The Senior Pastor of The Potter’s House, Thomas Dexter Jakes, announced at church on Sunday that he’s handing over the megachurch in Dallas, Texas, to his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and son-in-law, Touré Roberts.
Moments after TD Jakes announced the incoming church leadership
This development comes after he suffered a heart attack in November and filed a defamation lawsuit against a former minister who accused him of sexual assault.
According to Christian Post, while making the announcement, Jakes told his congregants “I have seen too many men build something and stay so long that they kill what they built. I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd.”
“There’s something I want to do in the community before I get too old to do it, and the clock is ticking. I cannot afford to let all the work of all the saints, living and dead, to hold this so tight so long that I wither away. So I’m suggesting to you, I’m recommending to you, that you receive Pastor Touré and Pastor Sarah.
“Not because they’re kin but because … they’ve immersed themselves into the DNA of this church for years. Sat quiet, preached… What you didn’t know from November forward, they’ve been running the church anyway,” he added.
TD Jakes facing Touré Roberts and Sarah Jakes
The cleric who has been in ministry for nearly 50 years added that while his daughter and son-in-law are not meant to replace him, he believes if they take over the leadership of the church “they may extend me.”
He continued, “Elevating Pastor Touré and Pastor Sarah as the new senior pastors of The Potter’s House, we will honoir our rich history while embracing a future that demands innovative ministry for the coming age.
“This elevation is not a departure but a rebirth. I will never stop preaching and will continue to minister. This moment isn’t an ending. It’s an expansion. We are not only passing a mantle, we are multiplying impact. Leadership is not static. It is dynamic. It demands the courage to evolve.
“As I enter my 50th year in the public spotlight, I recognise the urgent need to address more challenges of our time, particularly the looming threat of a disappearing middle class, social unrest and closing opportunity gaps.
“This pivotal moment calls me to focus on a legacy of economic empowerment, serving as a bridge between community, culture, and corporate alliances to help position our nation for a stronger future.”
Dallas News reports that as his daughter and son-in-law walked toward the centre of the stage, where he embraced them, Jakes said to them, “I know the crown is heavy but I also know that if God is for you, who can be against you?”
TD Jakes facing Touré Roberts and Sarah Jakes
“I think we can all agree that this isn’t how I saw my legacy play out,” Sarah Jakes Roberts said through tears. “I believe that, collectively, we can turn this city upside down and right side up.”
The report added that their appointment will occur later this year as Jakes said he hopes to have the leadership transition formalised by the time the church celebrates its anniversary later this year so he can focus on other things.
After the transition, Jakes is expected continue in his role as chairman of the T.D. Jakes Group, which includes his real estate company, social impact holding company, and T.D. Jakes Foundation.