Joel Osteen on Collaborating with 'Very Genuine' Kanye West: 'We Just Struck Up a Friendship'
Joel Osteen is singing Kanye West‘s praises.
The celebrity televangelist opened up about his friendship with the Jesus Is King rapper, 42, during a recent interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.
Osteen, 56, said West texted him last year to chat about their faith.
“We just struck up a conversation and friendship,” he told Roberts.
The rapper stopped by Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas last month before performing a surprise concert at the nearby Harris County jail.
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“It just felt right to me because … I’m a believer in people and I found him to be very genuine and just a fantastic person,” Osteen said.
During his visit, West spoke at length about his spiritual journey.
“When I was in my lowest points, God was there with me and sending me visions and inspiring me, and I remember sitting in the hospital at UCLA after having a mental breakdown and there’s documentation of me drawing a church and [wanting to] start a church in the middle of Calabasas,” he told the crowd, referring to his 2016 hospitalization during his Saint Pablo tour.
Osteen’s megachurch welcomes as many as 50,000 people per week, according to a 2018 article in the Houston Chronicle — a figure that doesn’t include the estimated 10 million people tuning in on live streams at home.
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A source close to the rapper told PEOPLE shortly after the album’s release that West and Osteen “messaged a lot” and had “deep conversations.”
“He asked me for advice because this world is new to him,” he told Roberts. “So I just share with him to keep God in first place and keep listening to his heart.”
“He wants to learn how other churches do things,” the source added. “He wants to spend time with other Christian leaders. He’s open for tips and guidance. This is all very important to Ye.”
West released his gospel-inspired ninth solo album and accompanying film Jesus Is King in October after months of being more outspoken about his faith. The album includes spiritual-themed titles such as “God Is,” “Follow God,” “On God,” “Use the Gospel,” “Jesus Is Lord” and “Selah.”
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Next, the rapper is expected to join Osteen on his America’s Night of Hope tour stop at New York City’s Yankee Stadium on May 2, 2020.
“I believe when you have favor God brings the right people to you,” Osteen said. “I never dreamed in a million years Kanye and I would be at Lakewood together, but here we are … you never know what God could do.”
