T. D. Jakes Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About T. D. Jakes

• Jakes’ mother, Odith, was from Alabama, and his father, Ernest Sr., was from Mississippi.
  

  A childhood picture of T. D. Jakes

• When Jakes was ten years old, his father developed kidney failure. Jakes and his mother cared for him until he died in 1973.

• After his father passed, Jakes lost his job at the Union Carbide plant in Charleston and struggled financially.

• During this time, he worked with his elder brother and preached on special occasions to earn his livelihood.
  

  An old picture of T. D. Jakes

• Jakes met Serita Ann Jamison while working as a guest preacher at a local church, and they got married in 1981.

• Serita worked as a nighttime disc jockey at a local Christian radio station to support their income.

• Jakes preached his first sermon in 1976 and was officially appointed as priest in 1979.

• When he was 23 years old, in 1980, he founded the Temple of Faith Church in Montgomery, West Virginia, starting with only 10 members.
  

  Temple of Faith Church in Montgomery, West Virginia

• In 1982, when he was 25 years old, Jakes became the pastor of Greater Emanuel Temple of Faith, a small church in Smithers, West Virginia, with ten members.

• In 1983, Jakes started a radio program called Back to the Bible. His messages gained attention, making him an inspiring speaker and growing his group.

• In 1987, Jakes was designated as a Bishop.

• In 1988, he joined the Higher Ground Always Abounding Assemblies, a sect led by Bishop Sherman Watkins.

• In 1990, Jakes relocated the Temple of Faith Church to South Charleston, West Virginia, where the community grew from 100 to 300 members, with 40% being Caucasian. In the 1990s, his group continued to expand.

• In 1992, he preached the topic Woman, Thou Art Loosed, addressing women’s pain and struggles.

• In 1993, he relocated his church to Cross Lanes, West Virginia.

• In 1993, he launched a weekly TV program, Get Ready with T.D. Jakes, which aired on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and Black Entertainment Television (BET).

• In 1994, he founded T.D. Jakes Ministries, which provided counselling conferences for men and pastors.

• That same year, he held the first ManPower conference to inspire men in relationships and community roles.

• In 1995, Jakes founded TDJ Enterprises, which publishes his books and produces his films.

• From 1995 to 1996, he hosted Get Ready, a nationally broadcast weekly radio and television show.

• In 1996, Jakes founded The Potter’s House, a non-denominational church in Dallas, Texas. The church is on a 34-acre hilltop campus with a 5,000-seat auditorium and staff offices.
  

  The Potter’s House Church

• In 1996, after moving his group through various small towns in West Virginia, Jakes relocated to Dallas, Texas, with his family and 50 church staff members.

• The first service at the Potter’s House in Dallas drew over 2,000 people, and membership grew to over 30,000.

• In 1998, Jakes founded the Metroplex Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

• He then established Clay Academy in Capella Park, a mixed-use ‘new urbanism’ community.

• He has been featured in the Black Americans of Achievement series, The Encyclopedia of African-American Christian Heritage, and Who’s Who Among African Americans.

• In 2000, Jakes appeared as a keynote speaker at the annual conferences of the National Council of Black Mayors, the National Black Police Association, and the Congressional Black Caucus.

• On 17 September 2001, Time magazine featured Jakes on its cover with the question, ‘Is This Man the Next Billy Graham?’
  

  T. D. Jakes on the cover of Time Magazine

• Jakes received Grammy and Dove Award nominations for his gospel album Live at The Potter’s House.

• In 2005, Jakes accompanied George W. Bush on a visit to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
  

  T. D. Jakes with George W. Bush during a visit to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina

• In 2008, he published the book Before You Do: Making Great Decisions That You Won’t Regret.

• He then went on to publish many books such as Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven (2012), Destiny: Step into Your Purpose (2015), Crushing: God Turns Pressure into Power (2019), and Disruptive Thinking (2023).
  

  The cover of the book Let It Go Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven (2012)

• On 20 January 2009, Jakes led the early morning prayer service for then-President Barack Obama at St. John’s Church in Washington, D.C.

• In 2009, Jakes collaborated with Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, and CBS Television Distribution to launch a secular talk show, but it was cancelled before airing due to economic challenges in the market.

• In 2009, Barack Obama invited Jakes to lead the morning service before his historic Presidential Inauguration.
  

  T. D. Jakes with Barack Obama

• Jakes was originally converted and designated in Oneness Pentecostalism.

• In a 2012 interview with Mark Driscoll, he expressed his belief in the Trinity but did not confirm the eternality of the individual persons, which Oneness churches deny.

• Jakes is an advocate for sexual celibacy and has often appeared on television shows such as Good Morning America and Dr. Phil to promote it.
  

  T. D. Jakes on the show Dr. Phil

• In 2015, Jakes mentioned that his views on homosexuality and LGBT rights were developing. He clarified that he did not support same-sex marriage but respected the legal rights provided to those who disagree.

• In July 2015, Tegna, Inc. and Debmar-Mercury announced a test run of a new talk show, T.D. Jakes, in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, and Minneapolis from 17 August to 11 September 2015.

• On 10 May 2016, Tegna confirmed the show would premiere on 12 September, airing in over 50 markets nationwide.

• In September 2016, Jakes launched the TD Jakes Show, a daytime talk show that aimed to empower guests through open discussions.
  

  T. D. Jakes on the poster of the show TD Jakes Show

• On 15 March 2017, the talk show was cancelled due to poor ratings and limited viewership.

• In 2017, Jakes appeared in the music video of the song Rejoice by Steve Angello from the album Human.