“You are my ministry, you are my help mate too, when I think about loving myself, I think about loving you,” the man says as he glides across the stage in a distinguished yet animated stride. He looks at the woman seated on the platform in a room filled with thousands of people and whispers to her, “Do you remember?” She nods and he continues, the bass drum in his voice penetrating the hearts of those anxiously anticipating his next idea. “You are my ministry, a special part of me - a spiritual song in the night; you are my do-me-right.” The sound of the voices of women in the audience rises to a thunderous boom.
The whimsical intuitive oratory belongs to Bishop T. D. Jakes and the lady he is referring to is his wife of 27 years, Serita. Their intimate exchange is shared with leaders from around the world in a Pastor’s conference. His lyrical expression is from a song he wrote about his wife earlier in their marriage that he uses in one of his illustrations regarding love and the church. There are a multitude of logical factors that might explain why the Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas under the leadership of Bishop Jakes has more than 30,000 members and 28 different nationalities; or why his MegaFest conferences attract crowds over 100,000. But the bottom line for his success is that he gets it – he has lived it, he has conquered it and he can teach others how to live better lives through an expository of ideas expressed in such a way that it impacts people from all walks of life. And it is with those displays of intimacy, like the one referenced above, that he captivates his audiences.
As one of the country’s most influential leaders, a respected expert to both Presidents Clinton and Bush, Bishop T. D. Jakes emphatically delivers, “I am wondering who will get the message that our nation’s citizens are by and large looking for a voice that will unite us, clothe our naked, feed the poor and help our diminishing middle class before we self-destruct like many great empires of the past.” He explains to us during the interview that in order to break people into a common place you have to be a person who is able to love a wide array of people. “Love,” he says, “is the common denominator – it brings people together.”
In his new book, Before You Do, he is trying to get across to people of all walks of life “and stripes” that first of all we are where we are today because of decisions we made yesterday. “And if we want to change where we are going tomorrow, we have to change the decision-making processes we have today.” Bishop Jakes believes the book is one of empowerment that speaks to putting the ball back into the reader’s court and eradicating the crippling weight of victimization.
Bishop Jakes points out a chapter in the book, “Before You Blame,” which seems a very important point to the reader intending to take responsibility for their own destiny. “When people blame others, they put their future into the hands of their critics and their enemies. You’re giving the power to them,” he explains, “you are saying to that person my future has been aborted, assassinated or maligned by your behavior. When you take the authority back you are saying, I’m going to be in charge of this. I am going to make the decisions that I need to move myself along whether you go with me or not.”
An occasion to maximize the moment is when given the opportunity for a personal audience with the Bishop. And there were two important questions that we wanted to be able to ask for our readers. One dealt with our faith versus our choices and decisions, the other, choosing our president. In both cases, Bishop Jakes was able to point us back to his new book for reference. Jakes clarifies his points on faith first, “I think we must demystify the whole thing about faith. I spend a whole chapter talking about faith and how faith plays a part in it and it is a significant part, but we must not relegate the homework to the teacher. The teacher doesn’t do your homework you have to do your homework. We have to assume the responsibility of doing the research and the road work and the realism that brings us to the decision.” He then brings it back to a point of balance, “I think secular people need to embrace faith and spiritual people need to embrace practicality.”
Bishop Jakes was born in 1957 in South Charleston, West Virginia. He was a bible toting teenager, with a lisp that by all practical rationale should have weakened his public speaking capability. He had a tight family unit, but lost his father to kidney failure when he was only 16. Bishop Jakes uses his father’s choices to work extremely hard and neglect his health as an illustration in his Decision series. His teen moments of caring for his father and ultimately experiencing his death understandably impacted his life.
From a small beginning, young Jakes started his first church in 1979 with only 10 members in a storefront. The stories he tells of his humble beginnings fuel many. He shares his personal experiences of perseverance. He speaks of personal failures, hard financial times and most importantly the unwillingness to quit and his faith in God. In 1996, Jakes moved his family and 50 members from his church in West Virginia to Dallas, Texas where he founded The Potter’s House. Within twelve years the church has grown to 30,000 members, and several ministerial branches. He and his wife, Serita, have 5 children. Their daughter Sarah, who recently married, inspired this new book.
The Potter’s House outreach extends from the inner-city to the continent of Africa where their Faith For Africa initiative recently sponsored water wells and medicine for people in the vicinity of Nairobi and Kenya.
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