Televangelist Preacher Joel Osteen's Mother Dead at 91 — Here's What We Know
"She was the beloved matriarch of Lakewood Church, an inspiration to millions of people around the world, and a faithful servant of God."
Updated Feb. 9 2022, 3:20 p.m. ET
At this point, pretty much everyone knows who Joel Osteen is and what he represents. He’s an American pastor based in Houston, Texas, with a televised church program that reaches approximately 10 million viewers across the United States. Joel has gained success by preaching weekly sermons and publishing a long list of best-selling books over the years.
Since he’s become so popular in his field, questions about his family life were bound to come to the surface. Joel has frequently spoken about his mother, Dodie Osteen, who died at the age of 91 in July 2025. Here's what we know about her.
Joel Osteen's mother cause of death revealed.
In a post to X dated July 30, 2025, Joel broke the news of his mother's death. "It is with a heavy heart that Victoria and I, along with our family, announce the passing of our cherished mother and grandmother, Dolores 'Dodie' Osteen," he wrote. "She was the beloved matriarch of Lakewood Church, an inspiration to millions of people around the world, and a faithful servant of God." Joel went on to say that his mother died of natural causes in their home.
Who is Joel Osteen‘s mother? Meet Dolores Osteen, aka Dodie.
Joel Osteen's mother, Dodie, was the co-founder of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. This is the hugely popular church Joel leads as the main pastor on staff. There’s a lot to unpack about Lakewood Church. It’s considered an evangelical nondenominational Christian megachurch that averages around 52,000 visitors every Sunday.
It’s considered one of the largest religious congregations in the entire United States. The official website for the church provides information about how to visit the church in person, how to watch sermons online, how to connect with volunteer teams on the premises, how to donate money, and how to get support with struggles like depression or addiction.
Dodie was majorly involved as the church’s co-founder.
Dodie Osteen was also a published author.
When Dodie wasn't working with her son in the church, she was very busy writing books. She penned several books and they all dive deep into the subject matter surrounding how she dealt with cancer. In 1981, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and at the time was told there wouldn’t be any treatment to help her case. It was liver cancer that almost ended her life when she was only 48 years old.
Her book titles include Healed of Cancer as well as Choosing Life: One Day at a Time and If My Heart Could Talk: A Story of Family, Faith, and Miracles. In her books, she got super personal and candid about what she had been through in terms of her health and so much more.
Joel spoke with CNN in 2013 about his mother's situation, saying, “She prayed, she believed, and she quoted scripture. Thirty-something years later, she’s alive." It truly sounds like a miracle that she outlived her prognosis for so long, and the books she’s written reflect that.