T.D. Jakes Biography

Fast Facts

• Named a Top 10 Religious Leader by PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly in 2000
• His book "Mama Made the Difference" won a Quill Award in 2006 and eventually reached No․ 4 on the New York Times Hardcover Advice and How-To Best Sellers List
• Named the Most Influential Christian of 2005 by The Church Report publication
• Began his career with the church preaching at a small store with a seven-person congregation
• Quote: "Find something that feeds you creatively․ Something that reinvigorates you so that you can continue to enjoy what you do․"
• Quote: "If a critic says something that challenges my approach, I ingest, digest and appropriate it․ I focus on what I have been called to do․"
• Quote: "At this point in my life, it is not about what I have accomplished, it is about what I can pass on․ It is about legacy․ It is about helping the next generation find their voice․"
• Best known as the founder and senior pastor of Dallas' non-denominational mega-church, The Potter's House
• Appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in 2001 with the headline under his face asking, "Is this man the next Billy Graham?"