The Black American Glossary

T. D. Jakes is an American pastor, author, and filmmaker. Currently, he is the pastor of The Potter’s House, a Nondenominational American megachurch.

T. D. Jakes’ Early Life, Childhood, and Education

Jakes was born in South Charleston, West Virginia on June 9, 1957, to parents Odith Jakes and Ernest Jakes, Sr. Throughout his childhood years, he grew up in Vandalia and attended local Baptist churches. He worked in local industries during his teenage years. He is of American nationality. Furthermore, he belongs to the African-American ethnic background.

Talking about his education, Jakes attended West Virginia State University. He later dropped out of the university. Furthermore, he completed a B. A. and M.A. in 1990. In addition, he also completed Doctor of Ministry in Religious Studies from Friends International Christian University in 1995.

T. D. Jakes’ Career, Salary, Net Worth

Jakes initially took a job at the local Union Carbide and also continued preaching part-time. Additionally, he became the pastor of the Greater Emanuel Temple of Faith in 1982.

In addition, he began a radio ministry The Master’s Plan. He was later ordained as a minister of the Higher Ground Assembly. Jakes also began television ministry, ‘Get Ready’. It aired on Black Entertainment Television and the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Jakes has also purchased the former facilities of Eagle’s Nest Church. The Potter’s House has grown to a congregation of 30,000. In 2015, Jakes became the host of ‘T.D. Jakes’. It was later canceled due to poor ratings and low clearances. Some of Jakes’ writings include ‘Loved by’, ‘Intimacy With God’, ‘Loose That Man And Let Him Go’, ‘Reposition Yourself: Living a Life Without Limits’, ‘Lay Aside the Weight’, ‘Overcoming the Enemy’, ‘Destiny: Step Into Your Purpose’, and ‘Soar!: Build Your Vision from the Ground Up’ among others. Additionally, his filmography credits include ‘Woman Thou Art Loosed’, ‘Not Easily Broken’, ‘Jumping the Broom’, ‘Sparkle’, ’Miracles from Heaven’, and ‘Heaven Is for Real’.

Jakes has received 13 honorary degrees and doctorates. His album ‘A Wing and a Prayer’ won in the category of Best Gospel or Chorus Album during the 46th Grammy Awards in 2003. In addition, he also garnered the nomination for Black Reel Award.

Jakes has not revealed his current salary. However, he has an estimated net worth of around $147 million at present.

T. D. Jakes’ Rumors, Controversy

Jakes’ views on homosexuality and LGBT rights has received several criticisms over the years. Additionally, he became part of a controversy in 2017 after he tweeted “If you obey God you will never be broke another day in your life”. He received several criticisms over this tweet. At present, there are no rumors concerning Jakes and his career.

T. D. Jakes’ Body Measurement

Talking about his body measurement, Jakes has a height of 6 feet 3 inches (1.91m). Additionally, he is bald and his eye color is dark brown.

T. D. Jakes’ Social Media

Jakes is active over the social media. He has a huge number of followers on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter as well as Instagram. He has more than 3.3M followers on Twitter. In addition, he has more than 2.2M followers on Instagram. Similarly, his Facebook page has more than 6M followers.

Quick Facts

Birth Date:
August 29, 1958

In 1982, Jakes became the pastor of Greater Emanuel Temple of Faith in West Virginia. When he started out he had only 10 members in the congregation. According to the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library, the church grew fast, leading Jakes to move it several times to accommodate the larger congregation and following.
Jakes moved his church from West Virginia to Texas in 1996. He also moved 50 families involved in his work and created a campus environment for his congregation, which was 14,000 at the time.
Jakes has been honored several times for his work. He has been ranked in Ebony magazine's Power 100 and is the winner of several awards including BET Honors, Stellar Award, NAACP Image Award, Keeper of the Dream Award and McDonald's 365Black Award for his humanitarian efforts.
Technology is seen as a great tool by Jakes. When the country was on the verge of a technology revolution in 2000, Jakes decided to embrace the change. He told PBS he was excited about going high tech in his church because it enables the message to get out to more people.
Jakes isn't solely about promoting his own church. In the wake of racial violence in the United States he is reaching out to other pastor's about the racial divide in the country. He told The Washington Post he would like to see other churches reaching out, bridging the gap and sharing resources.
Jakes was given a key to the city of Dallas in 1997 for his work to provide the homeless with clothes and shoes for the winter, according to Texas Monthly.
Oprah Winfrey is a big Jakes fan. In 2013, she taped “Oprah's Lifeclass” at his megachurch event and even had him cook for her. Jakes made her a banana pudding at her request. “If he wasn't already a bishop, I'd hire him as a chef,” Winfrey told The Dallas Morning News.