Following a backlash from many around the country, Lakewood Church in Houston has opened its doors to flood victims from Hurricane Harvey.
Hurricane Harvey dumped rain throughout Texas and flooded Houston. Lakewood Church, pastored by Joel Osteen, came under fire for not immediately opening its doors to flood victims. Osteen's church is one of the larger churches in the country, with a capacity of 16,800.
Osteen said that the former sports arena, turned chapel, did not open its doors due to flooding inside of the facility. A spokesperson from Lakewood Church told the Washington Post that the church had been open from the beginning of the flooding, but was not a designated shelter.
This afternoon, a tweet from Lakewood Church confirmed its opening for flood victims, saying, "Lakewood’s doors are open to anyone needing shelter. We are also looking for volunteers and collecting shelter supplies."
