After leading his congregation for about three decades, Bishop T.D. Jakes has stepped aside as Senior Pastor of his church, The Potter’s House.
He has passed on the mantle to his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and his son-in-law, Pastor Touré Roberts. The Preacher made this known during the Church service on Sunday.
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His daughter and son-in-law would assume their role officially in July. Bishop Jakes, however, would remain a Board Member of the Church.
The new arrangement comes months after he suffered a heart attack while delivering the sermon at the same congregation last November.
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Speaking to his followers on Sunday, he noted: “I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me, and you be sheep without a shepherd.”
Incoming Head Preacher, Jakes-Roberts, responded to her father’s decision saying: “As your pastor-elect, co-senior pastor elect, I’m grateful, I’m honored. As your daughter, I’m so happy you’re going to get some rest.”
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The Potter’s House had since released a statement confirming the shift in administration or leadership.
“As we look across our great nation and survey the unyielding economic, societal, and spiritual needs visiting our communities, it’s clear that we can’t afford to squander the potential of our youth or the elders who have paved the way.
READ ALSO: Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Daughter Gives Health Update After Preacher’s Medical Emergency
“The hardships of first-time home ownership, the dire need to invest in the growing entrepreneurial landscape and a younger generation needing a home for their faith walk amid increasing skepticism; these issues we face are not a tale of despair; they are a clarion call for change,” the statement said.
Appearing recently on the Today Show in March, the Bishop said he was not aware of what was happening around him at the time of the Heart Attack.
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“I didn’t really realize what was happening to me onstage until I got to the hospital in an ambulance…And the doctor leaned over in my ear and said, ‘You’ve had a massive heart attack,” he stated.
Jakes explained that he was surprised about the incident as he did not have the traditional symptoms of a heart attack.
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“I just kind of drifted off to sleep. I didn’t know what it was….[The doctor] said five minutes later I’d have been dead on arrival,” he added during the interview.
