Men accused of heckling at Lakewood Church appear in court

HOUSTON – Six people who went to jail for disrupting a service at Lakewood Church appeared before a judge on trespassing charges Thursday.

Before their appearance, the members of the Church of Wells sang in the court hallway and explained why they were at the church on Sunday morning.

The six claim the trespassing charges against them are false.

"We were never warned of trespassing," said one member. "We were never warned that we needed to leave. We were just thrown out and we were told … we were warned a month ago but we haven't been there in months."

The members said they take issue with the way Pastor Joel Osteen leads services. They said they don't believe he or most pastors in Houston are true Christians.

"There's lies and hypocrisy on every side," the same member said. "We believe the people need to be warned. We are convinced the judgment of God is coming against Lakewood Church. We are not there to heckle. We aren't hecklers, we're warning."

The man said he is motivated by "love."

"This has been a year in prayer for us. This has not been done lightly. This was not done on the spur of the moment. We were greatly burdened and grieved, and we spent three days fasting and praying leading up to this because we love them."

A judge ordered the six not to have any contact with Osteen or his wife Victoria. The men cannot go to Lakewood Church again. The group said Thursday they are considering representing themselves in the court case. The charge against them is a misdemeanor and the six will be back in court in August.