Bishop T.D. Jakes announced at church on Sunday that he’s handing over the leadership of The Potter’s House megachurch in Dallas, Texas, to his daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and son-in-law Touré Roberts.
“I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd,” Jakes told his congregants at the end of his sermon. The news comes after he suffered a heart attack in November and filed a defamation lawsuit against a man who accused him of sexual assault.
“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,” he said to cheers and applause while noting that the move is a continuation of “legacy.”
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“Not because they’re kin but because … they’ve immersed themselves into the DNA of this church for years. Sat quiet, preached,” he explained. “What you didn’t know from November forward, they’ve been running the church anyway.”
Jakes’ announcement to the 80,000-member congregation comes a month after he revealed that the “slight health incident” he suffered on stage while preaching on Nov. 24, 2024, was a heart attack.
Last month, Jakes told NBC’s “Today” show that when his heart stopped, he found himself in a “cloud-enveloped space” during the near-death experience.
“You know, I didn’t really realize what was happening to me on stage until I got to the hospital in an ambulance. And [I was] fussing that it happened on stage, by the way, because I didn’t want it to happen,” Jakes said.
“The doctor leaned over in my ear and said, ‘You had a massive heart attack.’ And the reason I didn’t realize it is I had no symptoms [of a heart attack]: no numbness, no sharp pain, no anything. I just kind of drifted off to sleep. I didn’t know what it was, but I almost died,” Jakes explained.
On Sunday, Jakes told churchgoers 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.”
Jakes said he hopes to have the leadership transition formalized by the time the church celebrates its anniversary later this year so he can focus on other things.
“There’s some things I want to do in the community before I get too old to do it, and the clock is ticking,” he said.
“There’s some ways that I want to prepare us for the days ahead that I can’t do it completely from the pulpit. Every now and then I think they’ll let me preach, but there’s some work in the vineyard that needs to be done.”
Jakes, who has been in ministry for nearly 50 years, is expected to continue as chairman of the T.D. Jakes Group where he also made the announcement in a news release.
“For nearly 50 years, I’ve had the honor of connecting with and serving the local and global community as a pastor, global faith leader and unwavering truth teller,” Jakes said in that statement.
“As I enter my 50th year in the public spotlight, I recognize 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,” he added.
“Elevating Pastor Touré and Pastor Sarah as the new senior pastors of The Potter’s House, we will honor 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.”
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