T.D. Jakes steps down, hands over church leadership to daughter, son-in-law months after heart attack

Bishop T.D. Jakes has stepped down as the senior pastor of The Potter’s House Church in Dallas, Texas.

The 67-year-old preacher announced on Sunday, April 27, during an emotional church service.

Jakes named his daughter, Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, and her husband, Pastor Touré Roberts, as the new senior pastors.

The couple will officially take over in July. Jakes’ wife, Serita, stood by his side during the announcement.

While handing over the role, Jakes said, “You have been faithful to God, and you have been faithful to me. And I'm so grateful.”

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Before naming the new leaders, Jakes preached a sermon titled “Whatever God Commands.”

 The seasoned preacher held back tears as he addressed the congregation and said he will remain chairman of The Potter’s House Board of Directors.

After the announcement, the Jakes family sent out a letter, "Today we shared with the world our long-held plans of purposeful evolution for The Potter's House and our global church family.

Preparing for this announcement over the past several years has allowed us as a family and a global church family to carefully balance the needs of our community worldwide and the pace at which we performed each step of our plan.”

The family said they are stepping into broader roles to meet the needs of this moment in time.

“It’s clear that we can’t afford to squander the potential of our youth or the elders who have paved the way,” the letter said.

“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.”

Bishop Jakes will now focus more on work through the T.D. Jakes Group, which supports job creation and helps communities grow.

“Together, we shall unite for the betterment of this generation and the ones that follow,” the letter said.

The transition comes five months after Bishop Jakes suffered a major health scare. In November 2024, he had a heart attack while preaching. The moment was livestreamed and widely shared.

Speaking about it later during an appearance on Today, Jakes said;

“I didn’t really realize what was happening to me onstage until I got to the hospital in an ambulance. And the doctor leaned over in my ear and said, ‘You’ve had a massive heart attack.’”

Jakes started The Potter’s House in 1996. The church now has over 30,000 members and locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Denver according to its website.