Megachurch pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen held "A Historic Night of Hope" on Saturday night at the new Yankee stadium in New York.
The evening of music and messages marked the first non-baseball event in the new stadium, which opened with the first exhibition game on April 3 and first regular season game on April 16. The $1.3 billion stadium seats more than 52,000 people.
"God is giving us an opportunity - to present the Good News of the Gospel at one of the most storied stadiums in all the world," said Joel Osteen, who leads the largest church in America - the 47,000-large Lakewood Church in Houston.
"[I]n the media capital of the world and at a site dedicated to champions through the ages, we are going to share a message of the Greatest Champion - Jesus Christ and the eternal hope He brings to our life," he added. "What a privilege ... what a platform ... on which to share Jesus with the world!
The event began at 7 p.m. ET, and drew tens of thousands from around the tri-state area and feature a message from the Osteens as well as music from award-winning artists Israel Houghton and Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff.
Though Osteen has been praised by many for his uplifting messages and popular bestsellers, the charismatic minister has also received much criticism for his lack of formal theological training and for preaching what critics call the "prosperity gospel," a belief that prosperity and success - particularly financial - is a sign of God's favor.
Osteen, however, insists that his theology is not "dangerous," as some say it is, and that God has used him to turn people's lives around and to give them hope.
His first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was on the New York Times bestsellers list for more than two years and has sold more than 4 million copies. His second book, Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day, was released in October of 2007 and was an instant New York Times bestseller, remaining on the list for more than seven months and selling more than 1.6 million copies.
Furthermore, according to Nielsen Media Research, Osteen is the most watched minister in the United States and reaches 95 percent of all U.S. television households.
"Joel Osteen is consistently one of the highest rated programs on TBN, and one of several that has helped TBN become America's most watched faith channel," said Bob Higley, the vice president of affiliate sales and marketing for the Trinity Broadcasting Network, which helped broadcast Saturday night's event around the globe through an exclusive partnership with the Houston pastor.
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