Seth Udinski, FISM News

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In a news headline that sounds more appropriate for a plot twist in a spy thriller, a strange discovery was made several weeks ago in Lakewood Church in Houston, the megachurch pastored by controversial prosperity televangelist Joel Osteen.

On Nov.10 police arrived at the church to respond to a discovery made by a local plumber who allegedly found envelopes full of hundreds of dollars’ worth of cash and checks inside one of the bathroom walls. The specific amount appears to be disputed at this time.

Authorities believe the cash is related to an attempted burglary from 2014, where robbers tried to steal an estimated $600,000 from the church. Lakewood Church said,

Recently, while repair work was being done at Lakewood Church, an undisclosed amount of cash and checks were found. Lakewood immediately notified the Houston Police Department and is assisting them with their investigation.

Last week, a man called into a local Houston talk show on 100.3 The Bull claiming to be the plumber who found the stash. He said on air:

There was a loose toilet in the wall, and we removed the tile … Went to go remove the toilet and I moved some insulation away and about 500 envelopes fell out of the wall, and I was like, ‘Oh wow.

Reports say that this was indeed the man who found the stash and that his call on the radio show was not a prank.

It is unclear at this point if this discovery will shed any new light on a case that has been largely forgotten for the last seven years. It will no doubt add more intrigue and controversy to Lakewood Church and its pastor. The church is one of the largest in the country, and Osteen has been heavily criticized for his propagation of the prosperity gospel, a heresy that claims God will always bless people with exceeding health, wealth, and happiness in this life if they obey Him.

FISM News will continue to follow updates on this case if new developments surface.