Hello World,
Whew. I really don’t know what to say, but plenty of folk on Twitter said a lot. First the official news and then the Twitter reactions…
“Want to Know How Much Money Joel Osteen’s Megachurch Received?” by Shelby Stewart of Houston Chronicle
Lakewood Church received a $4.4 million Paycheck Protection Plan loan during the coronavirus pandemic, according to federal data. The loan was disbursed in July of this year.
U.S. Small Business Administration data, which was released at the beginning of December, showed that Lakewood Church’s PPP loan was created by Bank of America. The megachurch’s hefty loan was the third-largest PPP loan approved for a Houston-area entity during all of July and August, according to Chris Matthews at Houston Business Journal.
The church, like many other businesses, was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lakewood’s in-person services were halted due to the pandemic, but were able to resume in October, at 25 percent capacity. According to a statement from Lakewood spokesperson David Iloff, the church’s PPP loan was used to provide support for the church’s employees. Read the rest HERE.
Joel Osteen, a republican pastor, received $4.4 million in PPP loans for his church. Joel’s sermons don’t require masks. He preaches against socialism, yet takes a massive handout from the govt. Joel also drives a Ferrari. I think churches need to start paying taxes. Don’t you?
— Broke Boy (@thebr0keb0i) December 15, 2020
There’s a simple reason why Joel Osteen’s church received $4.4M in PPP money while small businesses all across America were left to go under.
It’s the same reason our President paid a mere $750 in taxes.
Our system is flawed. #TaxTheRich #TaxTheChurches
— Heather Gardner (@heathergtv) December 15, 2020
I think God gives everyone, especially those with power and influence like politicians, megachurch preachers, and celebrities, enough rope for them to hang themselves. God be like Celie at the end of Color Purple, “Til you do right by me…” Let the church say Amen! #JoelOsteen pic.twitter.com/hNLi6YOuEH
— Shawn DeRay (@DeRay_Shawn) December 15, 2020
Any thoughts?