Look Who's Coming: the Rev. Joel Osteen

AT A GLANCE

Known for: High-wattage smile and friendly Christian message heard by 7 million people on television weekly. Lakewood Church in Houston, where he pastors, has 40,000 attendees each weekend, by far America's biggest church.

Little-known fact: Joel met his wife, Victoria, who appears with him at church, when she was working in a jewelry store.

Popularity meter: Through the roof. When we called for an interview, Joel's volunteer public relations coordinator was juggling 40 media requests. Most are denied because Joel devotes three days a week to preparing his weekly message.

Here's what Osteen, who is 42, had to say in a telephone interview with staff writer Ellen Sung before this week's visit to Raleigh.

Q - You seem like a natural public speaker. But I read that you had many chances to take the pulpit before your father died six years ago, and you always turned it down.

A - I never had the desire to get up in front of people. I'm naturally more shy and reserved. It scared me to death to think about getting up in front of the congregation. When my father died, I don't know how to explain it. I felt like I needed to take over the church for my father.

Q - You've said your goal is to have 100,000 members at Lakewood. Why is size in that sense important to you?

A - It's really not. It's just something that was in my heart. I just think that God wants us to be growing.

Q - Is it hard when you hear critics suggest that you're not scriptural enough?

A - I'm disappointed [but] I don't want to dwell on it. There's so many that want to give you input and advice. Some of the critics have been good and have been helpful. But the thing that bothers me, I guess, [is] they don't see the results that we see every week. We get thousands of letters from people that say, "Our faith is restored. You've brought me back to church."

Q - How do you feel about your nickname, the "Smiling Preacher"?

A - I like it. I didn't choose it, but it doesn't bother me. To me, I am happy. God's blessed me with a good life, and I think that God wants us to be happy. I think one reason people don't go to church is that in the past, some of them have been so dry -- no joy, no victory. I don't think that's how God wants us to live. So I like [the nickname].

Q - You're fond of saying, "We are victors and not victims." Where did that come from?

A - I don't know where that came from. I guess I liked it and I just kept saying it. So many people are beaten down and they're blaming the past. I just like to remind people, we're overcomers through Christ.

Q - Will your wife join you in Raleigh?

A - Yes, Victoria [always comes]. So do my kids. My little girl [Alexandra, 7] sings at the end. Jonathon, he's 10, I told him he's got to say something, but I don't know what he'll say. I love having my kids there. My mom will be there -- she'll be sharing a little bit about how she overcame cancer.

Q - Do you ever worry about the pressure of being so famous on your kids?

A - I just try to trust more than worry. This is all new to me; I've only been doing it for six years. There is a responsibility that comes with being known. I don't pressure them, but they love being with us. I feel like we're in this as a family.

Q - Your church is nondenominational?

A - I guess it's more like interdenominational. My dad was Southern Baptist when he founded the church. We have Baptists and Catholics and Jewish people who have never been to church. We just like to keep it open.

Q - Why do you charge for tickets?

A - We didn't charge the first three that we did ... and there were thousands and thousands of people who were turned away. We didn't know what to expect.

[At] Madison Square Garden, they would not allow us to come without tickets. So I thought, well, let's do a free ticket. And they said, well, if you do that, 50 percent of the people won't show up. So I said, let's do a $5 ticket. The ticket charge at Madison Square Garden was $7.

Long story short, believe it or not, people have thanked us for having tickets. We had people [at] 8 a.m. getting in line. I respect people's time. I think it's strictly for convenience and just to guarantee the seat.

The ticket costs never pay for the event. It always costs an average of $250,000, by the time our sound, lighting and 50 people come. Usually the arenas are not cheap. It's more significant than people realize. But we never come for the money. We come to bless people.

Q - One thing that sets you apart from other television evangelists is you don't ask for donations on-air. Why did you choose that approach?

A - It was based on the fact that people are already skeptical and cynical towards TV preachers. We never have and we never will, and I think it's so people will see we're sincere and we're just trying to help people live a better life.

Q - Do you still think of yourself as shy and reserved?

A - I really do.

DETAILS

WHEN Friday, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE RBC Center, Raleigh.

COST $10.

CONTACT 861-2323, www.rbccenter.com; Ticketmaster, 834-4000, www.ticketmaster.com