Thomas Dexter Jakes (born June 9, 1957), known as T. D. Jakes, is an American

non-denominational Christian Nondenominational Christianity (or non-denominational Christianity) consists of churches which typically distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities by not formally aligning with a specific Christian d ...

preacher. He is the senior pastor of

The Potter's House The Potter's House Christian Fellowship is a Pentecostal church based in the United States of America. It was established in Prescott, Arizona in 1970 by Wayman Mitchell. Originally a part of the Foursquare church, Mitchell split the church awa ...

, a

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

American megachurch. Jakes's church services and Evangelistic sermons are broadcast on ''The Potter's Touch''. He is the author of many books and also produces films.

Biography

Thomas Dexter Jakes was born on June 9, 1957, in South Charleston, West Virginia, and grew up in Vandalia, West Virginia.

Beliefs

Although Jakes was converted and ordained within Oneness Pentecostalism, he revealed in an interview with Mark Driscoll in 2012 that he affirms the Trinity, although Jakes did not affirm the eternality of the individual persons of the Trinity, which is denied by Oneness churches. Jakes is an advocate of sexual abstinence and has made appearances advocating it on ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

'' and ''

Dr. Phil Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased rene ...

''. In 2015, Jakes stated that his views on homosexuality and LGBT rights are evolving. However, Jakes stated that his words were misinterpreted and that while he does not support same-sex marriage, he "respect the rights that this country affords those that disagree".

Ministry

In 1982, at age 25, Jakes became the pastor of Greater Emanuel Temple of Faith, a storefront church in Smithers, West Virginia, with ten members. In 1988, he joined the denomination ''Higher Ground Always Abounding Assemblies'' founded by Bishop Sherman Watkins. In 1990, Jakes moved to South Charleston, West Virginia, and his congregation grew again, to 300 members. In 1993 he moved to Cross Lanes, West Virginia.Hughes Oliphant Old, ''The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church: The biblical period'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, USA, 1998, p. 386 In 1995, he founded "TDJ Enterprises" which publishes his books and produces his films. From 1995 to 1996, Jakes hosted "Get Ready," a weekly radio and television show with national distribution through syndication. In 1996, Jakes, founded

in Dallas, Texas, a non-denominational church. Located on a 34-acre hilltop campus, the Potter's House features a 5,000-seat auditorium, as well as offices for employees and staff. In 2005, Jakes accompanied President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

on his visit to the areas devastated by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. On January 20, 2009, Jakes led the early morning prayer service for President Barack Obama at St. John's Church in Washington, D.C. In 2009, Jakes partnered with

Phil McGraw Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased rene ...

, Jay McGraw, and CBS Television Distribution to launch a syndicated, secular talk show; however, due to economic issues within the syndicated television market, the program never premiered. In July 2015, Tegna, Inc. and Debmar-Mercury announced that a new secular talk show hosted by Jakes called ''T. D. Jakes'' would air a test run on Tegna stations in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, and Minneapolis from August 17 to September 11, 2015. On May 10, 2016, Tegna announced that it would begin airing Jakes's show September 12 in over 50 markets across the country. On March 15, 2017, the talk show was cancelled due to poor ratings and low clearances.

Media

Discography

* Woman Thou Art Loosed (1997) * Live From the Potter’s House (1998) * The Storm Is Over (2001) T. D. Jakes is also featured on

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

DJ Steve Angello's dance/electronic track ''Rejoice''.

Writings

* ''Intimacy With God'' * ''Loved by'' * ''Before you throw in the towel'' * ''Naked And Not Ashamed?'' * ''Loose That Man And Let Him Go'' * ''Loose That Man And Let Him Go Workbook'' * ''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... a 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'' * ''Don't Drop the Mic'' * ''TD Jakes Speaks to Men'' * ''Overcoming the Enemy'' * ''From the Cross to Pentecost'' * ''Life Overflowing: Six Pillars for Abundant Living * ''Not Easily Broken'', 2006 * ''Before You Do: Making Great Decisions That You Won't Regret'', 2008, Atria Books. * ''The Memory Quilt: A Christmas Story for Our Times'', 2009 * ''Let it Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven'', 2012 * ''Instinct: The Power To Unleash Your Inborn Drive'', 2014, Hachette Book Group. * ''Destiny: Step Into Your Purpose'', August 2015, Hachette Book Group. * ''Soar!: Build Your Vision from the Ground Up'', 2017, FaithWords. * ''Crushing: God Turns Pressure Into Power'', April 2019, Hachette Book Group.

Filmography

* 2004: '' Woman Thou Art Loosed'' — As himself (based on Jakes's novel of the same name) * 2009: ''

Not Easily Broken ''Not Easily Broken'' is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Bill Duke. The film is written by Brian Bird based on T. D. Jakes' 2006 novel of the same name. Stars Taraji P. Henson and Morris Chestnut. Plot Dave and Clarice Jo ...

'' — Allen (based on another Jakes novel) * 2011: '' Jumping the Broom'' — Reverend James * 2010: ''Munya'' — Reverend Brian * 2012: '' Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day'' – As himself * 2012: '' Sparkle –'' Producer * 2014: ''

Heaven Is for Real ''Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back'' is a 2010 ''New York Times'' best-selling Christian book written by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent and published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. The book documen ...

'' – Producer * 2014: ''

Winnie Mandela Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018), also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She serv ...

'' – Producer * 2016: ''

Miracles from Heaven ''Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven, and Her Amazing Story of Healing'' is a memoir written by an American author Christy Beam, released on April 14, 2015. The author wrote the book about her daughter Annabel Beam. Plot ...

'' – Producer * 2018: ''Faith Under Fire'' – Executive Producer * 2019: '' A Dog's Way Home –'' Executive Producer

Legacy and honors

PBS Religion and ''Ethics Newsweekly'' have named Jakes among America's "Top 10 Religious Leaders." ''Time'' magazine featured Jakes on the cover of its September 17, 2001, issue with the provocative question, "Is This Man the Next Billy Graham?" In 2003, Jakes' album ''A Wing and a Prayer'' won the "Best Gospel or Chorus Album" at the

46th Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003. They recognized acc ...

. He has also received Grammy and Dove Award nominations for the gospel album ''Live at The Potter's House''. In 2004, he received the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

's President's Award. Jakes was selected in Oprah's ''SuperSoul100'' list of visionaries and influential leaders in 2016.

Personal life

On the PBS program ''

African American Lives ''African American Lives'' is a PBS television miniseries hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., focusing on African American genealogical research. The family histories of prominent people of African American descent are explored using tradit ...

'', Jakes had his DNA analyzed; his Y chromosome showed that he is descended from the

Igbo people The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and formerly also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'', * * * ''Eboans'', ''Heebo''; natively ) are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. A ...

of Nigeria. According to his family history, it was suggested that he is also descended from them through his grandmother.

References

External links

T. D. Jakes Ministries official website
*
Watch T.D. Jakes Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jakes, T.D. 1957 births Living people 20th-century Christians 21st-century Christians African-American Christian clergy American bishops American Charismatics American Pentecostal pastors American people of Igbo descent American television evangelists Film producers from Texas Grammy Award winners Nondenominational Christianity Pentecostals from Texas Pentecostal writers People from Cross Lanes, West Virginia People from South Charleston, West Virginia Television evangelists Writers from Dallas