Oprah Winfrey Makes Surprise Visit to Osteen's Lakewood Church (VIDEO)
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey and stage and movie producer Tyler Perry created a stir with a surprise appearance at Pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, Sunday for an 11 a.m. service.
"Awesome to have you!" said Osteen, announcing their presence and welcoming the celebrities to the church, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Winfrey was in the area to interview Osteen as part of her new series "Oprah's Next Chapter," which is set to premiere in January on her channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network or OWN.
Accordingly, the program will offer varied perspectives through conversations with real people, as well as newsmakers.
The non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch, located in Houston, Texas, and headed by Osteen, is the largest congregation in the country averaging over 40,000 attendees per week. The church was founded by Osteen’s father, John Osteen, in 1959. Upon the senior Osteen's death in 1999, his son became senior pastor.
Since taking over the leadership of the church, Osteen has seen attendance increase to five times its original size, prompting the pastor to relocate to a larger venue.
It is reported that Winfrey was invited to the home of Osteen and his wife, Victoria, where they discussed weighty issues of faith, marriage, power and ego, according to Lakewood officials.