After public pressure Joel Osteen has seen the light, and will now open his spacious 16,800-seat megachurch to hurricane refugees.

Osteen’s megachurch, Lakewood Church, is located near downtown Houston, and would make an ideal refugee center from those trying to escape the flooding. However, the 16,800 seat megachurch was closed during and immediately after Hurricane Harvey, leaving many perplexed as to why the church was not reaching out to help shelter those in need during the crisis.

A statement on the Lakewood Church website read:

Due to the weather impact of Hurricane Harvey and concern for the safety of our members, all Lakewood Church worship services for this weekend, Saturday, August 26th and Sunday, August 27th have been cancelled.

However, after public pressure via social media was applied to Osteen and his big business ministry, the prosperity gospel televangelist has apparently had a change of heart, and will now open the church up to Hurricane Harvey refugees.

Crooks and Liars reports that Osteen’s megachurch is now preparing to open the doors to people seeking refuge from the storm:

Houston megachurch pastor and “prosperity gospel” purveyor Joel Osteen wants everyone to know he is praying for Hurricane Harvey’s victims. But until he was shamed online, he had no plans to actually open the church doors and welcome the needy in. Now, that has changed.

KFVS12 reports that church spokesperson Donald Iloff told the Houston Chronicle “the church has never been closed and staff was instructed to help anyone who came asking for it.”

According to the Houston Chronicle, Iloff said:

The church will be open Tuesday at noon to collect baby food, baby formula, baby diapers, and adult diapers on behalf of the city. Lakewood was in communication with the city today and said it would shelter Harvey victims once other shelters are full.

Bottom line: After being shamed on social media, Osteen’s Lakewood Church will now begin to assist the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Better late than never.