Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen's mom, Dolores 'Dodie' Osteen, dies at 91
The Lakewood Church co-founder died "of natural causes, peacefully at her home,' the Houston-based pastor announced in a social media post on Wednesday, July 30.
"She was the beloved matriarch of Lakewood Church, an inspiration to millions of people around the world, and a faithful servant of God," Osteen, also a Christian author, wrote in the X post. "Known as 'Mama Dodie' to the entire Lakewood family, together, we celebrate her amazing life and lasting legacy."
USA TODAY has reached out to Lakewood Church.
Who is Joel Osteen?
Joel Osteen, 52, is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church, one of the largest churches in the U.S.
The evangelist took over the church after his father and the church's founder, John Osteen, died in 1999. From there, the church skyrocketed in attendance from about 5,000 people per week to as of recently nearly 45,000 weekly attendees.
His wife, Victoria Osteen, serves as co-pastor.
It is with a heavy heart that Victoria and I, along with our family, announce the passing of our cherished mother and grandmother, Dolores 'Dodie' Osteen. She was the beloved matriarch of Lakewood Church, an inspiration to millions of people around the world, and a faithful… pic.twitter.com/eZmImxzPaI
'His faith became sight': Megachurch pastor John MacArthur dead
Church leaders across the world react to 'Dodie' Osteen's death
Commenting on the post, Brian Houston, founding Pentecostal pastor of Hillsong Church in Australia, wrote, "Sad for us to hear but glorious for her. Your mom Miss Dodie was a giant in the faith."
"What a legacy she left. Beautiful woman of God in every way," non-denominational greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area-based 7 Hills Church Pastor Marcus Mecum also commented on X.
Baton Rouge Bethany Church Pastor Jonathan Stockstill wrote, "What a woman of faith. All our love to you, Joel, and the whole Osteen family. We are grieving her absence and yet celebrating the beautiful legacy she leaves behind.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealun
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
This Chain Was Just Named Best Fast Food Restaurant In The U.S—And It's Not Chick-fil-A
Hold on to your chicken biscuits! Hold on to your chicken biscuits, but Chick-fil-A has once again been dethroned as the top fast food chain. For years, the Georgia-based Chick-fil-A topped the annual USA Today Readers' Choice Awards for best fast food restaurant in the United States. In 2024, the Southern chicken chain dropped from the top spot, and this year it once again fell to the mighty Del Taco. According to a new reader survey from USA Today, Del Taco is the most popular fast food chain in the country. While we love Chick-fil-A around here, this isn't a huge surprise. Del Taco consistently has great food, fresh guac, good prices, and a little something for everyone on their menu. In fact, fans specifically mentioned appreciating the chain's diverse menu, which offers tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos, as well as burgers and fries. Making sure everyone can find something they want to eat, Del Taco also offers full breakfast menu, packed with breakfast burritos and donut bites, as well as a dedicated menu for anyone on a vegan or vegetarian diet. The restaurant also was also the reader's choice winner for the best fast-food fries and was runner-up for best fast-food breakfast. There's clearly a lot to love about the chain. Luckily there are locations all over the South for anyone wanting to try their crispy chicken tacos, stacked cheeseburgers, queso loaded nachos, or epic carne asada steak cali bacon burrito. Turns out readers like having diverse menu choices, because Jack in the Box came in at number two on the list, with readers touting not only the chain's burgers, but also it's tacos. A&W sits at number three thanks to its burgers, but also the choices of chicken tenders and cheese curds. Diners also appreciate the chain's expansive dessert menu from shakes to hot caramel fudge sundaes, and of course, root beer floats made with A&W's trademark root beer. Chick-fil-A is at the number four spot on the list, continuing its reign as one of the top fast food spots in the country thanks to its chicken, lemonade, and fries. Other Southern favorites in the top ten, include KFC at number 6, Raising Cane's at 8, and Zaxby's coming in 9th place. Check out the full rankings over at USA Today. Did they get it right?Read the original article on Southern Living Solve the daily Crossword
American Military News
7 hours ago
- American Military News
Pics: 1,600-year-old Christian church warning uncovered
Archaeologists recently uncovered a mysterious 1,600-year-old warning inscribed at the entrance of an ancient Christian church in Olympus, an abandoned city located in Turkey. According to Fox News, Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency in Turkey, confirmed that the discovery was made during a recent excavation at Olympus, which is located in the country's Antalya province. The outlet noted that while continued excavations have taken place in Olympus since 2006, a recent excavation operation resulted in archaeologists discovering multiple mosaic floors in the abandoned city. Excavator Gokcen Kurtulus Oztaskin, a professor at Pamukkale University, told Anadolu Agency that Olympus 'continues to surprise' archaeologists. 'We discovered beautifully decorated mosaic floors in both the main hall and annex of the church,' Oztaskin stated. 'Most notably, a mosaic inscription was found directly in front of the entrance, with the phrase: 'Only those on the right path may enter.'' READ MORE: 1,600-year-old settlement discovered with Roman military artifacts The excavator and professor added that archaeologists discovered 'richly decorated mosaic floors' at the Olympus excavation in 2017, 2022, and 2023 before uncovering and restoring the 'floor mosaics of Church No. 1.' Pictures of the recent archaeological discovery have been shared on X, formerly Twitter. 🇹🇷 'ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS MAY ENTER': 1,600-YEAR-OLD CHRISTIAN WARNING UNEARTHED IN TURKEY In the ruins of ancient Olympos, archaeologists just uncovered a fifth-century church with a chilling message carved at its entrance: 'Only those on the righteous path may enter here.'… — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 4, 2025 According to Fox News, the mosaics recently discovered by archaeologists also featured the names of various benefactors as well as vegetable motifs. Fox News reported that the warning inscribed on the mosaic found at the entrance to the church in Olympus has not been seen since the city was abandoned by the 12th century. Fox News reported that Olympus features Roman, Byzantine, and Hellenistic architecture, as the city was inhabited for several centuries before it was abandoned by the 12th century. The outlet noted that notable discoveries at Olympus have included the Lycian Marcus Aurelius Archepolis Monumental Tomb, the Bishop's Palace, and the Antimakhos sarcophagus. Other archaeological discoveries at Olympus have included a bridge, a city entrance complex, and multiple church buildings. Looking toward future archaeological excavations at Olympus, Oztaskin said, 'At the end of last season, we identified ashlar masonry walls that suggest the presence of a monumental temple. Based on its layout and construction technique, this area will be a major focus of our 2025 excavation program.'
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Watch: Passengers walk off plane after emergency landing on highway
A small plane made an emergency landing on a highway in Florida, causing traffic delays. Video footage from the incident shows two people climbing out of the plane after it came to a stop July 30 on the highway in Kissimmee, about 20 miles south of Orlando. While the video did not capture it, Osceola County Sheriff's Office said the small Cessna plane struck a vehicle as it landed. No injuries were reported, the agency said. Authorities said more details will be provided as the investigation continues, but an update on the incident was not available Aug. 4. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for more information. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a press statement that the Cessna 172 with two on board landed near the South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando around 11:30 a.m., adding the agency will investigate the incident. Watch video of plane making emergency landing on highway Another small plane crashes in a residential area in Florida The incident comes just two days after another small plane, an Orlican M8, crashed in a residential area of Lake Worth, Florida, around 4:45 p.m. local time July 28, according to the FAA. Two people were on board the flight, the agency said, adding it will investigate. Lake Worth is about 160 miles south of Kissimmee. While the cause of the crash is unknown at this time, preliminary investigation indicates the aircraft "clipped a palm tree at 3820 Lake Osborne Drive before striking a moving vehicle on Lake Osborne Drive," the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said in a news release, adding the plane "ultimately came to rest within the park." According to the police report, the plane began experiencing issues shortly after taking off and began to fall. As it fell, it struck a tree before falling further and striking a car. The plane then struck the ground and damaged the park fencing, coming to a final rest just off the roadway, covering the sidewalk and parking area. The pilot and one passenger were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. One adult and four children were in the vehicle struck by the plane, authorities said, and all five occupants were "transported to a local hospital as a precaution." Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
