Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston was robbed of nearly $600,000 in cash and checks last weekend. The donations were collected in services Saturday and Sunday.
The theft wasn’t discovered until 8:30 a.m. Monday, when a church worker and off-duty Harris County Sheriff’s officer noticed the break-in, MyFoxHouston.com reports.
Lakewood has asked anyone who attended services last weekend to pay close attention to their accounts and immediately report any suspicious activity. The church has assured members this was not a data breach and is limited to donations made last weekend.
“We are working with the police to fully investigate the incident,” the church said in a statement. “The funds were fully insured, and we are working with our insurance company to restore the stolen funds to the church.”
Nearly 45,000 people attend services at Lakewood Church every week.
