Victoria Osteen
| Victoria Osteen | |
|---|---|
 Victoria Osteen speaking at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas in 2014 | |
| Born |
Victoria Iloff March 28, 1961 Huntsville, Alabama |
| Residence | Houston, Texas |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Co-Pastor, Author |
| Known for | Spouse to Joel Osteen |
| Religion | Non-denominational Christianity |
| Spouse(s) | Joel Osteen |
| Children | 2 |
Victoria Osteen (born March 28, 1961) is the co-pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, an author, the wife of Joel Osteen, and the daughter-in-law of John Osteen.
History
Victoria Osteen was born Victoria Iloff in Huntsville, Alabama. She lived near Marshall Space Flight Center where her father, Donald Iloff – a mathematician with General Electric – was a member of GE’s Saturn rocket project team led by German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. In 1963, at the age of two, Osteen moved with her family to Houston, Texas when her father took a position with the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA). She grew up in a southern suburb of Houston, near the Manned Spacecraft Center (now known as the Johnson Space Center).
Growing up, Osteen attended the Church of Christ, a relatively conservative church, where her mother, Georgine Iloff, taught Sunday school and her father served as a deacon. Osteen attended (though did not graduate from) the University of Houston where she studied psychology while working in her mother’s jewelry business. It was while working in the jewelry store that she met Joel Osteen in 1985 when he came in to buy a new watch battery.
Current activities
Osteen founded the Lakewood Church Women’s Ministry in 2003, where she currently serves as co-pastor. Her part of the service can be seen on a one-hour program broadcast on the Daystar Television Network and through a live internet feed.
Her other activities include a regular feature on Houston radio station 89.3 KSBJ. She also supports the organizations Feed the Children and The Bridge, a shelter for battered women.[1]
Book publishing
Osteen’s first book, entitled Love Your Life: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole (ISBN 978-0743296984) was published by Simon & Schuster and released for sale on October 14, 2008. It debuted at number 2 on the New York Times Bestsellers list. With 750,000 copies, the initial printing of Love Your Life was one of the largest by any US publisher in 2008.[2]
In January 2009, Osteen released children’s books published by Simon & Schuster's Little Simon imprint. Her five-year agreement with Simon & Schuster covers 13 books for children, including a Bible.
Lawsuit
Sharon Brown, a Continental Airlines flight attendant, accused Victoria Osteen of assault before a December 19, 2005 flight from Houston, Texas to Vail, Colorado. The Osteen family was escorted off the flight, and the FAA fined Victoria Osteen $3,000 for “interfering with a crew member," which Osteen contested but paid in order to put the incident behind her. The flight attendant subsequently filed a civil suit against Osteen, seeking an apology plus $405,000 in damages. A Houston jury sided with Osteen, clearing her of civil liability on August 13, 2008.[3][4][5]
References
- ↑ H magazine article Archived October 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Love Your Life: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole". Simon Says. October 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ↑ "Osteen family leaves plane after dispute - FBI agent says the pastor's wife didn't follow a flight attendant's instructions". The Houston Chronicle. December 21, 2005. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
- ↑ "Passengers Back Osteen, Say They Saw No Assault". USA Today. August 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ↑ "Osteen's Wife Cleared in Assualt (sic) Suit - Jury Calls Lawsuit Accusing Osteen of Assualt (sic) 'A Waste of Time'". ABC News. August 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-11.