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You’ll never believe what a plumber found hidden in Joel Osteen’s church

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Christian megachurch minister and motivational speaker Joel Osteen has landed himself in the spotlight after a plumber reportedly discovered bags of cash hidden in the wall of his megachurch bathroom.

The report comes courtesy of NBC affiliate KPRC in Houston. A plumber in the city, identified only as “Justin” called into popular radio morning show at 100.3 The Bull to share his story.

According to Justin, he arrived at the church on November 10 to repair a loose toilet.“ There was a loose toilet in the wall, and we removed the tile,” he said. “We went to go remove the toilet, and I moved some insulation away and about 500 envelopes fell out of the wall, and I was like ‘Oh wow!’”

Justin investigated the envelopes to discover some contained cash — others had checks.

Related: Televangelist Joel Osteen Soft-Pedals His Homophobia on Piers Morgan Tonight

“I went ahead and contacted the maintenance supervisor that was there, and I turned it all in,” he added.

The discovery is significant as Lakewood Church, the megachurch overseen by Osteen, reported $600,000 stolen in 2014. Houston Police have said the case is still open, with a $25,000 reward offered in connection with the case. Justin claims he contacted both Houston Crime Stoppers and Joel Osteen about the reward. Crime Stoppers claimed that the statute of limitations has expired on the reward, while Osteen has yet to reply to Justin’s query.

A spokesperson for Lakewood Church, meanwhile, has confirmed the discovery of the money hidden in the wall. The church has not, however, confirmed that it is the missing $600,000.

“Recently, while repair work was being done at Lakewood Church, an undisclosed amount of cash and checks were found,” the church representative said. “Lakewood immediately notified the Houston Police Department and is assisting them with their investigation. Lakewood has no further comment at this time.”

If the money found in the wall is the missing $600,000, the question remains who would or could hide it there. Given the connection to Osteen, the shadiness of the situation shouldn’t be surprising. In the past, he has preached “prosperity theology,” a doctrine that claims God rewards good Christians with material wealth, which they are entitled to keep. Jesus preached poverty and charity, for the record. Last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Osteen and Lakewood Church also accepted $4.4 million in PPP loans.

In the past, Osteen has also spoken out against homosexuality, referring to it as “not God’s best.” He later elaborated saying he doesn’t “dislike anybody” and that LGBTQ people are welcome in his church, even if their lifestyle is sinful. We’re pretty sure he’d happily accept money from queer people in his collection plate, too.

Don’t be surprised if it turns up in a wall.

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