Dr. Paul Osteen, brother of famed megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, has spoken out in defense of Lakewood Church after social media lit up with claims that the house of worship shut out Houstonians in need of reprieve from Hurricane Harvey.
READ: ‘Thank God!’: TV Reporter Saves Trapped Truck Driver’s Life on Live TV Amid Deadly Scenario
“During the period of time that people were being critical of us, the church was inaccessible,” Osteen, who works as a teaching pastor at the church, told CBN News’ Erik Rosales.
He continued, “The feeder roads around the church were absolutely inundated with water.”
Osteen shared that his own daughter was stuck on an overpass in the midst of the storm and that the conditions were so bad that he almost had to walk three miles to assist her.
“Now, the waters have receded,” he said. “Now, we’re doing everything we can to help people.”
Rosales also showed footage captured on Tuesday of locals entering the church for reprieve.
As Faithwire previously reported, Lakewood took a plethora of media heat after not remaining open as a shelter during and after the hurricane — but, the church has explained in detail what was going on behind the scenes.