Bishop T.D. Jakes is resigning from his leadership position, which he has held for approximately three decades, following a health crisis and the onset of more significant legal disputes.
Potter’s House, a non-denominational Pentecostal megachurch in Dallas, Texas, has evolved into a political and cultural behemoth. On Sunday, the 67-year-old pastor of the megachurch announced his retirement as senior pastor.
During an April 27 service, Jakes stated, “I have observed an excessive number of men construct an object and remain in place for an extended period of time, resulting in the destruction of the object they have constructed.”
Jakes’ influence has expanded beyond the confines of his 30,000-member congregation over the years.
Jakes has become a multimillionaire industrialist in part as an author and playwright while establishing an institution with multiple campuses worldwide that is committed to community outreach and investing millions in affordable housing and anti-poverty programs.
Roland S. Martin, a political commentator, stated on his digital program on Monday that this is a worldwide ministry and a significant announcement.
“Both sides of the bird”: Jake serves as a counselor to presidents during challenging periods.
Jakes has provided guidance to numerous prominent figures in the business, entertainment, and civil rights sectors over the years. However, his close relationships with presidents, regardless of their political affiliation, are particularly noteworthy.
For instance, when Bill Clinton confessed to having “sinned” in his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky nearly three decades ago, the Texas megachurch leader was among the clergy that the president consulted when he sought absolution from the nation.
Jakes stated in a 2012 interview with Oprah that he endeavors to refrain from instructing presidents on how to conduct themselves.
Jakes endeavored to preserve his bipartisan reputation during the George W. Bush administration, despite the fact that his association with the conservative evangelical was a source of concern for his more liberal supporters, who claimed that he was a “minister to both sides of the bird.” He urged the White House to increase financing for aid to African nations and emphasized the inadequacy of the federal disaster response for the victims left devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
While gazing at Bush during a 2005 prayer service at the National Cathedral, Jakes stated, “It is not so important what we say, it is important what we do.”
After severing ties with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, during the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama embraced Jakes at the outset of his ascent to the Oval Office. In 2009, he extended an invitation to the Texas pastor to attend his inauguration, and the two engaged in numerous prayer consultations, both in person and over the phone.
Obama stated in a December 2015 interview with Variety that Jakes “makes Americans more compassionate and more loving as a country.”
A slate of original TV features and a short-lived talk show that was particularly popular among Black audiences were also contributing factors to Jakes’ rise to fame, in addition to his megachurch.
In his “Seven Deadly Sins” anthology, which was inspired by the works of Christian fiction author Victoria Christopher Murray, he created a series of Lifetime films. Michelle Williams, Tina Knowles, Keri Hilson, Kandi Burrus, Romeo Millo, LisaRaye McCoy, and Eric BeneĢt were the stars of the films.
Taraji P. Henson and Morris Chestnut were the stars of a 2009 film that was adapted from his 2006 novel “Not Easily Broken.” He has also collaborated with family friend and billionaire Tyler Perry on business enterprises, such as Jakes’ 2021 land acquisition in close proximity to the Hollywood megaproducer’s Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
The couple acquired more than 130 acres of land at the city’s abandoned Army base, Fort McPherson, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and 11Alive.
Jakes, a four-time Grammy nominee, was awarded one prize for the best gospel choir or chorus album for “A Wing And A Prayer” at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004.
Jakes was the presenter of “The T.D. Jakes Show,” which was broadcast on select Tegna stations nationwide and re-aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network. In 2016, the program was broadcast for a single season.
Leave a Reply