Who Is T.D. Jakes?
Thomas Dexter Jakes Sr., known as T.D. Jakes or simply Pastor TD Jakes, is one of the most influential Christian leaders of our generation. He’s a preacher, author, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker whose reach extends far beyond the four walls of any church building.
For almost three decades, he led The Potter’s House — a non-denominational megachurch in Dallas, Texas, with more than 30,000 members — and turned it into one of the most recognized Christian institutions in the world. His television broadcast, The Potter’s Touch, has aired globally, and his sermons on YouTube have garnered millions of views from believers and seekers alike.
But here’s what makes Bishop Jakes’ story so remarkable: he didn’t start with a platform. He started with a problem — and a calling that wouldn’t let him go.
Early Life and Family Background
T.D. Jakes was born on June 9, 1957, in South Charleston, West Virginia, to Ernest Jakes Sr. and Odith Jakes. His father was a businessman and entrepreneur; his mother was an educator. He was the youngest of three children and grew up in Vandalia, West Virginia.
From a young age, he was known in his community as “the Bible boy.” That should tell you something about who he was before the world got to know him.
But life wasn’t easy.
Jakes had a slight lisp — and because of it, people told him he would never preach. Think about that for a moment. The man who would go on to speak to millions of people around the world was once told his voice wasn’t good enough to be heard.
Then, when he was just 10 years old, his father developed kidney failure. For years, young Thomas helped his mother care for his dad, until Ernest Sr. passed away in 1973. It was grief, responsibility, and hardship wrapped into one — and it shaped the preacher T.D. Jakes would become.
The Call to Preach
T.D. Jakes preached his very first sermon in 1976. He was officially ordained in 1979.
By 1980, at just 23 years old, he founded the Temple of Faith Church in Montgomery, West Virginia — a storefront church with only ten members. To keep the ministry going, he worked simultaneously at Union Carbide, the chemical company, just to pay the bills.
Here’s the truth: the early years of Bishop Jakes’ ministry were marked not by glamour, but by grit.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Friends International Christian University, followed by a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in 1990 and a Doctor of Ministry in 1995. In 1987, he was ordained into the Bishopric — the rank he still carries to this day.
It was in 1991 that things began to shift. Jakes broadcast his first sermon on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), and almost overnight, his national profile began to grow.
Marriage to Serita Jakes
One of the sweetest chapters in Bishop Jakes’ story is how he met his wife.
He was guest preaching at a neighborhood church when he noticed Serita Ann Jamison in the congregation. Their connection was immediate, and in May 1982, the two were married. They have now been husband and wife for over 40 years — a testimony in itself, especially for a man in such a high-profile ministry.
Serita Jakes is not just a pastor’s wife in the traditional sense. She is a minister, author, and speaker in her own right, known for her book Beside Every Good Man and her “Woman to Woman” ministry. She has stood firmly beside her husband through every season — and that kind of steadfast partnership is no small thing.
For those wondering: T.D. Jakes and Serita have been married since 1982, making theirs a union that has lasted more than four decades.
TD Jakes Children
Bishop T.D. Jakes and Serita Jakes have five children together:
- Jamar Jakes
- Jermaine Jakes
- Cora Jakes Coleman — a minister and author known for her work in prayer and faith
- Sarah Jakes Roberts — perhaps the most publicly prominent of the five, Sarah is now the co-senior pastor of The Potter’s House alongside her husband, Touré Roberts
- Thomas Dexter Jakes II (Thomas Jr.) — T.D. Jakes also has a set of twins
Yes, Bishop TD Jakes did have twins — Thomas Jr. and another child.
Sarah Jakes Roberts’ story deserves special mention. She became pregnant as a teenager — a fact her father has openly addressed in his ministry. But she didn’t let that define her ceiling. Today, she leads one of the most high-profile megachurches in America, and her preaching draws crowds in their own right. God has a way of writing stories that none of us could script.
Cora Jakes Coleman has also stepped into ministry, particularly known for her prayer teaching and her book Ferocious Warrior.
The Rise of The Potter’s House
In 1996, something extraordinary happened.
T.D. Jakes, along with 50 families, relocated from West Virginia to Dallas, Texas, and founded The Potter’s House Church. From those 50 families, the church grew — steadily, then dramatically — into a congregation of more than 30,000 members.
Located on a 34-acre hilltop campus in Dallas, The Potter’s House became more than a church. It became a movement. It expanded to include locations across North Dallas, Fort Worth, and Denver. Christianity Today would describe it as one of America’s fastest-growing megachurches. CNN called it “the Smart Church of the 21st Century.”
The Potter’s House also became a center for community transformation. Under Bishop Jakes’ leadership, it launched more than fifty active outreach ministries, including Ravens Refuge (homeless ministry), Operation Rehab (outreach for women caught in prostitution), and a Transformation Treatment Program for drug and alcohol recovery.
In 1998, Jakes founded the Metroplex Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to address social and economic disparities in urban communities, and established Clay Academy — a private college preparatory school in Dallas.
And in 1995, before the church even launched, Jakes founded TDJ Enterprises, the publishing and film production company that would carry his brand into Hollywood and beyond.
TD Jakes Books and Sermons
Bishop Jakes is one of the most prolific Christian authors alive today.
His breakthrough book, Woman, Thou Art Loosed!, became a cultural phenomenon — not just a bestseller, but a message that set millions of women free from shame, abuse, and silence. The phrase itself — “Woman, thou art loosed” — became a signature declaration associated with his ministry.
He has since written more than 16 books, including:
- He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle
- Reposition Yourself
- Instinct
- Crushing: God Turns Pressure into Power
- Don’t Drop the Mic
- Soar
- Maximize the Moment
- Destiny
- Let It Go
His sermons — on topics ranging from marriage and relationships to leadership and grief — have been preached to packed arenas, broadcast on TBN and Daystar, and shared millions of times on YouTube and social media. Bishop Jakes preaching is characterized by storytelling, emotional depth, scriptural precision, and a rare ability to reach both the university professor and the woman weeping in the back row.
His annual conference series, MegaFest, has drawn more than 75,000 participants at a single event.
TD Jakes Movies and Entertainment
Bishop Jakes didn’t stop at books and pulpits. He took the gospel to Hollywood.
Through TDJ Enterprises, he has produced and been involved in a number of major films, including:
- Woman, Thou Art Loosed (2004) — based on his book and stage play
- Not Easily Broken (2009)
- Jumping the Broom (2011)
- Winnie Mandela (2013) — starring Jennifer Hudson
- Sparkle (2012) — featuring the late Whitney Houston
- Miracles from Heaven (2016)
- On the Seventh Day
For a pastor, that’s a remarkable filmography — and it reflects Jakes’ consistent belief that the church must be present in every dimension of culture, not just within its own walls.
TD Jakes Net Worth
Bishop T.D. Jakes has built a ministry empire that spans publishing, film, conferences, speaking engagements, and church administration. While his exact net worth varies depending on the source, estimates place it in the range of $18 million to $20 million, with some reports going higher.
He ranks among EBONY’s Power 100 list, and has won numerous awards including the BET Honors, the Stellar Award, the NAACP Image Award, the Keeper of the Dream Award, and McDonald’s 365Black Award.
It’s worth noting that how much it costs for T.D. Jakes to speak varies significantly depending on the event. Based on booking agencies, his speaking fees for private or corporate events are reported to be in the range of $100,000 or more per appearance.
Why Did TD Jakes Step Down From The Potter’s House?
This is one of the most searched questions about Bishop Jakes right now — and the answer is both simple and deeply human.
In November 2024, Bishop Jakes suffered a major heart attack while ministering live at The Potter’s House. The incident was captured on video. For a man who had given his entire life to his congregation, it was a sobering moment.
On April 27, 2025, he made the announcement that stunned the world: he was stepping down as senior pastor of The Potter’s House after nearly 30 years at the helm.
In his own words to his congregation: “I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd.”
He handed the senior pastoral mantle to his daughter, Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, and her husband, Pastor Touré Roberts — a decision he said had been in the making for over six years. Bishop Jakes did not retire from ministry. He will remain board chairman and spiritual overseer of The Potter’s House, and has made clear he will continue to preach.
As he told his church: “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.”
The formal installation of Sarah Jakes Roberts and Touré Roberts as co-senior pastors took place in July 2025, during a nearly four-hour service filled with worship, celebration, and the passing of a generational mantle.
Is T.D. Jakes Still Alive?
Yes. T.D. Jakes is alive.
Despite the alarming heart attack in November 2024 and the wave of rumors that circulated online — including false claims about his death — Bishop Jakes recovered and has continued to minister publicly. His stepping down from the senior pastorate of The Potter’s House in 2025 was a voluntary, planned transition, not a retirement from faith or public life.
As of 2025, T.D. Jakes is 68 years old, still preaching, still building, and still very much present in the global Christian community.
Legacy and Impact
The truth is, you could write volumes about what Bishop T.D. Jakes has built.
He advised three U.S. presidents. He spoke at the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009. He accompanied President George W. Bush to areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He was named one of PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly’s “Top 10 Religious Leaders” in 2000. In 2005, The Church Report readers selected him as the Most Influential Christian of the year.
He launched the TD Jakes Foundation — focused on community outreach, education, and housing. He founded the Clay Academy prep school. He created the NxLevel Entrepreneur Training Series to help expand small businesses in urban communities.
And he did all of this from the foundation of a man who was once told he could never preach.
Bishop Jakes once said, “Don’t let where you are determine where you’re going.” That’s not just a sermon line. That’s the story of his life — and perhaps the most powerful thing about his legacy.
He didn’t just build a church. He showed a generation of believers that your beginning does not have to write your ending.
FAQ
Who are the biological children of TD Jakes? Bishop T.D. Jakes and Serita Jakes have five biological children together: Jamar Jakes, Jermaine Jakes, Cora Jakes Coleman, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and Thomas Dexter Jakes II. He also has twins among his children.
Did TD Jakes have twins? Yes. Among his five children, T.D. Jakes has twins. Thomas Jr. is one of them.
When did Serita Jakes marry her first husband? Serita Jakes’ first and only husband is Bishop T.D. Jakes. The two married in May 1982, after he met her while guest preaching at her neighborhood church.
Who is Sarah Jakes’ first husband? Sarah Jakes Roberts was previously married before her current husband, Pastor Touré Roberts. She became pregnant as a teenager, later married, and eventually remarried Touré Roberts. She and Touré now co-lead The Potter’s House together.
How long have T.D. Jakes and his wife been married? T.D. Jakes and Serita Jakes have been married since 1982 — over 40 years as of 2025.
Why did TD Jakes resign from church? Bishop Jakes stepped down from his senior pastor role at The Potter’s House in April 2025, citing his November 2024 heart attack and a deliberate leadership succession plan that had been in progress for over six years. His daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts assumed the senior pastoral role.
Is T.D. Jakes still alive? Yes. T.D. Jakes is alive and active in ministry as of 2025. He is 68 years old and continues to preach, though he is no longer the senior pastor of The Potter’s House.
What are the most well-known TD Jakes books? Some of his best-known books include Woman, Thou Art Loosed!, Crushing, Instinct, Let It Go, Reposition Yourself, Don’t Drop the Mic, Soar, and He-Motions.
What movies has TD Jakes been involved in? Bishop Jakes has produced or been involved in several films, including Jumping the Broom (2011), Miracles from Heaven (2016), Sparkle (2012), Not Easily Broken (2009), and Woman, Thou Art Loosed (2004).
How much does it cost for TD Jakes to speak? Based on speaking bureau estimates, booking Bishop T.D. Jakes for a speaking engagement costs approximately $100,000 or more per appearance, depending on the type and scale of the event.
