T.D. Jakes

Birth Name:

Thomas Dexter Jakes

Birth Place:

South Charleston, West Virginia, United States

Profession

Producer, Writer, Actor

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 a Top 10 Religious Leader by PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly in 2000
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: "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․"
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․"
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?"

Fast Facts