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Motivational speaker and pastor T.D. Jakes is stepping down from his role as the church leader of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas. He made the announcement during the Sunday service on April 27, 2025.
Bishop Jakes, 67, shared that he would be passing the torch to his daughter, Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, and his son-in-law, Touré Roberts. They would join their new roles in July.
“I cannot afford to let all the work of all the saints, living and dead, 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 noted.
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T.D. Jakes emphasized that this transition would not be a replacement but rather a continuation of his “legacy,” as the congregation responded with cheers and applause. He also noted that the couple were true successors, not only because they are his “kin,” but because they had immersed themselves in the “DNA of this church for years,” sitting quietly and preaching with the rest of them.
“What you didn't know from November forward, they've been running the church anyway,” he added.
The announcement of T.D. Jakes’ retirement comes five months after he suffered a “massive heart attack” during a sermon in November 2024.
More about T.D. Jakes’ step-back from church leadership role
During his announcement, T.D. Jakes shared with his congregation that he named Sarah and Touré as his successors because he neither wanted nor could afford to lose what he had built over the years.
He informed the people that he had made his decision after talking to the church board as well as his family members and that stepping down would be a step in the right direction.
During his Sunday service, T.D. Jakes held back tears and informed that while he’ll no longer be the church leader, he would continue to serve on The Potter’s House Board of Directors.
"You have been faithful to God, and you have been faithful to me. And I'm so grateful… I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd,” the religious leader told his congregation.
Pastor Jakes mentioned that he hoped that the transition would happen smoothly and ahead of The Potter’s House anniversary later this year so that he could focus on other important 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. 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,” he shared.
Meanwhile, his daughter tearfully replied during the Sunday service that she was “grateful” and “honored” to be his successor while also expressing that she was “happy” her father was “going to get some rest.”
Following his announcement, T.D. Jakes also took to X, sharing that it became necessary to pass on the torch as he wished to focus on other important things, such as providing “economic, societal, and spiritual” support to the community as they navigated the difficult times in the “great nation.”
The bishop stated that together, as a community, they would tackle the challenges and need for change in unique ways while uniting for the betterment of the new generations.
“Today marks the continuation of our willingness to evolve as a church and step into broader roles to make certain we continue to meet the needs of this sensitive moment in our collective history,” he added.
T.D. Jakes would also continue to serve as the chairman of his eponymous group, where he made the announcement via a press release.
In it, he shared that he has served the ministry for the last five decades, both at the local and global levels. He also reiterated in his statement that it was time for him to step back from a leadership role and focus on community building.
T.D. Jakes is also set to launch a series of podcasts following his recent collaboration with iHeartMedia.
During a March interview with TODAY, Pastor Jakes shared details about his November 2024 medical emergency.
"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,’" T.D. Jakes noted.
The bishop explained that he “drifted off to sleep,” transitioned into a “cloud-enveloped space,” and didn’t experience the typical heart attack symptoms. However, the doctors informed him that if he had arrived five minutes later, he would have been “dead on arrival.”
T.D. Jakes recounted how the right side of his heart stopped pumping blood while he was delivering his sermon on stage, and the organ soon began shutting down due to a clot until he was treated at the hospital. He concluded by sharing his gratitude for the prayers of his congregation, as well as support from people worldwide.
The pastor and motivational speaker founded The Potter's House in South Dallas in 1996 as a non-denominational, multicultural church that now has over 80,000 members. Over the decades, it has expanded to other parts of Texas, including North Dallas, Fort Worth, and Denver.
