Joel Osteen is singingKanye West‘s praises.
The celebrity televangelist opened up about his friendship with theJesus Is Kingrapper, 42, during a recent interview withGood 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.
“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.
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During his visit, West spoke at length about hisspiritual 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 his2016 hospitalizationduring hisSaint Pablo tour.
Osteen’s megachurch welcomes as many as 50,000 people per week, according to a 2018 article in theHouston Chronicle— a figure that doesn’t include the estimated 10 million people tuning in on live streams at home.
A source close to the rappertold PEOPLEshortly 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.”
Next, the rapper is expected to join Osteen on hisAmerica’s Night of Hope tourstop 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.”
source: people.com
