Rapper Kanye West plans to team up with a popular evangelistic to worship virtually in an Easter Sunday special.
With many stuck inside because of the coronavirus, West will join Lakewood Church’s Joel Osteen for the “Hope Is Alive” online gathering, set to begin on Good Friday, that will include celebrities Mariah Carey and Tyler Perry.
“I’m not so sure what exactly he’s going to do. He sent me a couple of pictures where it looks like they’re going to keep the social distancing. I don’t know. Kanye is one of a kind. He’ll figure out some way to do it,” Osteen said. “He just talked about wanting to partner with us on Easter and, again, to bring hope and inspiration to people, and especially when people are kind of down and afraid, so I think this is a good time to lift people up.”
The two previously shared the stage at Osteen’s Houston megachurch in November after West traveled the country with his Sunday Service choir, performing acapella versions of West’s songs at off-kilter venues throughout the United States.
Osteen said that Carey had also reached out, expressing her desire to highlight the work that front-line healthcare workers and first responders have provided during the crisis.
“She wanted to show some support and honor to the first responders. She wanted to share a song and put some video footage of first responders … and to do her part and bring hope and uplift the nation,” said Osteen.
Osteen’s website includes links to the streaming service.
