs an active media ministry that broadcasts sermons and services to a global audience.

Founded by John Osteen in 1959, the congregation grew through the late 20th century under his leadership; Joel Osteen became senior pastor after his father’s death in 1999. Lakewood acquired the former Compaq Center arena in the early 2000s and opened the building for regular services in 2005.

Located in Houston on the Southwest Freeway corridor, the church building sits a few kilometres southwest of downtown Houston and is accessible by major city roads.

• Broadcast ministry: Services are broadcast internationally on television and online, reaching a large global audience beyond the local congregation.
• Building capacity: The main facility is the converted Compaq Center arena with seating capacity of roughly 16,000-17,000, allowing large onsite congregations.

What to See #

• Main sanctuary (former arena): The former Compaq Center arena reconfigured as the church's main sanctuary, retaining large arena seating and stage facilities with capacity for around 16,000 people.
• Television and media ministry: A media production and broadcast operation that records and transmits the church's weekly services and special programming to television and online platforms.