His church services and evangelistic sermons are broadcast on The Potter's Touch, which airs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Black Entertainment Television[2] and The Word Network. Other aspects of Jakes' ministry include an annual revival called "MegaFest" (which draws more than 100,000 people during that period of time), an annual women's conference called "Woman Thou Art Loosed", and gospel music recordings. He is also connected to Mt. Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries in Richmond, Virginia.
In the fall of 2009, Jakes plan on launching a secular daily talk show, syndicated through the CBS Television Distribution group; however, economic troubles in the industry may put his new program into jeopardy. [3]
On January 20, 2009, Jakes led the early morning prayer service for President-elect Barack Obama at St. John's Church in Washington, DC, according to NBC News.
Early Life and History
Thomas Dexter June 9, 1957 in South Charleston, West Virginia to Ernest Jakes, Sr., a janitor and entrepreneur[2] , and Odith, an educator. Even as a child he was known in his West Virginian neighborhood as "the Bad Bible boy." He was also told he would never be able to preach because of his "bad" lisp. [4] Shortly after his father's death from kidney failure, Jakes decided to go into ministry. [2] In 1979, with very little funds of his own and with only ten initial members, he founded Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith as a storefront church in Montgomery, West Virginia. Jakes maintained his day job digging ditches in order to support his ministry until the church was able to support him. During its first 10 years, the church grew to over 1,000 members. [5] In 1982, Jakes turned to full-time ministry.[2]
By 1990, his church had moved twice, first from Montgomery to the nearby community of Smithers, and from there to his hometown of South Charleston. In 1993, the church moved yet again within the Charleston area, to Cross Lanes.[6]
In 1995, when he was 38 years old, Jakes started his television ministry. [4] In 1996 Jakes founded The Potter's House in Dallas, Texas, with about 50 families that had relocated with him from his former congregation in Cross Lanes. Jakes purchased the property, which was previously Eagle's Nest Family Church, from WV Grant after Grant was sentenced to 16 months in prison for tax-related crimes.[7] In its 12-year existence it has grown to over 30,000 members.[citation needed] Both Jakes and his Potter's House church are unrelated to the Potter's House Christian Fellowship, a Pentecostal denomination founded in Arizona in 1970.
[edit]Family and Heritage
In 1981 he married Serita Ann Jamison.[2] They have five children together (Jamar, Jermaine, Cora, Sarah, and Thomas Jakes Jr.) Jakes is a strong advocate of abstinence and has made appearances on the subject ranging from Good Morning America to Dr. Phil. Jermaine Jakes is a step-son of Jakes, and was arrested in January 2009 for indecent exposure in a public park to undercover police officers.
PBS program African American Lives, Jakes had his DNA analyzed; his Y chromosome showed that he is descended from the Igbo people of what is now Nigeria.[8][9] According to his family history, it was also suggested that he is descended from them through his paternal grandmother. [10][11]
Criticism
Critics have accused him of promoting views on God that derive from Oneness Pentecostalism, but he has denied this.[12]
Jakes subscribes to "prosperity theology," which in essence teaches that God rewards his faithful followers by overt material means.[citation needed] As such, Jakes is unapologetic in amassing expensive clothes, luxury cars, and property. His detractors, however, argue that the Jesus of the Bible did not practice such an indulgence in material wealth, and as such, Jakes is teaching a contra-Biblical message.
Jakes has also been criticized for not speaking on racism by Cain Hope Felder, dean of the Howard University Divinity School, and others.[2]
Awards and Accomplishments
Jakes has received numerous honors, including 13 honorary degrees and doctorates. He has also received Grammy and Dove Award nominations for Gospel album "Live at The Potter's House." PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly named Jakes among America's "Top 10 Religious Leaders." Time magazine featured Jake on the cover of its September 17, 2001 issue with the provocative question: "Is This Man the Next Billy Graham?". [5]
Shayne Lee, a sociologist at Tulane University, wrote the first biography of Jakes entitled T.D. Jakes: America's New Preacher, in which he portrays the bishop as a complicated preacher brimming with paradoxes and contradictions and motivated by the dual task of healing hearts and generating market share. Lee compares Jakes to Jay Gatsby and calls him a model of the new postmodern evangelical preacher. Jakes is one of five evangelicals featured in Dr. Lee's new book Holy Mavericks: Evangelical Innovators and the Spiritual Marketplace, co-authored by historian Phillip Sinitiere and published by NYU Press.
[edit]Christian Ministry
Jakes is a charismatic speaker and preacher whose sermons are broadcast nationally and internationally over television and satellite television. Jakes is also a prolific author and has written over 30 books, many of which have been featured on the New York Times best-selling list. Jakes is also a songwriter, a playwright, and performer. He founded a Christian record label (Dexterity Sounds [13]) as well as a theater and movie production company.[14]
Jakes' church, The Potter's House, is very active in ministry and outreach both locally and internationally. The Potter's House sends drugs and alcohol counselling to the inner city, volunteers to the elderly, to prostitutes and victims of domestic abuse. [4] Jakes also has a special interest in the continent of Africa, and The Potter's House launched an initiative that brought water wells, medicine, and ministry to thousands of people in and around Nairobi in Kenya.[14]
Jakes hosted several popular national conferences, including "Woman, Thou Art Loosed," "G Unit: ManPower," and "God's Leading Ladies." Recently, Jakes combined those into a single event called "Megafest." Jakes regularly draws capacity crowds at his conferences and ministry events.[14]
[edit]Books
Intimacy With God
Can You Stand To Be Blessed?
Naked And Not Ashamed?
Loose That Man And Lets Him Go
Loose That Man And Let Him Go Work Book
Positioning Yourself To Prosper
Reposition Yourself: Living a Life Without Limits
He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle
Help! I'm Raising My Children Alone: A Guide for Single Ladies and Those Who Sometimes Feel They Are
Ten Commandments of Working in a Hostile Environment
Promises From God For Single Women
Woman, Thou Art Loosed: Healing the Wounds of the Past
The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord
Maximize the Moment : God's Action Plan For Your Life
So You Call Yourself a Man?: Finally Devotional for Ordinary Men With Extraordinary Potential
God's Leading Lady
His Lady
Jesus Walks (with me)
Whats up church,!!
Daddy Loves His Girls
The Greatest Investment
Mama Made the Difference
TD Jakes Speaks To Men
Before You Do : Making Great Decisions That That You Won't Regret, Atria Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1416547280
[edit]Movies
Woman Thou Art Loosed (based on Jakes' novel of the same name)[15]
Not Easily Broken (based on another Jakes' novel).[16]
He is Gangstalisous How to be hood without people knowing Reach for the stars
[edit]References
^ "Biography" (HTML). Bishop T.D. Jakes. T.D. Jakes Website. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.
^ a b c d e f Washington Post Article
Come to me
T.D. Jakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mi sembrava come volare via lontano
Via da ogni singola bugia solo noi
Da quella paura che non muore mai
Di soffrire, di nuovo, daccapo
E se ora annego nella mia pazzia
E perché io vivevo per lei
Quei discorsi sulla gelosia
Se questo è amore non lo voglio, no
Io che non avevo mai visto una donna piangere per colpa mia
Mi sentii come cadere giù dall'universo
In quelle notti piene di rimorsi dove siamo solo una fotografia
Devi saper dire "ho amato" e saper dire "ho perso"
Come me
Come me
Na na na
Mi parlava con malinconia
Piano piano
Terrò viva la nostra magia
Se lo vuoi
Mi disse che nessuno merita
Di soffrire di nuovo, daccapo
È che non me lo permetterà mai
Di morire lontana da me
Io continuavo a spingerla via
Ma dentro urlavo "ti amo"
Se questo è amore
Non lo voglio, no
Io che non avevo mai visto una donna piangere per colpa mia
Mi sentii come cadere giù dall'universo
In quelle notti piene di rimorsi dove siamo solo una fotografia
Devi saper dire "ho amato" e saper dire "ho perso"
Io che non avevo mai visto una donna piangere per colpa mia
Mi sentii come cadere già dall'universo
Na na na
Na na na
In T.D. Jakes's song 'Come to Me', the lyrics express the pain and regret that a man feels after causing a woman to cry. The first verse describes how he was ready to leave all the lies and fears behind and start anew. However, he finds himself drowning in his madness because he was living for the woman he loved. He recalls the conversations about jealousy they had and how those memories are now causing him pain. He concludes that if this is what love is, he does not want it.
In the second verse, the man confesses how he had never seen a woman cry because of him before, and it made him feel like he was falling from the universe. He remembers the nights filled with remorse, where they were nothing more than a distant memory. He says that one must know how to say "I loved" and "I lost" like he did. In the bridge, the woman tells him that he must keep their magic alive and that no one deserves to suffer the pain of heartbreak again. However, he knows that he cannot bear to let her die away from him.
The song is a beautiful and emotional ballad that talks about love, heartbreak, and regret. It showcases that even in the happiest relationship, there are moments of pain and suffering. The lyrics are raw, honest, and passionate, which can resonate with people who have experienced heartbreak in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Na na na
The singer is singing a nonsense phrase to provide a catchy tune for the song.
Mi sembrava come volare via lontano
The singer felt like they were soaring away from every lie they had ever been told and the fear of being hurt again.
Via da ogni singola bugia solo noi
The singer feels like they have escaped from all the lies they and their love interest have ever told each other.
Da quella paura che non muore mai
The singer has conquered the never-ending fear of being hurt again.
Di soffrire, di nuovo, daccapo
The artist is relieved to have overcome the possibility of suffering through heartbreak again.
E se ora annego nella mia pazzia
The singer may feel crazy in their current state.
E perché io vivevo per lei
The singer used to live for their love interest.
Quei discorsi sulla gelosia
The artist references past conversations about dealing with jealousy in their relationship.
Nei ricordi che bagnano gli occhi
The artist is teary-eyed when reminiscing about their memories with their love interest.
Se questo è amore non lo voglio, no
The artist questions whether the kind of love they had with their partner is worth it, indicating that they may not want it.
Io che non avevo mai visto una donna piangere per colpa mia
The singer is overwhelmed to see a woman cry because of something they did.
Mi sentii come cadere giù dall'universo
The artist felt like they had fallen from the universe or their high status, acknowledging their wrongdoing.
In quelle notti piene di rimorsi dove siamo solo una fotografia
The singer has regrets about their past experiences with their ex-lover and they can only relive those moments through a photograph.
Devi saper dire "ho amato" e saper dire "ho perso"
The singer states that someone must be able to say that they have loved and lost, recognizing that it is part of life.
Come me
The singer feels that others should be able to handle heartbreak just like they had to.
Mi parlava con malinconia
The artist communicated with their love interest with a sense of sadness and melancholy.
Piano piano
Slowly and gradually.
Terrò viva la nostra magia
The singer wants to keep the magic of their relationship alive and thriving.
Se lo vuoi
The singer's partner has the choice to make amends if they so choose.
Mi disse che nessuno merita
The artist's partner believes that nobody deserves to suffer from heartbreak again.
Di soffrire di nuovo, daccapo
The partner does not want to experience heartbreak again.
È che non me lo permetterà mai
The artist's former partner will not allow themselves to suffer from heartbreak again.
Di morire lontana da me
The singer's lover doesn't want to be separated from them, figuratively or literally dying away.
Io continuavo a spingerla via
The artist was distant from their love interest despite their feelings inside.
Ma dentro urlavo "ti amo"
The singer still loved their partner despite their actions.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Luigi D'Alessio, Luca Imprudente
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind