Dolores “Dodie” Osteen, co-founder of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, and mother of well-known pastor and broadcaster Joel Osteen, has died peacefully at the age of 91.
In a statement shared on social media on July 30, Joel Osteen said his mother passed away of natural causes at home.
“She was the beloved matriarch of Lakewood Church, an inspiration to millions of people around the world, and a faithful servant of God,” he wrote. “Known as ‘Mama Dodie’ to the entire Lakewood family, together we celebrate her amazing life and lasting legacy.”
Dodie and her late husband, Pastor John Osteen, founded Lakewood Church in 1959. What began as a small congregation in a converted feed store grew to become one of the largest churches in the United States. The couple also hosted a popular weekly television broadcast, sharing the gospel with audiences around the world.
Following her husband’s death in 1999, their son Joel stepped into senior leadership. Dodie remained a vital presence in the life of the church, continuing to minister, write, and pray with members well into her nineties.
After being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in 1981, she experienced what she described as a miraculous recovery, which she later recounted in her widely read book Healed of Cancer.
On Monday, Joel posted on X, saying that Dodie taught him to "hold on to the promises God put in your heart" and to "keep believing even when people try to talk you out of it."
Many prominent Christian leaders have been paying tribute to Dodie on social media.
"I am truly without words. She made my family, my wife, in fact all of us who have lost our own mothers feel as though she stepped in as a sacred surrogate," Bishop T.D. Jakes wrote on Instagram. "She was nothing short of an angel among us—moving through life with a rare and radiant grace, marked by class, dignity, and a humility that made her all the more majestic."
Hillsong founder Brian Houston replied to Joel's post, saying: "Sad for us to hear but glorious for her. Your mom Miss Dodie was a giant in the faith."
Lakewood Church will hold a public memorial service in celebration of her life and ministry. Full details are expected to be announced in the coming days.
