T.D. Jakes taps son-in-law, daughter as new leaders

Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts will become the new leaders of The Potter’s House, the Dallas megachurch pastor said Sunday. Jakes told the roughly 30,000 church members that he decided to transfer leadership after he suffered a heart attack in November. His daughter and son-in-law have run the church since his health scare, he said, adding that he did not want to risk leaving his congregation without a shepherd. Jakes assured his congregation that the couple was not chosen because they were family but because they became an integral part of the church and had served as pastors of the nondenominational church. The couple is expected to fully assume leadership later this year so that Jakes can focus on other ministries. Jakes has been in ministry for nearly 50 years and will continue to serve as chairman of the T.D. Jakes Group. He also plans to launch a new podcast with iHeartMedia.

Jakes has been criticized in some evangelical circles for his shifting teachings on the Trinity. Critics have also accused him of preaching a prosperity gospel.

Has Jakes been involved in any other major news recently? The 67-year-old pastor in November filed a defamation lawsuit against a former pastor who claimed that Jakes sexually assaulted him about 40 years ago. Lawyers for Jakes filed the suit against Duane Youngblood, who is on parole following convictions for sexual assault and corruption of minors, one day after Jakes’ heart attack. The lawsuit alleges that a lawyer claiming to represent Youngblood sent a letter to Jakes demanding $6 million.

Youngblood’s brother, Richard Edwin Youngblood, in January filed similar allegations against Jakes in a motion to dismiss the pastor’s lawsuit. In response, Jakes in February filed an affidavit further denying the brother’s claims.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about Jakes’ medical crisis.