KENTUCKY — A TikToker posing as a desperate mother has gone viral for exposing how some of America’s largest megachurches respond to people in need.
Nikalie Monroe, an Army veteran from Kentucky, launched a social experiment to see whether churches would help a mother struggling to feed her baby. She called over 30 megachurches across the U.S., pretending to need baby formula for a starving newborn.
So far, Monroe has posted more than 40 videos of the experiment, reporting that nine churches offered help, while 33 declined — including Houston’s Lakewood Church, led by Pastor Joel Osteen.
In her calls, Monroe says, “I’m calling your church to see if they would help feed a starving baby,” as the sound of a crying infant plays in the background. She later clarified that the baby sounds were fake, adding, “It’s just to make it seem more realistic.”
During her call to Lakewood Church, Monroe was told the church has a “benevolence ministry” that requires an application process taking “a few days or weeks” for approval. Monroe expressed disbelief, saying a church as large and wealthy as Lakewood should be able to provide immediate help.
Lakewood Church reported $59 million in net assets in 2017, and Osteen’s net worth is estimated at $50 million.
Internet users quickly reacted to Monroe’s findings.
“Joel Osteen would NEVER! He didn’t get a mega mansion and luxury cars by doing the Lord’s work!” one commenter wrote.
Another fumed, “What kind of approval process is there to feed starving babies?”
Others referenced Lakewood’s 2017 controversy, when it initially closed its 16,000-seat arena during Hurricane Harvey instead of sheltering flood victims.
“They locked their doors during Harvey,” one person wrote. “Mattress Mack opened his furniture store and took people in.”
Lakewood Church has not responded to requests for comment.
Monroe’s viral series comes as 42 million Americans face delayed SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. While a tentative deal may reopen the government soon, millions of families still await critical food assistance.
SNAP supports about one in eight U.S. households, providing an average of $188 per month — roughly $6 per day — to buy groceries. As Monroe’s experiment highlights, many are questioning where compassion and real help are most reliably found when families are in crisis.
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