Pastor John Gray caused Lakewood Church senior pastor Joel Osteen to break down in tears upon telling him about his desire to leave his role at the Houston, Texas, megachurch for a new opportunity, according to a video published online.
Gray, the first Black pastor to join the leadership staff at Lakewood Church, also became emotional as he broke the news to Osteen, as seen in the video excerpt of an episode of his reality show, "The Book of John," aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
Osteen, who is known to occasionally get emotional when he preaches, soon composed himself, however, and offered his blessings to Gray.
Gray officially took over pastors Ron and Hope Carpenter's Redemption Church in Greenville, South Carolina, on May 6.
Being the first African-American pastor on staff at Lakewood, Pastor John continues, is a “high honor.” He currently leads the Wednesday night service, which has grown dramatically since he started preaching, going from about 2,500 people to 9,000 in attendance each week.
“It’s about 9,000 ― on a Wednesday, in Houston, in traffic, Oprah. You can’t even stay saved in the traffic in Houston. You have to come to church after all the cussing you do on the highways,” Pastor John jokes.
On a serious note, Pastor John says he’s grateful to be able to reach such a large congregation. “I believe it’s because they know my heart is pure and I’m authentic in what I share,” he says. “I believe what I speak.”
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