Fact Check

Did Joel and Victoria Osteen Resign from Lakewood Church?

According to an online report, the married couple had announced they were leaving to focus on a new initiative: skincare products.

Published June 7, 2023

Victoria Osteen and Joel Osteen attend the UJA-Federation of New York's 2022 Music Visionary of the Year Award luncheon on May 18, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM) (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Image Via Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Claim:
Joel Osteen and his wife, Victoria Osteen, announced in June 2023 that they would be resigning from their pastorship with Lakewood Church.

In June 2023, an online article claimed, "Joel and Victoria Osteen Announces Their Resignation from Church to Focus On New Initiative." The married couple serve as pastors at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, with Joel listed as senior pastor and Victoria as co-pastor.

But the news about them leaving the church was both false and part of a scam.

The misleading article was designed to fool readers into thinking they were reading a People magazine story. However, it was hosted on top-magazine-trending.com, not people.com.

A rumor said that Joel and Victoria Osteen were resigning from Lakewood Church to pursue a line of skincare products.This article was never published by People magazine.

Top-magazine-trending.com is a scam website that hosts articles that falsely claim famous people endorsed keto and CBD weight loss gummies, skincare products, and other similar items when, in reality, they had nothing to do with them.

The beginning of the story claimed that the Osteens were quitting their church leadership positions to promote a skincare product line called Rejuva Derm Skin:

(PEOPLE) - Victoria Osteen and Joel Osteen shocked their viewers this week when they announced they were going to resign as pastors of Lakewood Church. Their televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries. The Osteens announced they are investing $10.5 million and their time with a company called Rejuva Derm Skin. Joel and Victoria explained their decision to stop working on the TV series was largely influenced by the backlashed they received about Hurricane Harvey. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE magazine Joel and Victoria finally speaks out.

Victoria reveals they are donating all proceeds from Rejuva Derm Skin to Hurricane Harvey victims.

Again, none of this was true. Scammers were using the image and likeness of each of the Osteens without permission to promote Rejuva Derm Skin and likely other products.

For further reading, in 2017, we reported about criticism surrounding the Osteens' church in relation to Hurricane Harvey. We also published a fact check in 2012 about a similar false claim that also said Joel Osteen was resigning.

If the Osteens ever were to truly step down from their positions, dubious and potentially dangerous websites like top-magazine-trending.com would not be the first to report the story.

Sources

"Sharing Hope for Today." Joel Osteen Ministries, https://www.joelosteen.com/.

Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.

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