All about Bishop T. D. Jakes’ marriage, wife and children

Who is Bishop T. D. Jakes?

Bishop T.D Jakes is an American bishop, author, and filmmaker. He is known for being the founder of The Potter’s House – a non-denominational, multicultural American megachurch. As a filmmaker, Jakes is known for movies like “Heaven Is For Real”, “Woman Thou Art Loosed”, “The Storm Is Over” and others.

Bishop T. D. Jakes’ full name is Thomas Dexter Jakes Sr. He was born on June 9, 1957, in South Charleston, West Virginia, United States. He is 65 years old as of September 2022.

About Bishop T. D. Jakes’ parents

Bishop T. D. Jakes was born to his parents: Ernest Jakes Sr (father) and Odith Patton Jakes (mother) as the youngest of three children. His father was a businessman and entrepreneur while his mother was an educator. When Jakes was ten years old, his father developed kidney failure. Jakes and his mother both cared for his father until he passed away in 1973.

As a result of his father’s death, Jakes devoted all his time to his ministry. He became an evangelist and church planter in the Charleston area. He later enrolled in West Virginia State University and began preaching part-time in local churches. Unfortunately, he dropped out of school and took a job at the local Union Carbide where he continued preaching part-time.

Ernest Jakes Sr – Bishop T. D. Jakes’ father

Ernest Jakes Sr. is the father of Bishop T. D. Jakes. He was a self-made businessman from Mississippi, United States. When Jakes was 10 years old, Ernest developed kidney failure which led to his death in 1973.

Odith Patton Jakes – Bishop T. D. Jakes’ mother

Odith Patton Jakes is the mother of Bishop T. D. Jakes. She enrolled in the university at the age of 15 and completed her degree at the age of 18. She worked as an economics teacher in a local school in West Virginia. Odith Patton has also worked at the employment office of Equal Opportunity in West Virginia, United States. She was born on March 25, 1926, and passed away on August 16, 1999, at the age of 73.

Bishop T. D. Jakes’ siblings

Bishop T. D. Jakes grew up in Vandalia, West Virginia alongside his two older siblings named Jacqueline Jakes (older sister) and Ernest Jakes Jr (older brother).

a. Jacqueline Jakes

Jacqueline Jakes is the older sister of Bishop T. D. Jakes. She is a writer and also works as the publications department manager as well as director of partner relations at The Potter’s House, Dallas, Texas. Some of her books include: “Sister Wit: Devotions for Women”, “God’s Trophy Women: You are Blessed and Highly Favoured”, “Jacqueline’s Spiritual Jewels”, “Destiny Image”, and others.

b. Ernest Jakes Jr

Ernest Jakes Jr is the older brother of Bishop T. D. Jakes. He is a realtor, broker, and businessman. He also works at the Potter’s House, Dallas, Texas, United States.

Bishop T. D Jakes’ marriage and wedding

As of the time of publishing this article (September 2022), Bishop T. D. Jakes is happily married to his wife Serita Jakes. The couple got married on May 1982 and have been married for 39 years. They have five children together and a host of grandchildren.

Old picture of Bishop T. D. Jakes and his family.

Bishop T. D. Jakes’ girlfriends

As of the time of writing, Bishop T. D. Jakes’ only known relationship is the one he has with his wife of 39 years and counting, Serita Jakes.

About Bishop T. D. Jakes’ wife – Serita Jakes

Serita Ann Jakes is the wife of Bishop T. D. Jakes. She was born on August 19, 1955, in Beckley, West Virginia, United States. She is 67 years old as of September 2022. Serita Jakes is an American author and public speaker. Her father was a coal miner, but not much is known about her mother who died of Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Serita Jakes studied theatre and mass communications in college. During the time of her schooling, she lost her older brother in a shooting scene. As an author, some of Serita Jakes’ books include: “The Princess Within”, “Beside Every Good Man: Loving Myself While Standing By Him”, and “The Crossing”.

According to reports, while Serita Jakes was growing up, she experienced intense bullying because of her weight, and as a result of this, she struggled to fit in and eventually became a loner. She later joined the wrong crowd and was introduced to marijuana, alcohol, and sex. While in college, she faced a major tragedy when her brother was killed in a shooting scene in front of his daughters. She later got into an abusive relationship with a violent man, and after he threatened to kill her, she vowed to leave the relationship and mend her ways.

In an interview, Serita Jakes revealed that her life changed after going back to church and getting baptized.

Bishop T. D. Jakes and wife Serita Jakes

How Bishop T. D. Jakes met his wife-Serita Jakes

Bishop T. D. Jakes and his wife, Serita met at Serita’s church during a revival program. At that time, Jakes was a part-time pastor at the Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith in Charleston, West Virginia. They met after Serita’s baptism and he helped her find her way as a young convert. It was from there that they both developed a personal bond. They got married on May 29, 1982, a year and a half after their first meeting. Unfortunately, six months into their marriage, they both suffered a terrifying accident.

The accident injured one of Serita’s feet and she couldn’t walk again. Throughout her recovery, Jakes was by her side and according to him, the horrific accident brought them together and created an unexplainable connection between them. They have five children together named Sarah Jakes Roberts, Cora Jakes-Coleman, Thomas Jakes Jr., Jermaine Jakes, and Jamar Jakes.

Bishop T.D Jakes’ children

Bishop T. D. Jakes is a proud father of five children – three boys and two girls.

List of Bishop T. D. Jakes’ children

  1. Sarah Jakes Roberts
  2. Cora Jakes-Coleman
  3. Jermaine Jakes
  4. Jamar Jakes and
  5. Thomas Jakes Jr.
NameGenderAge
Sarah Jakes-RobertsFemale35
Cora Jakes-ColemanFemale34
Jermaine JakesMale42
Jamar JakesMale43
Thomas Jakes Jr.Male28

About Bishop T. D. Jakes’ children

a. Sarah Jakes

Sarah Jakes-Roberts is the eldest daughter of Bishop T. D Jakes and his wife, Serita. She is an author, motivational speaker, and YouTuber. Sarah Jakes was born on July 17, 1988, in Texas, United States. She is 34 years old as of September 2022. She attended Texas Christain University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in 2008.

Sarah Jakes is widely recognized for her books which mostly talk about being in unhealthy relationships, marriages, and having supportive friends. Her first book “Lost and Found: Finding Hope in the Detours of Life” was published in April 2014. Her recent book “Woman Evolve: Break Up with Your Fears and Revolutionize Your Life” was published in 2021 and has become a New York Times bestseller.

Sarah Jakes Roberts

Sarah Jakes pregnancy, marriage and divorce

When Sarah Jakes was 14 years old, she became pregnant and gave birth to her first child but kept the identity of the baby’s father away from the media. In 2008, she got married to her first husband Robert Henson, a former American football player with the Washington Redskins.

Sarah Jakes and Robert Henson got divorced in 2012 but the marriage produced one child named Makenzie Henson. In the same 2012, Sarah Jakes married her second husband Touré Roberts in a private ceremony in the United States. Touré Roberts is an American motivational speaker, author, and founder of One Church, Los Angeles. They currently have one child together. According to information gathered by DNB Stories Africa, Sarah Jakes is also a stepmom to Touré’s three children from his ex-wife, Lori Roberts. The children include Ren Taylor Roberts, Teya Hunter Roberts, and Isaiah Roberts.

Sarah Jakes and her husband Touré Roberts

b. Cora Jakes

Cora Jakes-Coleman is the second daughter of Bishop T. D. Jakes and his wife, Serita. She is an American pastor, motivational speaker, spiritual advisor, author, and social media influencer. She was born July 19, 1987, in Dallas, Texas, United States. She is 35 years old as of September 2022. Aside from being a pastor, Cora Jakes also works in the children’s ministry at The Potter’s House of Dallas. At the age of 22, Cora Jakes was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and the following year, she was diagnosed with infertility. However, Cora Jakes later achieved her dream of motherhood through adoption. She adopted two children named Amauri Noelle Coleman and Jason Coleman. According to information gathered by DNB Stories Africa, Cora Jakes was previously married to her ex-husband Richard Brandon Coleman in June 2011. The pair got divorced in January 2022 after Richard was charged with sexual abuse of one of his adopted minor children.

Cora Jakes and her two adoptive children

c. Jermaine Jakes

Jermaine Jakes is Bishop T. D. Jakes’ second son. He was born on January 4, 1980, in Texas, United States. He is 42 years old as of September 2022. He attended Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Centre High School where he majored in Education and Social Service. Jermaine Jakes works as a Data Entry Specialist at T. D. Jakes’ ministries. He has also handled the positions of Production Director, Production Manager of Staging, and Coordinator of Volunteers.

Jermaine Jakes

Jermaine Jakes arrest and gay rumours

In 2009, Jermaine Jakes was arrested for indecently exposing himself to two undercover Dallas police officers at Kiest Park, near West Kiest Boulevard and South Hampton Road, United States. News of his arrest further fuelled speculations that Jermaine Jakes might be gay. Jermaine has been keeping a low profile ever since and has not stirred a major headline in the news since the incident. There is currently no information about his marriage or romantic relationships so far.

d. Jamar Jakes

Jamar Jakes is Bishop T.D Jakes’ first son. He was born on January 4, 1979, in Texas, United States. He is 43 years old as of September 2022. Jamar Jakes works as the general manager for The Potter House. He was also the director of the business development for TD Jakes’ other enterprises. Not much is known about Jamar Jakes’ personal life as he likes to stay off the media.

Jamar Jakes

e. Thomas Jakes Jr

Thomas Jakes Jr is the youngest child of Bishop T.D. Jakes. He was born on August 14, 1994, in Texas, United States. He is 28 years old as of September 2022. As of September 2022, Thomas Jakes is happily married to his wife, Larissa Piao. The couple tied the knot on March 12, 2020, at the Potter’s House of Dallas.

Thomas Jakes and his wife Larissa Piao.

Bishop T. D. Jakes’ grandchildren

Bishop T. D. Jakes and his wife Serita Jakes are also proud grandparents to five grandchildren. Bishop T. D. Jakes’ grandchildren include Malachi Jakes, Makenzie Henson, Amauri Noelle Coleman, Ella Roberts, and Jason Coleman.

NameGenderAgeMother
Malachi JakesMale20Sarah Jakes-Roberts
Makenzie JakesFemale13Sarah Jakes-Roberts
Amauri Noelle ColemanFemale13Cora Jakes-Coleman
Ella RobertsFemale7Sarh Jakes-Roberts
Jason ColemanMale6Cora Jakes-Coleman

About Bishop T. D. Jakes’ grandchildren

a. Malachi Jakes is the first grandchild of Bishop T. D. Jakes. He is the son of Sarah Jakes Roberts and her unknown baby daddy. Malachi Jakes was born on August 21, 2002. He is currently 20 years old as of September 2022. He attended the Colorado School of Acting in 2017 where he took the Advanced Film Acting Course. Aside from being an actor, Malachi is also a blogger and the mastermind behind “Moments In Mind With Malachi”.

Bishop T. D. Jakes’ first grandson Malachi Jakes

b. Makenzie Henson is the second grandchild of Bishop T. D. Jakes. She is the daughter of Sarah Jakes Roberts and her ex-husband, Robert Henson. She was born on August 14, 2009, in the United States. She is 13 years old as of September 2022.

Makenzie Jakes and her mother, Sarah.

c. Amauri Noelle Coleman is the third grandchild of Bishop T. D. Jakes. She is the daughter of Cora Jakes-Coleman and her ex-husband, Richard Brandon Coleman. Her birth date is currently unknown. However, she is reportedly 13 years as of September 2022.

d. Jason Coleman is the fourth grandchild of Bishop T. D. Jakes. He is the son of Cora Jakes-Coleman and ex-husband Richard Brandon Coleman. He was born on May 21, 2015, in the United States. He is 7 years old as of September 2022.

e. Ella Roberts is the fifth grandchild of Bishop T. D. Jakes. She was born on February 6, 2016, in the United States. She is 6 years old as of September 2022.

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About Precious Uko

Precious Uko is an Economics student at the University of Calabar. She has a deep passion for writing and enjoys exploring a wide range of topics in her works.

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