Six Hecklers Arrested After Disrupting Joel Osteen’s Sermon [Video]

On Sunday, six men were arrested by off-duty officers after disrupting the message at Lakewood Church in Texas. The protestors caused some attendees to leave the service early in lieu of the recent Charleston tragedy. The Houston-based megachurch draws crowds of about 43,000 each week to hear Pastor Joel Osteen deliver a simplistic message which usually begins with a humorous story.

As the protestors were escorted out one-by-one the church erupted in thunderous applause. Reportedly, Osteen kept his composure as he continued the sermon. At one point one of the hecklers jumped up and yelled:

Joel Osteen, you’re a liar!

The pastor paused to remind the congregants, “No weapon formed against me will prosper.” Osteen thanked them for being patient and said despite the interruption it was a good day to be alive and advised they would continue to receive what God intended for them to hear. Members, in turn, praised him for not allowing the enemy to win.

Donald Iloff, Jr., spokesman for Lakewood Church, said all of the hecklers were from The Church of Wells. This religious organization is pioneered by three former street preachers all under the age of 30. The Church of Wells has about 70 members which consist primarily of young adults and children. Prior to being escorted out of the service, each of the men had been asked to leave but refused to do so on their own.

According to the website, the Church of Wells believes most Americans who call themselves Christians are part of a “mountain of apostasy” and a “darkened generation.” The church denies all forms of entertainment or leisure activities in favor of deep loathing for sin, fasting and prayer. Many of its prayer sessions last for several hours at a time. Only after approval from one of the elders can a member receive confirmation that he or she is truly “saved.”

The six hecklers were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing. The men, Richard Trudeau, Randall Valdez, Matthew Martinez, Mark DeRouville, Kevin Fessler and Jacob Gardner attended the service Sunday morning to protest against Osteen and his teachings. They were removed from the premises by off-duty officers who were employed by Lakewood Church for added security.

One attendee, Anwar Richardson, who was visiting with relatives from Austin, tweeted the events in real-time and captured the men on video as they were escorted out of the auditorium. His first tweet stated:

Sitting in Joel Osteen’s church and it has been interrupted FOUR times by people against him. This is crazy!

According to Richardson, the beginning of the service was good, but the moment Osteen took to the podium to deliver his sermon one of the hecklers stood up and yelled out. However, it did not stop there; the interruptions kept coming.

After the sixth disruption Richardson noticed his wife was nervous and decided it was time to leave. Admittedly, the recent events in Charleston were racing through his mind. Richardson said:

All I could think of is I do not know what is going on, and just cannot wait to find out, so I have got to get out of here.

Richardson said he was not alone, others were beginning to leave as well, but many attendees remained and celebrated the departure of the hecklers. Other witnesses at the service applauded the way Osteen handled the hecklers and deemed it courageous when he kept pushing forward with his sermon.

The internationally known pastor has been a controversial topic of discussion among church goers and non-church attendees alike who do not support the “Prosperity Gospel” Osteen teaches. The pastor maintains that prosperity means having health, good relationships, money to pay bills, seeing dreams realized and possessing the ability to bless others. On Sunday, six hecklers decided to heckle him during service. All six men were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing.

by Cherese Jackson (Virginia)

Sources:

ABC13: Hecklers Escorted Out of Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church
Washington Post: Six men arrested after allegedly disrupting Joel Osteen’s sermon at Lakewood Church
Houston Press: Church of Wells Members Crash Joel Osteen’s Sunday Sermon

Photo Credits:

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia – Wikimedia Commons