Joel Osteen teaming up with Mariah Carey, Tyler Perry for weekend Easter celebration
UPDATE: 3 PM ET APRIL 11: Kanye West and the Sunday Service choir will no longer be making an appearance at Lakewood Church's Easter weekend service online.
Original:
Hollywood stars Mariah Carey, Kanye West and Tyler Perry will be joining Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen for an Easter Sunday digital celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Over 5 million people worldwide watched Osteen’s Lakewood Church services on Palm Sunday as numerous churches stopped holding in-person services to help stave off the spread of the new coronavirus. For Easter Sunday, Osteen hopes to draw even more people to hear the life saving message of our Savior.
The Easter service will stream Saturday at 7 p.m. Central time and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Central time. It will be available on multiple platforms as well as Facebook, YouTube, Roku, AppleTV and SiriusXM Channel 128.
“In these times of crises, this is the time for us to shine, to be a bright light, to be a voice of peace and hope for our neighbors and friends. And it’s a time for all of us to draw closer to God,” Osteen told The Christian Post.
For the order of service, Mariah Carey is expected to be the first celebrity appearance and will share a message from her home and sing a gospel song. Carey, who's best known for her countless No. 1 hits and elaborate ensembles, has long shared her faith with fans and features a gospel song on each of her records. So it’s no surprise that she’ll be lending her iconic voice to this celebration.
Joining Carey will be Kanye West and his Sunday Service choir who pre-taped four songs for the service. Osteen and West were gearing up to host a Night of Hope in New York City on May 2, but due to health concerns caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as limits set by the state of New York regarding public gatherings, the event has been postponed.
Film and television mogul Tyler Perry, who recently created the #HesGotTheWholeWorldChallenge to help raise hope and morale while the nation is on a temporary lockdown, will also be part of the Lakewood Church service by delivering a message from his home.
In addition to the music and messages from the A-list celebrities and Joel and Victoria Osteen, the service will also include Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña who will share a special prayer for Houston and the nation.
Osteen told CP he hopes people will gather with their families and tune in to the stream on Easter Sunday.
“Let’s stay connected, let’s encourage each other and help lift each other’s spirits in this time of need,” Osteen said.
The service will be streamed HERE.
