​Joel Osteen, the celebrity pastor who runs a megachurch called Lakewood in central Houston, announced that the church is now open to people who need shelter from the devastating flooding of Tropical Storm Harvey. The announcement came days after Harvey first made landfall, and after Osteen has faced criticism for not opening Lakewood to flooding victims sooner. Here's what's going on.

Update, 8/30, 10:30 AM: Osteen spoke to the Today Show about the controversy, and defended his decision by saying that the "city didn't ask" him to open Lakeland as a shelter:

Previously:

On Saturday, Osteen Offered Prayers To Harvey's Victims

In a tweet posted Saturday afternoon, less than a day after the storm made landfall, Osteen said he and his wife were "praying for everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey."

Victoria & I are praying for everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey. Please join us as we pray for the safety of our Texas friends & family. — Joel Osteen (@JoelOsteen) August 26, 2017

On Sunday, The Church Announced That It Was Inaccessible Due To Floods

The next day, the church's official Facebook page posted that the building was inaccessible due to flooding and shared a list of shelters "beginning to open up."

On Monday, Photographs Showed That Lakewood Actually Appeared To Be High And Dry

However, photographs snapped yesterday by people who live near Lakewood showed that the area around the megachurch had remained fairly dry.

Houston's @indivisible_usa is acquainted with @JoelOsteen's Lakewood Church. They took these pics about an hour ago w/ commentary. pic.twitter.com/YTWrD9UG1z — Charles Clymer🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) August 28, 2017

@cmclymer Looking pretty passable to me from this side, stay tuned for further exploration pic.twitter.com/dlrYGeLgBj — Allie (@AlleyCat_Allie) August 28, 2017

@cmclymer Worth noting that some of their parking is underground (note flood gates) but they could still drop ppl off at the door easily pic.twitter.com/Mso4GTLuF2 — Allie (@AlleyCat_Allie) August 28, 2017

@cmclymer Feeder in front looks good as well pic.twitter.com/FXdq9Y8zyZ — Allie (@AlleyCat_Allie) August 28, 2017

People on Twitter began asking why Osteen was not opening his church to those in need.

@JoelOsteen if you were a real Christian, you'd be opening your doors to your displaced neighbors. — FAB24 (@Francesabolton) August 28, 2017

Joel Osteen, as a Pastor you have a huge obligation to show the love of Christ at this very moment.

OPEN THE DOORS. #HoustonStrong — Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) August 28, 2017

Houston's Joel Osteen has a net worth over $50m and a church that holds 16,800 but this is all he's offering. pic.twitter.com/rmhdWK6ZAO — Mark Elliott (@markmobility) August 28, 2017

Osteen Said He Would Open The Church To Victims After Other Shelters Filled Up — And Asked For Money

Feeling the heat, Osteen released a statement on Monday night saying that the church would open to those in need "once shelters have reached capacity." (The George R. Brown Convention Center, the city's largest shelter, is already over capacity.)

In response, Osteen insisted in a statement Monday evening that he and his church are "prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity." "We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need," the statement reads. It adds, "Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives."

[ABC News]

Osteen also solicited donations on his Twitter account, which was maybe not such a great look under the circumstances.

Our hearts break as we see the damage and destruction in our city. Please join us in helping Houston recover. Visit https://t.co/jXMX5VB3qS pic.twitter.com/00HtzOmeQL — Joel Osteen (@JoelOsteen) August 28, 2017

On the Lakewood website, someone on the church's staff wrote:

Over the last couple of days, as the enormity of this storm was being realized, we have been working to organize relief efforts for the Houston area with our friend Franklin Graham and the disaster relief organization that he oversees, Samaritan's Purse. Samaritan's Purse has been, since it's [sic] inception, organized to respond to situations just like Hurricane Harvey, and we are grateful to be able to partner with them to provide assistance to the Houston area.

[Lakewood Church]





Lakewood still hadn't officially opened its doors as a shelter.

Today, Osteen Bowed To Pressure And Announced That Lakewood Was Open As A Shelter

Finally, this morning, Osteen and Lakewood officially announced that they were had opened their doors to those in need.

Lakewood is receiving people who need shelter. We are also coordinating with the city as a collection site for distribution. — Lakewood Church (@lakewoodch) August 29, 2017

Victoria and I care deeply about our fellow Houstonians. Lakewood's doors are open and we are receiving anyone who needs shelter. — Joel Osteen (@JoelOsteen) August 29, 2017

The Owner Of A Furniture Store Chain Had A Better, Faster Response To The Hurricane Than Osteen Did

Meanwhile, across town, the owner of a furniture store chain announced that his store was open to anyone who needed shelter a full two days before Osteen opened Lakewood to victims.

Gallery Furniture, according to the release, is stocked with food, water and mattresses. Each store can accommodate a few hundred people comfortably. "Houstonians have a safe, dry place to take shelter at Gallery Furniture so if they can get here they are welcome," said owner Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale in the release. "We hope to give them some comfort in this incredibly difficult time."

[Houston Chronicle]





There you have it: The mattress guy had a more instinctive response to help people in the midst of a tropical storm than the pastor. What a world.