Bishop T.D. Jakes has become the talk of the timelines again. This time, it wasn’t because of his sermons nor any sketchy rumored affiliations—but rather a major and truly shocking announcement. And trust us when we say, it’s got everyone weighing in.
Over the weekend, the megachurch pastor, who’s been the head of The Potter’s House in Dallas for nearly 30 years, preached in his Sunday morning sermon for the first time since suffering a major health incident onstage during service back in November 2024. Though details were at a minimum at the time, Jakes later revealed last month that he suffered a heart attack and if he had not have gotten to the hospital when he did—he would’ve been dead on arrival.
Now, a little over five months from the exact date, Jakes announced on Sunday that he’d officially be stepping down from his duties and handing over the reigns to his daughter and son-in-law, Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts and Pastor Touré Roberts.
This move is monumental seeing as how Jakes has been preaching in totality for nearly 50 years and serving as the head of The Potter’s House for nearly three decades. Since it’s inception, the Texas megachurch has grown to over 30,000 members and impacted countless lives thanks to Jakes’ oft-timely, charismatic, and relevant sermons. Yet and still, the church wasn’t without his faults. Over the years, the pastor frequently came under fire for his flashy lifestyle, “prosperity gospel” preaching, and questionable affiliations (most recently Sean “Diddy” Combs.) His daughter also had her fair share of criticism, facing major backlash for having a baby at 13, being a college dropout and more.
Speaking to his decision to step down on Sunday, the elder Jakes said in part:
“I talked to the board because I was concerned I had seen too many men build something and stay so long that they kill what they build. Now there’s some other things I’m assigned to do both here and outside. But I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd. I cannot afford to let all the work from all the saints living and dead, to hold this so tight, so long...that I wither away.
Naturally, once the news of his retirement began to make the rounds on social media, the overwhelming sentiments online were mixed. While some were truly shocked at the announcement and expressed sadness and shock over the longtime pastor’s decision—other’s felt it was beyond time and a bit suspicious.
“TD Jakes is stepping down as senior pastor and passing the torch to Sarah and Toure, Lord I need to call my Auntie,” wrote one user on X/Twitter.
“TD Jakes RETIRED my nigga?! Is his robe gon be hung in the rafters?!” another user questioned.
Similar sentiments followed on TikTok with user Chanel Breanna sharing her emotional reaction to the news.
“That moment was so emotional for me as a little girl who grew up watching T.D. Jakes and listening to his messages and just really being captivated by the wisdom that he brought to the world and the way his teachings were so in-depth and intricate,” she said. “Like, I loved the way he spoke, his poise, his leadership. I’ve always looked up to him as a little girl.”
She concluded that she just wanted to make this video to say “ job well done. We can, especially in this world in media, we can be so quick to gossip, to do whatever. But I want to give this man his flowers. Job well done.”
Added one user in the comments of her video: “I do not care what has happened, his sermons have def helped me.”
However, there were some who felt otherwise.
“Does this have to do with Puffy trial coming up?” questioned a different user in the same comments section, referencing the impending federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs in May and social media speculation of Jakes’ alleged ties.
“He making sure he don’t get caught up in the Diddy stuff,” another user wrote in part.
Back on X/Twitter, one other user added: “TD Jake’s Stepping Down... Right before the Diddy Trial... Imagine that... Jesus definitely happy rn lol.”
Added another, “TD Jakes stepping down. Now we need Mike Todd, William Murphy and all these other fake pastors to do the same.”
Additionally, in a statement sent to The Root, The Potter’s House detailed more of Jakes’ next moves, which include his continued service as the Chairman of the Board for the church. He’ll also be stepping fully into the new partnership with iHeartMedia in which he’ll launch his own slate of podcasts. The first one up, aptly called “My Next Chapter,” will see the bishop explore the shifts happening in our world and our lives and how we, together, can rebuild what’s been broken, especially during this time of national uncertainty.