T.D. Jakes Announces Daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and Son-in-Law as Successors at The Potter’s House in Historic Leadership Shift
In a moment that marks the end of an era and the dawn of a new chapter, Bishop T.D. Jakes, one of America’s most influential and recognizable pastors, announced he will step down from the pulpit of his Dallas megachurch, The Potter’s House, later this year. During an emotional service on April 27, 2025, the 67-year-old Jakes revealed that his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and her husband, Pastor Touré Roberts, will take over as senior pastors.
The 30,000-member nondenominational congregation, which Jakes founded nearly three decades ago, erupted in emotion as he shared the news. The decision comes just months after Jakes suffered a heart attack while preaching last November — an event that underscored the urgency of succession plans that, he revealed, had been quietly underway for several years.
“I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me,” Jakes told his congregation with visible emotion, “and that you be sheep without a shepherd.”
The formal transition will take place in July during the church’s anniversary celebrations, though Jakes explained that the Roberts duo has been handling leadership behind the scenes since late last year.
“This Is Legacy”
“This is legacy,” Jakes emphasized, “not because they’re kin but because … they’ve immersed themselves into the DNA of this church for years.”
Jakes’s impact extends far beyond the walls of The Potter’s House. His ministry became a beacon in the televangelism age, inspiring countless churches and ministries to model his blend of powerful preaching, cultural relevance, and business-savvy ventures. His relationships with figures like Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, his film productions like Miracles from Heaven, and his efforts in real estate and community development have all amplified his national and global reach.
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Passing the Baton
Jakes made it clear that stepping back is an intentional, necessary move for the health of the church and himself. “I’ve seen too many men build something and stay so long that they’ve killed what they’ve built,” he said, noting that the church’s evolving needs call for fresh leadership and vision. He will remain chairman of the church’s board, focusing his energy on broader community and entrepreneurial initiatives.
Sarah Jakes Roberts and Touré Roberts bring a combined wealth of ministry experience. The couple, who have six children, moved to Dallas three years ago to integrate more deeply with the main campus after pastoring a successful Los Angeles congregation.
Sarah’s Authentic Journey
Sarah, now 36, is no stranger to overcoming adversity — something that has resonated powerfully with many, especially Black Christian women. She openly shares her testimony of becoming pregnant at 13, dropping out of college, waiting tables at a strip club, and eventually divorcing in her early 20s due to infidelity.
“Think we can all agree this isn’t how we saw my life playing out,” Sarah said through tears on Sunday. “If I’m honest, I’ve been wondering if I have what it takes to do it the way you guys have done it or to take it even further. God then showed me you all didn’t know if you had what it took either. But God gave you the GPS to find what it took to [do] the assignment.”
She added with confidence, “I believe the same God that has ordered your steps … is going to order our steps,” telling her father that she is happy he will finally get some well-earned rest.
Bishop Jakes Reflects on Instagram
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Bishop Jakes elaborated on the years of preparation that led to this moment:
“Today we shared with the world our long-held plans of purposeful evolution for The Potter’s House and our global church family. Preparing for this announcement over the past several years has allowed us as a family and a global church family to carefully balance the needs of our community worldwide and the pace at which we performed each step of our plan.
When members of our family moved from LA to Dallas, it was to be more active in the evolution of this growing ministry. In 2022, a handshake between generations took place as we said farewell to Woman, Thou Art Loosed and hello to Woman Evolve. And when we installed our two new assistant pastors in 2023, we continued to forge ahead in the vision we set long ago.
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.”
Jakes continued:
“As Pastors Touré & Sarah take another step up to further accept the mantle of daily ministry duties at The Potter’s House of Dallas ushering in a new movement and calling, the work of the T.D. Jakes Group to bolster job creation and 21st-century workforce readiness, investing in the infrastructure of communities nationwide, lifting communities up from the margins to the center and working alongside like-minded partners to create thriving neighborhoods will be able to accelerate rapidly.
Together, we shall unite for the betterment of this generation and the ones that follow.”
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