At the final Woman, Thou Art Loosed! conference, which concluded on Sept. 24 in Atlanta, Bishop T.D. Jakes handed the reins of his successful women’s-empowerment ministry to his daughter, Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts.
The 65-year-old Jakes called his daughter to the stage, saying she was “walking into her destiny.” He emphasized that he was anointing her not through DNA, birth order, favoritism, or nepotism. “If I did not know that the hand of the Lord was upon you, I would never do this,” he said.
As Jakes poured oil on his daughter’s head, he prayed that God would bless her with strength and power. She then collapsed and remained on the stage as her father told all the attendees he was declaring “a new season in your life.”
Sarah Jakes Roberts Continues Father’s Legacy
Through her Woman Evolve ministry and a book of the same title, Sarah Jakes Roberts encourages women to “break up” with their fears and “revolutionize your life.” She also co-pastors two branches of The Potter’s House church—one in Los Angeles and one in Denver—with her husband, Touré Roberts.
On social media, her proud father writes: “I have watched you grow from my baby girl into a leader, changemaker, and influencer with a reach far beyond generations of women. You’ve touched the lives of so many, and as your earthly father, I’ve never been prouder! It is my distinct honor to pass the torch to you. You’ve earned it and will excel wherever God takes you for women’s empowerment!” Jakes vows to “always be there to put my coat over you for as long as I live, and gladly so. For as I decrease, I will watch God increase you!”
In her 2014 book “Lost and Found,” Jakes Roberts describes overcoming struggles including a pregnancy at age 13, a marriage at 19 that ended in divorce, low self-esteem, and more. By dealing with guilt and shame, she was able to transform from insecure and fearful to a “powerhouse” who helps other women “evolve into the best version of themselves.”
Bishop T.D. Jakes: ‘I Must Decrease’
After 30 years of conferences and 45 years of preaching, Jakes said to his daughter, “The time has come that I must decrease, and you must increase.” He describes the leadership transition as a beginning, not an ending, and he refutes the notion that it’s “weak” for a man to empower a woman.
