T.D. Jakes Stepping Down as Lead Pastor at Potter’s House Megachurch Following Heart Attack

Bishop T.D. Jakes plans to step down as lead pastor at his Dallas megachurch, The Potter's House, USA Today reports.

On Sunday (April 27), the evangelical pastor, motivational speaker and author announced during a sermon that his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and son-in-law, Touré Roberts, will succeed his leadership of The Potter's House. Jakes founded the megachurch in 1996 and, last November, had a massive heart attack at the location while delivering a sermon.

"You have been faithful to God, and you have been faithful to me," Jakes tearfully told the congregation on Sunday. "And I’m so grateful."

On November 24, 2024, Jakes was preaching when he began slurring his words and slumped over while seated in front of the megachurch audience. A group of church members rushed to his aid, and in March, Jakes revealed on TODAY that he'd had a massive heart attack.

"I just kind of drifted off to sleep. I didn’t know what it was," Jakes told TODAY's Craig Melvin around the 2:30 minute mark of the video below. "[The doctor] said five minutes later I’d have been dead on arrival."

Roughly a year before his health emergency, Jakes was alleged to have attended sex parties thrown by Diddy, which he vehemently denied in the megachurch and a statement.

The Roberts will take over the megachurch in July.