Joel Osteen Talks About His Newfound Friendship With Kanye West: ”We Just Struck Up A Conversation and a Friendship”

Minister and bestselling author Joel Osteen opened up about his new friendship with rapper Kanye West on Good Morning America. “It was interesting,” Osteen said of how their relationship formed.

 “You know, Kanye’s had a turn of events in the last year or so, and I got a text from him, and we just struck up a conversation and a friendship. And he was going to be in Houston for an event, and I thought, ‘Hey, you wanna come by the church?’ And so it all came together,’” he continued, detailing how he invited West to his Lakewood Church for West’s popular “Sunday Service.”

“He asked me for advice because this world is new to him,” Osteen explained of his first meeting with Kanye. “I just shared it — share with him just to — you know, to keep God in first place, and keep listening to his heart.”Now, it’s been a month since Kanye West held the service at Joel Osteen’s church. However, it has since been announced that the two will reunite for a “Sunday Service” tour.

“I’m excited,” said Osteen. “It’s gonna be you know, 50,000 people there in the stadium. He’s bringing his couple-hundred-member choir — it’s gonna be what we call one of our Night of Hope with — with Kanye in the choir. It’s our third time back at Yankee, and it just really feels right.”

Osteen stated that he and Kanye’s relationship “felt right” as he could see the good in West, despite the controversy surrounding him in recent months.

“I’m a believer in people, I found him to be very genuine and just — a fantastic person,” Osteen said, adding, “I believe when you have favor, God brings the right people to ya. Never dreamed in a million years Kanye West and I would be at Lakewood together, but here we are. So you never know what God could do.”