After 30 years of leading, Bishop T.D. Jakes has announced that his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and her husband, Pastor Touré Roberts, will take over as the senior pastors of the Potter’s House in Dallas.

The announcement was made during Sunday morning’s service, where Bishop Jakes, with his wife Serita by his side, officially named Sarah and Touré as the new senior pastors.

They will assume their new roles in July, while Bishop Jakes will remain involved as a member of the church’s Board of Directors.

This transition marks an important step in the church’s future, as it prepares to pass the torch to the next generation of leadership.

“As your pastor-elect, co-senior pastor elect, I’m grateful, I’m honored as your daughter,” Jakes Roberts said, fighting through tears as she embraced her father.

T.D. Jakes’ 2024 “health incident”

In November 2024, Jakes suffered a heart attack during a morning service at Potter’s House, which was captured live on video. It was questioned whether he’d return.

“I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me, and you be sheep without a shepherd,” Jakes said during the announcement Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Potter’s House told CBS News Texas that the plan for Jakes Roberts to take over has been in the works for years.

Following the announcement to the congregation Sunday, the Jakes family sent out the following letter:

“Today we shared with the world our long-held plans of purposeful evolution for The Potter’s House and our global church family.

to take over from father as he steps down

Over the past several years, we’ve carefully planned this transition to ensure it balances the needs of our global church family and the pace of our progress. When our family moved from Los Angeles to Dallas, it was to be more involved in the growth of this ministry.

In 2022, we marked a new chapter by transitioning from Woman, Thou Art Loosed to Woman Evolve. Then, in 2023, we installed two new assistant pastors, continuing to move forward with the vision we set years ago.

Today is another step in our ongoing evolution as a church. It’s a commitment to adapting and stepping into broader roles to meet the needs of this moment in our history.

As we look around our nation, we see the pressing economic, social, and spiritual challenges facing our communities. It’s clear that we cannot afford to overlook the potential of our youth or ignore the wisdom of our elders.

Issues like first-time homeownership struggles, the need to invest in a growing entrepreneurial sector, and the younger generation’s quest for faith in the face of skepticism are not signs of despair. They are a powerful call for change.

Together, we will rise to meet these challenges in our own unique ways.

As Pastors Touré and Sarah step into their new roles at The Potter’s House of Dallas, they will lead a fresh movement with a new sense of purpose.

Meanwhile, the T.D. Jakes Group will continue to drive efforts to create jobs, build infrastructure, and uplift communities across the country—focusing on elevating neighborhoods from the margins to the center, and working with like-minded partners to create vibrant, thriving communities. This work will accelerate rapidly, creating lasting positive change.

Together, we shall unite for the betterment of this generation and the ones that follow.”