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In the last thirty years, T.D. Jakes has become one of the most successful Christian evangelical bishops, building his mega-church, The Potter’s House, in the process.
But now he’s taking a step back from his role as senior pastor and passing those duties to his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and his son-in-law, Pastor Touré Roberts.
Jakes made the announcement during Sunday morning’s services. The new roles will become official in July, and he plans to remain on the Potter’s House Board of Directors.
The power shift comes after Jakes suffered a massive heart attack in November 2024 while preaching. He later told NBC that if he’d arrived at the hospital five minutes later, he would have died, so he knew it was time to make sure a plan for the church’s future was in place.
“I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me, and you be sheep without a shepherd,” he told Sunday’s crowd.
But the decision wasn’t made hastily, and the “evolution” had been in the works for years.
An emotional Jakes-Roberts addressed the crowd, telling her father, “As your pastor-elect, co-senior pastor elect, I’m grateful, I’m honored. As your daughter, I’m so happy you’re going to get some rest.”
The Potter’s House has since released a statement about the shakeup, because after leading the congregation since 1996, the family is excited for the future and new voices as younger generations search for faith.
“As we look across our great nation and survey the unyielding economic, societal, and spiritual needs visiting our communities, it’s clear that we can’t afford to squander the potential of our youth or the elders who have paved the way,” reads the statement. “The hardships of first-time home ownership, the dire need to invest in the growing entrepreneurial landscape and a younger generation needing a home for their faith walk in the midst of increasing skepticism; these issues we face are not a tale of despair; they are a clarion call for change.”
Jakes isn’t just disappearing; he plans to still be a fixture in the community, remain a “spiritual overseer,” and will launch a new podcast called My Next Chapter.
See social media’s reaction to the news below.
