T. D. Jakes
Encyclopedia
Thomas Dexter "T. D." Jakes Sr. (born June 9, 1957) is the chief pastor of The Potter's House
, a non-denominational American
megachurch
, with 30,000 members, located in Dallas, Texas
.
T.D. Jakes church services and evangelistic sermons are broadcast on The Potter's Touch, which airs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network
, Black Entertainment Television
, the Daystar Television Network
, The Word Network and The Miracle Channel in Canada. Other aspects of Jakes' ministry include an annual revival called "MegaFest" (which draws more than 100,000 people during that period of time), an annual women's conference called "Woman Thou Art Loosed", and gospel music
recordings.
In the fall of 2009, Jakes planned on launching a secular daily talk show, syndicated through the CBS Television Distribution
group; however, economic troubles in the industry may put his new program into jeopardy.
In 2005 Jakes accompanied President George W. Bush
on his visit to the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina
. In his book Decision Points
, President Bush describes Jakes as “a kind of man who puts faith into action.”
On January 20, 2009, Jakes led the early morning prayer service for President Barack Obama
at St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., according to NBC News
.
to Ernest Jakes, Sr., a janitor
and entrepreneur
, and Odith, an educator. Even as a child, he was known in his West Virginian neighborhood as "the bad Bible boy." He was also told he would never be able to preach because of his "bad" lisp
. Shortly after his father's death from kidney failure, Jakes decided to go into ministry. In 1979, with very little funds of his own and with only ten initial members, he founded Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith as a storefront church in Montgomery, West Virginia
. Jakes maintained his day job digging ditches in order to support his ministry until the church was able to support him. During its first 10 years, the church grew to over 1,000 members. In 1982, Jakes turned to full-time ministry.
By 1990, his church had moved twice, first from Montgomery to the nearby community of Smithers
, and from there to his hometown of South Charleston. In 1993, the church moved yet again within the Charleston area, to Cross Lanes
; the building having been formerly a bank.
In 1995, when he was 38 years old, Jakes started his television ministry. In 1996, Jakes founded The Potter's House in Dallas, Texas
, with about 50 families that had relocated with him from his former congregation in Cross Lanes. Jakes purchased the property, which was previously Eagle's Nest Family Church, from W. V. Grant, after Grant was sentenced to 16 months in prison for tax-related crimes. In its 12 year existence, it has grown to over 30,000 members. Both Jakes and his Potter's House church are unrelated to the Potter's House Christian Fellowship
, a Pentecostal denomination founded in Arizona in 1971.
and has made appearances on the subject ranging from Good Morning America
to Dr. Phil.
On the PBS
program African American Lives
, Jakes had his DNA
analyzed; his Y chromosome
showed that he is descended from the Igbo people
of Nigeria
. According to his family history, it was also suggested that he is descended from them through his paternal grandmother. He is a second cousin once removed of vocalist Will Wheaton and first cousin twice removed of actor James Wheaton
.
. He has written over 30 books, many of which have been featured on the New York Times best-selling list. Jakes is also a songwriter
, a playwright
, and performer. He founded the Christian record label
Dexterity Sounds as well as a theater and movie production company.
Jakes' church, The Potter's House, is active in ministry and outreach both locally and internationally. The Potter's House sends drugs and alcohol counselling to the inner city, volunteers to the elderly, to prostitutes and victims of domestic violence
. Jakes also has a special interest in the continent of Africa
, and The Potter's House launched an initiative that brought water wells, medicine, and ministry to thousands of people in and around Nairobi
in Kenya
.
Jakes hosted several popular national conferences, including "Woman, Thou Art Loosed," "G Unit: ManPower," and "God's Leading Ladies." Recently, Jakes combined those into a single event called "Megafest." Jakes regularly draws capacity crowds at his conferences and ministry events.
T.D Jakes has not lead Gods children the Israelites( so-called Negroes,Hispanics and native American Indians) back to the commandments. Visit www.israelunite.org to learn the truth.
provocative question: "Is This Man the Next Billy Graham?".
The Potter's House Church, Dallas
The Potter's House is a megachurch in Dallas, Texas, USA founded by Bishop T. D. Jakes.Outreach Magazine ranked it the 10th largest in the USA as of 2008 based on attendance of 17,000.-History:...
, a non-denominational American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
, with 30,000 members, located in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
T.D. Jakes church services and evangelistic sermons are broadcast on The Potter's Touch, which airs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
, Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
, the Daystar Television Network
Daystar Television Network
The Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
, The Word Network and The Miracle Channel in Canada. Other aspects of Jakes' ministry include an annual revival called "MegaFest" (which draws more than 100,000 people during that period of time), an annual women's conference called "Woman Thou Art Loosed", and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
recordings.
In the fall of 2009, Jakes planned on launching a secular daily talk show, syndicated through the CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
group; however, economic troubles in the industry may put his new program into jeopardy.
In 2005 Jakes accompanied President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on his visit to the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. In his book Decision Points
Decision Points
Decision Points is a memoir by former U.S. President George W. Bush. It was released on November 9, 2010, and the release was accompanied by national television appearances and a national tour. The book surpassed sales of two million copies less than two months after its release.-Content:Bush's...
, President Bush describes Jakes as “a kind of man who puts faith into action.”
On January 20, 2009, Jakes led the early morning prayer service for President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
at St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., according to NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
.
Early life and history
On June 9, 1957, Thomas Dexter Jakes was born in South Charleston, West VirginiaSouth Charleston, West Virginia
South Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, U.S. The population was 13,450 at the 2010 census. South Charleston was established in 1906, but not incorporated until 1919 by special charter enacted by the West Virginia Legislature...
to Ernest Jakes, Sr., a janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, and Odith, an educator. Even as a child, he was known in his West Virginian neighborhood as "the bad Bible boy." He was also told he would never be able to preach because of his "bad" lisp
Lisp
A lisp is a speech impediment, historically also known as sigmatism. Stereotypically, people with a lisp are unable to pronounce sibilants , and replace them with interdentals , though there are actually several kinds of lisp...
. Shortly after his father's death from kidney failure, Jakes decided to go into ministry. In 1979, with very little funds of his own and with only ten initial members, he founded Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith as a storefront church in Montgomery, West Virginia
Montgomery, West Virginia
Montgomery is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Most of the city is in Fayette County, with the remainder in Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,942 ....
. Jakes maintained his day job digging ditches in order to support his ministry until the church was able to support him. During its first 10 years, the church grew to over 1,000 members. In 1982, Jakes turned to full-time ministry.
By 1990, his church had moved twice, first from Montgomery to the nearby community of Smithers
Smithers, West Virginia
Smithers is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Almost all of the city is in Fayette County, with a very small part in Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 904...
, and from there to his hometown of South Charleston. In 1993, the church moved yet again within the Charleston area, to Cross Lanes
Cross Lanes, West Virginia
Cross Lanes is an unincorporated census-designated place and suburb of Charleston in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 9,995.-Geography:...
; the building having been formerly a bank.
In 1995, when he was 38 years old, Jakes started his television ministry. In 1996, Jakes founded The Potter's House in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, with about 50 families that had relocated with him from his former congregation in Cross Lanes. Jakes purchased the property, which was previously Eagle's Nest Family Church, from W. V. Grant, after Grant was sentenced to 16 months in prison for tax-related crimes. In its 12 year existence, it has grown to over 30,000 members. Both Jakes and his Potter's House church are unrelated to the Potter's House Christian Fellowship
Potter's House Christian Fellowship
The Potter's House Christian Fellowship is a Christian Pentecostal church organization founded by Pastor Wayman Mitchell in Prescott, Arizona in 1970. The official organization title is Christian Fellowship Ministries or CFM....
, a Pentecostal denomination founded in Arizona in 1971.
Family and heritage
When he was 24 in 1981, he married Serita Ann Jamison. They have five children together (Jermaine, Jamar, Cora, Sarah, and Thomas Jakes Jr.) Jakes is a strong advocate of abstinenceAbstinence
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
and has made appearances on the subject ranging from Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
to Dr. Phil.
On the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
program African American Lives
African American Lives
African American Lives is a PBS television miniseries hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr., focusing on African American genealogical research...
, Jakes had his DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
analyzed; his Y chromosome
Y chromosome
The Y chromosome is one of the two sex-determining chromosomes in most mammals, including humans. In mammals, it contains the gene SRY, which triggers testis development if present. The human Y chromosome is composed of about 60 million base pairs...
showed that he is descended from the Igbo people
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. According to his family history, it was also suggested that he is descended from them through his paternal grandmother. He is a second cousin once removed of vocalist Will Wheaton and first cousin twice removed of actor James Wheaton
James Wheaton
James Wheaton , was an American motion picture and television actor. He may be best known as the voice actor "OMM" in George Lucas's THX 1138, a role for which he was chosen over Orson Welles...
.
Christian ministry
Jakes' sermons are broadcast nationally and internationally over television and satellite televisionSatellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
. He has written over 30 books, many of which have been featured on the New York Times best-selling list. Jakes is also a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, a playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and performer. He founded the Christian record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Dexterity Sounds as well as a theater and movie production company.
Jakes' church, The Potter's House, is active in ministry and outreach both locally and internationally. The Potter's House sends drugs and alcohol counselling to the inner city, volunteers to the elderly, to prostitutes and victims of domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
. Jakes also has a special interest in the continent of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and The Potter's House launched an initiative that brought water wells, medicine, and ministry to thousands of people in and around Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Jakes hosted several popular national conferences, including "Woman, Thou Art Loosed," "G Unit: ManPower," and "God's Leading Ladies." Recently, Jakes combined those into a single event called "Megafest." Jakes regularly draws capacity crowds at his conferences and ministry events.
T.D Jakes has not lead Gods children the Israelites( so-called Negroes,Hispanics and native American Indians) back to the commandments. Visit www.israelunite.org to learn the truth.
Awards and accomplishments
Jakes has received numerous honors, including 13 honorary degrees and doctorates. He has also received Grammy and Dove Award nominations for Gospel album "Live at The Potter's House." PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly named Jakes among America's "Top 10 Religious Leaders." Time magazine featured Jakes on the cover of its September 17, 2001 issue with theprovocative question: "Is This Man the Next Billy Graham?".
Writings
- Intimacy With God
- Loved by God
- Can You Stand To Be Blessed?
- Naked And Not Ashamed?
- Loose That Man And Let Him Go
- Loose That Man And Let Him Go Work Book
- Positioning Yourself To Prosper
- Reposition Yourself: Living a Life Without Limits
- He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle
- Help! I'm Raising My Children Alone: A Guide for Single Ladies and Those Who Sometimes Feel They Are
- Ten Commandments of Working in a Hostile Environment
- Promises From God For Single Women
- Woman, Thou Art Loosed: Healing the Wounds of the Past
- Woman, Thou Art Loosed Devotional
- The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord
- Maximize the Moment : God's Action Plan For Your Life
- So You Call Yourself a Man?: Finally Devotional for Ordinary Men With Extraordinary Potential
- God's Leading Lady
- His Lady
- Jesus Walks (with me)
- Lay Aside the Weight
- Daddy Loves His Girls
- The Greatest Investment
- Mama Made the Difference
- TD Jakes Speaks To Men
- Overcoming the Enemy
- Life Overflowing: Six Pillars for Abundant Living
- Not Easily Broken, 2006
- Before You Do: Making Great Decisions That You Won't Regret, Atria Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1-4165-4728-0
- The Memory Quilt: A Christmas Story for Our Times, 2009
Films
- 2004: Woman Thou Art LoosedWoman Thou Art LoosedWoman Thou Art Loosed is a 2004 film directed by Michael Schultz and written by Stan Foster. It was produced by Stan Foster and Reuben Cannon. It is the 44th film or series directed by Schultz and is adopted from the self-help novel by Bishop T.D. Jakes. The film tells the story of a young woman...
- As himself (based on Jakes' novel of the same name) - 2009: Not Easily Broken - Allen (based on another Jakes' novel).
- 2011: Jumping the Broom - Reverend James