Multimillionaire televangelist Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Texas netted $4.4 million in bailouts through the federal COVID-19 relief program, records show.
The Houston megachurch, the largest in the nation with 52,000 weekly congregants, received the forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan in late July, the Houston Business Journal reported on Sunday.
The loan was the third highest in the Houston-area during all of July and August, the outlet noted, citing federal data.
Lakewood’s PPP check went to 368 full- and part-time employees, its spokesman David Iloff told the Houston Business Journal.
He said in-person services that were suspended from March 15 through Oct. 18, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacted “its ability to collect substantial donations during those services.”
This is wrong. By the way Joe contact somerset county commissioners in regards to EMS services in the county. PAVFC is covering the entire county for the most . Lower Somerset has only one shift covered per 7 days with als . This is causing people in their first due to have to wait for PAVFC to respond. This happens at minimum 1-2 a day
How is it that this story and local EMS staffing are related?
Joel Olsteen’s networth is estimated around 100 mil. Why didn’t he just give the church an interest free loan? This is abuse of what the intent of the PPP Loans. They were originally for small to mid size companies to continue to pay their employees. NOT MEGA CHURCHES! I know that all Churches are hurting due to the simple fact 95% of those who actually tithe, do not tithe unless they are in church. And since Churches were on the bullseye target for closures. Everything was done virtually. Let a small to mid size church apply for the ppp loan, yes! But when a mega church who employs a pastor who’s net worth is $100mil. NOPE!