Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, has announced he is stepping down from leading the megachurch, handing over the reins to his daughter, Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, and her husband, Pastor Toure Roberts.
The announcement was made during a Sunday morning service on April 27, 2025, just weeks after Jakes suffered a massive heart attack while preaching. Addressing the congregation, Jakes said his recent health scare played a major role in his decision to transition leadership.
“You have been faithful to God, and you have been faithful to me,” Jakes told the church. “And I’m so grateful. I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you being sheep without a shepherd.”
The leadership transition is set to officially take place in July.
Sarah Jakes Roberts, speaking after her father’s announcement, expressed her deep appreciation. “I’m grateful, I’m honoured, as your daughter,” she said. “I’m so happy you’re going to get some rest.” Meanwhile, in an interview with Craig Melvin on NBC’s TODAY show, Jakes recounted the moment he suffered the heart attack. He explained that he had not experienced the typical symptoms associated with cardiac arrest and only realised the severity of his condition after being taken to the hospital.
“I didn’t really realise what was happening to me onstage until I got to the hospital in an ambulance and fussing that it happened onstage, by the way, because I didn’t want it to happen,” he said. “And the doctor leaned over my ear and said, ‘You had a massive heart attack.’”
Jakes noted that he had felt none of the usual warning signs. “No numbness, no sharp pain, no anything. I just kind of drifted off to sleep. I didn’t know what it was, but I almost died,” he recalled. “(The doctor) said five minutes later, I’d have been dead on arrival. The right side of my heart had completely stopped getting blood at all.”
T.D. Jakes founded The Potter’s House in 1996, building it into one of the most influential churches in the United States. His transition marks a significant generational shift in leadership, with Sarah and Toure Roberts now poised to guide the congregation into its next chapter.
Judith Iyoh writes fashion, lifestyle and real estate investment.