Bishop T.D. Jakes has announced he is stepping down as senior pastor of The Potter’s House Church and handing over leadership to his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and her husband, Touré Roberts.
The 67-year-old announced during an emotional sermon on Sunday, asking the congregation to welcome the new pastors with open arms. The Potter’s House, a nondenominational Christian church based in Dallas, was founded by Jakes in 1996.
“This is legacy,” Jakes said. “Not because they’re kin, but because they’re the kind. They’ve immersed themselves into the DNA of this church for years.”
The decision comes in the wake of a heart attack Jakes suffered in November, as well as a defamation lawsuit he filed against a man who accused him of sexual assault. Despite stepping down from his pastoral duties, Jakes affirmed that he will remain active in community outreach and ministry.
“I have seen too many men build something and stay so long that they kill what they built. I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd.”
“There’s some things I want to do in the community before I get too old to do it, and the clock is ticking. I cannot afford to let all the work of all the saints, living and dead, to 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.
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