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Pastor Joel Osteen and his Houston based Lakewood Church have been the subject of widespread criticism over the failure of the Church to open its doors to victims of the Hurricane Harvey.

Through a series of Twitter posts, Pastor Osteen has debunked these claims and extended his support to the victims.

"Victoria & I are praying for everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey," Joel tweeted midafternoon Saturday. "Please join us as we pray for the safety of our Texas friends & family."

The following day, Lakewood Church sent out a Facebook post indicating it was "inaccessible due to severe flooding" and subsequent messages redirecting people to nearby shelters.

"We want to help make sure you are safe," a spokesperson for the megachurch, which can hold more than 16,000 people, wrote.

After receiving so much backlash from the public, the Pastor sent out a message to ABC News with proof that its premises was not suitable for use as a shelter and also reaffirming their position and commitment to the community.

"We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center to those in need. We are prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity," he said. "Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm."