Paul Osteen

Paul Kent Osteen (born November 16, 1955) is an American vascular surgeon and medical missionary. Osteen practices both as a volunteer surgeon in remote parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and as an advocate for humanitarian action by US physicians to under-served and desperate areas specifically in Africa.[1][2] He is the older brother of Pastor Joel Osteen.[3]

Paul Osteen
Osteen with a patient in a remote Kenyan hospital.
Personal life
Born
Paul Kent Osteen

(1955-11-16) November 16, 1955 (age 69)
Houston, Texas
Alma materOral Roberts University (BS, MD)
RelativesJoel Osteen (brother)
John Osteen (father)
Religious life
ReligionChristianity
Senior posting
PostAssociate Pastor (Lakewood Church)

Early life

Osteen was born in Houston, Texas, and is one of six children of John Osteen and Dolores ("Dodie") Pilgrim, founders of Lakewood Church. He has five siblings including his younger brother, current pastor Joel Osteen. After high school, Osteen attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and graduated in the first medical school class in 1982.[4]

Career

Private practice

Soon after finishing his surgical residency in Arkansas, Osteen joined a private practice in Little Rock. Osteen stayed at the practice for 20 years before transitioning back to his home in Houston to help his brother Joel take over as pastor of Lakewood. After a medical mission trip in 2005, Osteen felt compelled to use his trained surgery skills to help others who lack access to medical care.[5]

Humanitarian work

Osteen ended his private career in 2005, instead choosing to address the lack of basic surgical care for those in Sub-Saharan Africa.[6] Partnering alongside Christian aid-organizations like Samaritan's Purse and World Vision, Osteen travels to rural parts of Zambia and Kenya to provide surgical care, deliver medical equipment, and train new doctors for communities otherwise isolated from healthcare.[7]

In an interview about the role of the church in the fight against medical poverty, Osteen says:

“We, as the American church, can’t get so insulated that we forget poor, suffering people,” Paul says. “If we in the church become so religious we look the other way, it’s a sad thing.” [8]

Osteen also serves on teams that respond to immediate disasters, like the Iraq refugee crisis, and often travels to areas suffering immediately after catastrophic events transpire.[9]

Advocacy

Osteen founded a medical conference for missionary work, called the M3 Conference, in 2016. The goal of the conference is to connect medical workers with organizations working to relieve poverty in least developed countries.[10]

Personal life

Osteen married Jennifer Osteen in 1994 and they have four children.[11]

References

  1. ^ Peyton, Lindsay (2019-02-14). "Dr. Paul Osteen is on a mission with medical conference". HoustonChronicle.com. Retrieved 2019-12-23.
  2. ^ Ministries, Joyce Meyer. "About Us: Board of Directors | Dr Paul Osteen". Joyce Meyer Ministries. Retrieved 2019-12-23.
  3. ^ "Paul Osteen". CBN.com - The Christian Broadcasting Network. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2019-12-23.
  4. ^ "Dr. Paul Osteen's latest operation: 'Elevate the poor out of poverty'". World Vision. 2014-04-23. Retrieved 2019-12-23.
  5. ^ Sinitiere, Phillip Luke (2015-11-13). Salvation with a Smile: Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, and American Christianity. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-0814-9.
  6. ^ "Paul Osteen hopes to mobilize medical community to meet 'overwhelming' global needs". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  7. ^ Lawson, Melanie (2016-02-09). "Paul Osteen: How letting go led him to his true calling". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  8. ^ "Dr. Paul Osteen's latest operation: 'Elevate the poor out of poverty'". World Vision. 2014-04-23. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  9. ^ BCNN1. "Joel Osteen's Doctor Brother Paul Osteen Recalls Atrocities He Witnessed in Iraq & How God Worked Through Medical Missions | BCNN1 - Black Christian News Network". Retrieved 2020-06-09. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Peyton, Lindsay (2019-02-14). "Dr. Paul Osteen is on a mission with medical conference". HoustonChronicle.com. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  11. ^ "Dr. Paul Osteen to Lead Fourth Annual Global Medical Missions Conference at Lakewood - Christian Newswire". christiannewswire.com. Retrieved 2019-12-23.