ICK2HOUSTON.COM AND OUR KPRC
APP.
>> WE WANT TO GET OUT TO
LAKEWOOD CHURCH.
SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND
CHURCHES HAVE OPENED THEIR DOORS
TO HELP THE FOLKS WHO ARE
SUFFERING RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING
THE FOLKS OVER AT LAKEWOOD.
SO ANOUSHAH RASTA IS THERE FOR
US.
YOU RIGHT NOW HAVE JOEL OSTEEN,
PASTOR OSTEEN'S BROTHER?
>> Reporter: THAT IS CORRECT.
HIS NAME IS DR. PAUL OSTEEN.
WE ARE GOING TO TALK TO HIM
ABOUT SOME OF THE CONTROVERSY
SURROUNDING LAKEWOOD CHURCH ON
SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER IT WAS
TRENDING ON TWITTER YESTERDAY.
THERE WERE ACCUSATIONS ON SOCIAL
MEDIA THAT THE CHURCH WOULD NOT
OPENING DOORS TO FLOOD VICTIMS.
WE ARE HEARING THERE WAS
PROBLEMS WITH FLOODING HERE.
SOME FOLKS SAYING THERE WAS NO
FLOODING.
CAN YOU SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
AND WHAT IS THE CHURCH'S
REACTION TO THESE ACCUSATIONS?
>> WELL, FIRST OFF, IT'S
UNDERSTANDABLE IF YOU WEREN'T IN
HOUSTON THAT YOU THINK HERE A
BIG CHURCH, WE DON'T OPEN OUR
DOORS.
BUT THE FACT IS THAT SATURDAY
NIGHT AND SUNDAY, THE MAYOR
ASKED US NOT TO GET OUT IN OUR
VEHICLES.
THE FEEDERS WERE FLOODED.
ROADS ALL AROUND THE
NEIGHBORHOOD FLOODED.
IT WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO
GET TO THE CHURCH.
MY DAUGHTER WAS STRANDED ON THE
OVERPASS JUST OUTSIDE THE
CHURCH, COULDN'T EVEN GET HOME
OR TO THE CHURCH BECAUSE THE
FEEDERS WERE COMPLETELY FLOODED.
WE TOOK THE MAYOR'S ADVICE AND
THAT IS DON'T GET ON THE ROADS.
DON'T HAVE TO BE EVACUATED.
DON'T PUT YOUR LIFE IN JEOPARDY
AND WE DIDN'T WANT OUR PEOPLE
TO -- DID WANT OUR PEOPLE TO
COME AND SERVE.
WHEN THE FLOOD WATERS ABATED,
MONDAY MORNING, THINGS STARTED
GETTING BETTER, GEORGE R. BROWN
FILLED UP.
THEY CALLED AND SAID WE NEED
YOUR HELP.
WE WERE GLAD TO HELP, LIKE WE
DID IN ALLISON.
WERE GRAD TO HELP AND DO
ANYTHING WE CAN TO HELP THE
PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
A FEW MINUTES AGO, EARLIER THIS
MORNING, WE OPENED THE DOORS AND
PEOPLE FLOODED IN.
NOT ONLY PEOPLE BEING EVACUATED,
BUT WHAT'S AMAZING IS JUST HOW
MANY PEOPLE FROM HOUSTON HAVE
COME TO HELP AND SERVE AND BRING
THINGS TO HELP THEIR FELLOW
HOUSTONIANS IN NEED.
>> Reporter: WERE YOU HAVING
FLOODING PROBLEMS AT THIS
BUILDING OR NO?
IS THAT CORRECT OR NOT?
>> WE HAD POTENTIAL FLOODING
PROBLEMS HERE.
WE HAVE FLOOD GATES THAT HELD,
THANK GOD.
WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW HIGH THE
WATER WAS GOING TO GET.
SO IT WAS ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY
THAT WE COULD FLOOD HERE AND OUR
FLOOD GATES HELD.
BUT IT WAS THE STREETS OUT
FRONTS, THE FEEDERS OUT FRONT
WERE VIRTUALLY IMPASSABLE TO GET
TO THE CHURCH.
>> Reporter: OKAY.
SO THE ISSUE WAS OUTSIDE THE
AREA SURROUNDING THE CHURCH?
>> YEAH.
YOU CAN COME TAKE A PICTURE ON
MONDAY MORNING AND YOU KNOW AS
WELL AS I DO IT DOESN'T LOOK
LIKE IT DID SATURDAY NIGHT AND
SUNDAY MORNING.
WE FELT LIKE WE MADE A GOOD
DECISION TO JUST FOR PEOPLE'S
SAFETY AND OPEN OUR DOORS WHEN
WE FELT LIKE THAT PEOPLE COULD
GET HERE SAFELY.
>> Reporter: WHEN WAS THE
DECISION MADE TO OPEN THE CHURCH
AND USE IT AS A SHELTER FOR THE
VICTIMS?
>> WELL, FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING, WE BEGAN TO
STRATEGIZE HOW CAN WE HELP?
EARLY ON BECAUSE OF THE
FLOODING, INABILITY TO MOVE, WE
DECIDED WE COULDN'T OPEN AS A
SHELTER.
NOT ONLY DID WE DECIDE TO
ACTUALLY THIS MORNING WHEN THE
MAYOR AND PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF
HOUSTON CALLED AND SAID THEY
NEEDED MORE SHELTERS, WE DECIDED
TO DO THAT THIS MORNING.
BUT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN THE
LONG-TERM PLANNING STAGE OF HOW
CAN WE HELP IN THE REBUILDING OF
HOUSTON?
IF YOU REMEMBER, TROPICAL STORM
ALLISON MANY YEARS AGO, WE WERE
AT THE FOREFRONT OF HELPING IN
THAT SITUATION.
WE PLAN TO DO THE SAME THING
RIGHT HERE.
WE'LL START THAT VERY SOON SO WE
CAN GET THROUGHOUT AND START
RIPPING OUT SHEETROCK AND CARPET
AND HELPING PEOPLE RECOVER.
>> Reporter: HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO
THE PASTOR?
IS HE GOING TO BE COMING OUT TO
THE CHURCH?
WHERE IS HE RIGHT NOW?
>> JOEL IS NOT THE KIND OF GUY
TO COME OUT AND TAKE ANY CREDIT
FOR ANYTHING.
HE IS PREPARING FOR HIS MESSAGE.
HE'S SUPPORTING US, CALLING US
ALL DAY TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING
IS GOING WELL.
I THINK THE IMPLICATION HERE WAS
THIS WE DIDN'T CARE AND NOTHING
COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
ALL OF OUR HEARTS, FOR 60 YEARS
JUST ABOUT, SINCE 1959, OUR
FAMILY HAS BEEN RESPONDED TO OUR
CHURCH AND WE'VE ALWAYS
RESPONDED.
THE IMPLICATIONS WE DIDN'T CARE
WAS A LITTLE BIT HARSH.
JOEL IS PREPARING HIS MESSAGE,
READY TO COME AND SPEAK TOMORROW
NIGHT OR CERTAINLY ON THE
WEEKEND FOR HIS MESSAGE ON THE
WEEKEND.
>> Reporter: AND DOCTOR, I'M SO
SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TOO CUT YOU
OFF.
THE PRODUCER IS GIVING ME A
WRAP, WHICH MEANS THEY WANT TO
GET TO SOMETHING ELSE.
REAL QUICK BEFORE WE LET YOU GO,
FOLKS DO NEED HELP, HOW CAN THEY
GET IN TOUCH WITH THE CHURCH OR
IF THEY'D LIKE TO DONATE?
>> THEY CAN BRING ANYTHING THEY
WANT.
REALLY RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS
DONATIONS, WE ARE FULL.
WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING WE NEED.
WE'VE BEE IN CONSTANT
COMMUNICATION WITH GEORGE R.
BROWN.
THEY DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE.
YOU CAN CHECK OUR WEB SITE FOR
OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER.
WE HAD MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS COME IN.
SEVERAL DOCTORS AND NURSES CAME
TO MAN OUR MEDICAL FACILITY.
EVERYBODY IS RISING TO THE
OCCASION.
FIRST DONATIONS, NOT RIGHT NOW
WE DON'T NEED ANY DONATIONS.
IF YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER, CHECK
OUR WEB SITE.
>> Reporter: DO YOU HAVE PLENTY
OF ROOM FOR FOLKS TO COME IF
THEY NEED HELP?
>> WE HAVE MOORE ROOM.
WE DO.
THIS IS A BIG FACILITY.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON NEEDS US,
WE'RE OPEN.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
TIME.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT BACK TO
YOU AT THE STATION.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO WE SEE LAKEWOOD IS OPEN.