TIME has named Sarah Jakes Roberts to the 2023 TIME 100 Next list.
An expansion of the TIME 100 list of the most influential people in the world, TIME 100 Next highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science and activism, and more. The full list and related tributes appear in the Sept. 25, 2023 issue, available on newsstands on Friday, Sept. 15, and now at time.com/next.
Jakes Roberts is redefining what it means to be a modern woman of faith. As a wife, mother, author and businesswoman dedicated to honoring her father’s (T.D. Jakes) mission of empowering underrepresented communities—including the disappearing middle class—her messages have spread throughout the world defying cultural, religious, gender, and socio-economic boundaries. She has a unique way of reaching people who are seeking to make peace with their past, maximize their present and deepen their relationship with God.
Jakes Roberts will provide a dynamic space for women to learn and grow together at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas this week, Sept. 14 – 16, where more than 40,000 women will gather for her global women’s conference, Woman Evolve. Jakes Roberts’ Woman Evolve is the fastest selling women’s conference in the history of Globe Life Field.
Follow @TIME for updates about the list. #TIME100NEXT
Amazon Freevee to Feature Unscripted, Faith-Based Content FromRenowned Spiritual Leader Bishop T.D. Jakes
For the first time, iconic sermons and inspiring messages from Bishop Jakes will be available to streamon demand and on a dedicated FAST channel, both free to watch. The announcement is part of the Women, Thou Art Loosed! Grand Finale Conferencein Atlanta, taking place this weekend.
Today, Amazon Freevee and Bishop T.D. Jakes announced a two-year deal to stream the spiritual leader’s most-loved sermons on the service in the U.S. beginning December 1. The deal includes streaming rights in the U.S., UK, and Germany, with exclusive on-demand and FAST channel rights to 300 hours of content, featuring some of the Bishop’s most treasured new and archived sermons and interviews.
Bishop Jakes will be the first faith leader to have their ministry available on the service, including a FAST channel, providing a free-of-charge, dedicated space for viewers inspired by his teachings and message. The T.D. Jakes FAST Channel will be available for customers in the U.S. to stream on the Freevee app and within Prime Video in early 2023.
Named “America’s Best Preacher” by TIME magazine, Jakes has commanded stages from the White House to the Aspen Institute, the Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University to the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Spanning a wide array of themes and formats that include some of Jakes’ most iconic sermons, Freevee customers will also have access to content that includes emotional well-being; T.D. Jakes on The Road: Australia, London, and Africa; and leadership and business talks featuring National Cathedral messages and conversations with celebrities and heads of state.
“Through his powerful and dynamic sermons and wide-ranging community outreach, Bishop Jakes has been a source of wisdom and guidance to millions around the world,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD Original content and programming at Amazon Studios. “At Freevee, our steadfast mission is to deliver our broad audience a diverse selection of compelling, personally resonant content. As we build our faith-based offerings alongside our entertainment selection, we are honored to be the exclusive video streaming home for Bishop Jakes’ decades-long ministry, and proud to be a destination for viewers to find an ongoing source of spiritual inspiration.”
“The launch of our channel with Amazon Freevee signals a major step forward in providing a protected and trusted space for audiences’ emotional and spiritual fortitude. As Amazon continues to innovate and offer audiences meaningful content, I’m proud to illustrate to the world how ministry and philanthropy can be done in an ever-evolving culture. Though what we’ve been able to achieve with this launch is unprecedented, our mission to positively affect lives by reducing limitations on how people can be ministered to remains our North Star. I look forward to taking more big, meaningful leaps with Amazon.”
Bishop Jakes Captures Historic Mother-to-Mother Moment: Sybrina Fulton Honors Allison Jean at International Gathering
A brief word from SMG founder, Fred Willis: Last night when I saw this, I couldn’t hold back my emotions. To hear from this mother, still in the throes of grief, flanked by Bishop, Lady Jakes and Sybrina Fulton was a lot to grasp. Bishop Jakes serves as Pastor to Dallas County DA, Faith Johnson who is charged with the pursuit of justice for Botham Jean’s unjust killing. DA Johnson has quite a task on her hands because successfully prosecuting and ultimately convicting police officers in America is not yet the norm.
In his wisdom, I’m certain that Bishop Jakes is praying for DA Johnson and the Jean family who are both seeking justice in this matter. For Johnson, the conviction of Amber Guyger could come at the cost of her professional career if some officers and unions have their way. In this moment, I celebrate Bishop Jakes, Lady Serita Jakes and God’s Leading Ladies for bestowing this honor and placing the weight of their support and prayers behind this family who has endured an international tragedy.-Fred
Trayvon Martin‘s mother, Sybrina Fulton, presented the Lady of Grace award to Allison Jean, mother of Botham Jean, last night during the God’s Leading Ladies gala at Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Woman, Thou Art Loosed!Master Class conference. The award recognizes Jean’s grace, courageous faith, strength and resilience as she rose up to advocate not only for her son, but for others who have unjustly lost their lives.
https://youtu.be/WYVIDIhWqvg
The historic moment captured the two women who are inextricably linked by the tragic and unexpected loss of their sons through racially motivated violence: one to an overzealous neighbor and the other to an off-duty police officer. Fulton has become an advocate and consoler to other families who have lost loved ones due to violence.
Jakes, senior pastor of The Potter’s House, has worked to keep public attention on the issue of racially unjust violence:
“This is a 200-year-old problem that we are still facing within contemporary society. Today too many families have become victims to senseless tragedies. Now is the time to unite and not divide. We need leaders of all colors to come together and recognize we have a problem across America. My hope and prayer is that together as a community we can work together to educate society and change this disturbing pattern. Regardless of race and background, every mother should feel that her children are safe.”
The 2018 Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Master Class runs until Oct. 20 at The Potter’s House in Dallas. For more than 25 years, Woman, Thou Art Loosed! has been training, teaching and inspiring more than half a million women. This year’s new Master Class format will feature breakout panels on topics such as the challenges female leaders face in male-dominated work environments, how to achieve work-life balance, how to succeed in corporate America and tips to maintain healthy relationships.
Visit WTAL.org for more information on confirmed speakers, talent, the full schedule and special event updates. Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by following @MyWTALConf.
Attendees of the Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Master Class conference are being asked to bring an extra bag in their suitcases. The Bags-2-Go campaign presented by The Potter’s House’s United MegaCARE is collecting new and gently used bags, of all kinds and dimensions, for domestic violence victims in partnership with Genesis Women’s Shelter.
The collection begins Oct. 14, the week of the conference, and continues through November. Donations can be dropped off at The Potter’s House of Dallas (6777 W. Kiest Blvd., Dallas, TX 75236), which is also the conference venue.
The Potter’s House of Dallas will be open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in four women in the U.S. experiences domestic abuse, while one in three women does so in Texas. Once a woman decides to leave an abusive relationship, belongings and toiletries are often thrown into plastic or garbage bags, usually ripping and falling apart before the woman makes it to a designated safe place or women’s shelter. The Bags-2-Go campaign aims to bring dignity back to those who are facing a vulnerable situation and are in transition.
More than 8,100 people plan to attend this year’s Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Master Class, which features top international spiritually-minded business women and is designed to equip women to maximize their impact in their fields of influence around business, entrepreneurship, entertainment, healthcare, technology, finance and ministry. Attendees will learn about increasing leadership, cultivating confidence, exceling in relationships, achieving financial freedom, navigating the workplace and growing in faith during mainstage sessions and breakout panels. Networking opportunities will also be available. Speakers include Cynthia Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks; Nona Jones, manager of global faith-based partnerships for Facebook; Ivy McGregor, director of philanthropy and corporate relations for Parkwood Entertainment; Nely Galán, Emmy award-winning producer and former president of entertainment for Telemundo; and more.
For more information on confirmed speakers, talent, the full schedule and special event updates, visit WTAL.org. Members of the media can apply for media credentials here. Women can stay connected on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by following @MyWTALConf.
About Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Woman, Thou Art Loosed! began in 1992 as a women’s Bible study led by Bishop Jakes and has since birthed a best-selling book, a widely acclaimed stage play, a Grammy-nominated CD and a national conference. In October 2004, Woman, Thou Art Loosed! was developed into a movie in collaboration with Reuben Cannon Productions and became a box office top-10 hit, winning a 2005 NAACP Image Award. Since its inception, the national conference has reached more than half a million women from around the world. For more information, visit WTAL.org.
About The Potter’s House Founded in 1996, The Potter’s House is a 30,000-member, nondenominational, multicultural church and humanitarian organization led by Bishop T.D. Jakes, who has been twice featured on the cover of Time magazine as America’s Best Preacher. It has global humanitarian outreach and 48 active ministries like its Texas Offenders Re-entry initiative. Consistently ranked among the largest and most influential churches in the U.S., The Potter’s House has five locations: The Potter’s House of Dallas, The Potter’s House of Fort Worth, The Potter’s House of North Dallas, The Potter’s House of Denver and The Potter’s House at One L.A. For more information, visit ThePottersHouse.org.
It’s not enough to be in the King’s presence, you must understand your assignment in the King’s presence. Some of us are in such a rush to be in the presence of the King without fully processing the responsibility that we fall short and concede the assignment for a seat. As we see with Esther, Daniel and the three Hebrew boys, God sets His people in high places to bring His agenda with them. -Fred Willis, “The Weight of the Wait” 2017
Credit: Screenshot of Washington Post video on YouTube
I’ve spent the better part of the day trying to wrap my mind around the paradoxical gathering in the cabinet room of the white house on yesterday. President Donald Trump gathered with Black and Hispanic Pastors to discuss prison reform. What actually happened was nothing short of another notch in President Trump’s belt of untruth. As is customary with this administration, the attendees fell victim to Trump’s trademark bait and switch. In short, these Pastors got played-they walked right into a bear trap only paralleled in hilarity by a Tom & Jerry cartoon. Perhaps the meeting ran longer than the published 31 minute video and text transcript, but that seems to be the entirety of the meeting. Instead of broaching the topic of prison reform in depth, its need and how these Pastors would better serve the initiative, the men kowtowed to the President, lauding his “action” on the issue, economics and employment.
The black Pastors were in the white house to talk about prison reform but this contrast was too stark for me to ignore. When the white Pastors were in the white house. they prayed for…prayed over the President and crowded him but this meeting on yesterday evoked a different attitude. One that put each of those powerful preachers seated, under the influence of Donald J. Trump. Per usual, Pastor Darrell Scott found a way to dominate the news cycle with an ostentatiously vulgar love of untruth in favor of President Trump.
You must understand, this meeting was limited to the rolodex of Pastor Paula White. This explains both, the scope and intent of the meeting. Can you imagine if Bishop T.D. Jakes were in the room? He should have been in the room and I’m pretty sure I know why he couldn’t or didn’t
make the meeting. Last year at the Pastors and Leaders Conference in Dallas, Texas, Bishop Jakes took issue with Pastor White and Bishop Harry Jackson during the “Polemics of Politics and the Pulpit” panel. Joined by Joshua Dubois, Father Michael Pfleger and moderated by April Ryan, the exchanges simmered to a boiling point and all but severed previously held personal ties. The panel remained cordial afterward and even posed for pictures together, but something changed that day in Dallas.
President Trump traffics in misinformation and misdirection, and used the silence of the Pastors to his advantage. Not once was there a rebuttal or request for the fact (mis)represented during the conversation. The assertion that Trump and his administration are the cause for prisoner hires and increase in their quality of life is easily refutable. It is reported that the Pastors were told that the President wouldn’t take questions, yet none of them offered up a retort in the face of outright untruth. Pastoring is just that, beyond the exposing of malice, but the resolution of malice and these men did the members and communities they serve a severe disservice in the presence of President Trump on yesterday.
In the number were Trump team members Bishop Harry Jackson, Pastor Darrell Scott, Dr. Alveda King and Pastor Paula White. Earlier this summer, President Trump hosted Kim Kardashian-West for a meeting on the matter which resulted in the release of Alice Johnson. You could surmise that this meeting with clergy is the follow-up to the meeting with West. What is problematic about the meeting is the stench of inaction. When Kardashian-West went home, there was already something in the works pursuant to Ms. Johnson’s impending clemency. The news day has come to a close and all we have about yesterday’s meeting is…well, nothing! I’ll opine here and say that this yet another reason why people are dismissive of the spiritual and natural power the church claims to possess. How could a room full of Pastors not eek out a release, call for air conditioning in prisons, or a decrease in private for-profit prisons?
The severity of this level of inaction has grieved me to a point I have not been grieved before. In fact, the only occurrence that comes to mind is the night George Zimmerman was acquitted. I cried from a deep place in my soul I never want to re-visit again. If Pastors like these have their way, I may need more Kleenex. Pastor Jamal Bryant used his absence from the meeting to challenge those in attendance and seek out answers for himself and those us also perplexed by their silence at the table.
I like these Pastors. Many of them are dynamic in the pulpit and magnanimous in their communities. Why they were silent yesterday puzzles me. As stated earlier in the article, one glaring omission from the meeting was Bishop T. D. Jakes. Why he wasn’t at the meeting is unknown to me and not worthy of conjecture. What I will speak on is T.O.R.I. (Texas Offender Re-Entry Initiative) at The Potter’s House in Dallas. This program is one of the largest anti-recidivism programs I know of and successfully re-integrates its program graduates into society as successful contributors and rehabilitated persons.
I attended a T.O.R.I. graduation a few years ago at the church and Judge Greg Mathis was on hand to speak to the graduates. In the few minutes I was able to speak with graduates, Bishop Jakes and Judge Mathis, my mind was blown at the level on which this program operates. Also in the room were politicians, local business owners and government officials who all work together on the multi-tiered effort to ultimately eradicate recidivism. The graduation is held each year and this year, the speaker was political commentator Angela Rye. It’s worth noting that 2014 Valedictorian LaHeather Wilson spent this past Tuesday evening addressing graduates of the Dallas County DIVERT program. Graduates of this program are able to have their records expunged.
Another glaring omission from the table was the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. In effect, Dr. Barber has picked up where Dr. King left off at his untimely death. Dr. Barber’s reiteration of the poor people’s campaign is impacting Americans much like the original iteration. No doubt, prison reform is an extension of civil and human rights, so to have this generation’s drum major absent from the meeting is a severe character flaw. Dr. Freddy Haynes of the Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas would have also been a great addition to the conversation, had there been one. Just this week, Dr. Haynes address Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in an open letter from his pulpit.
Bishop Darrell Hines was a part of the meeting, but why not Bishop Charles E. Blake? Bishop Blake is currently the Presiding Prelate and Chief Apostle of the Church of God In Christ, International and has been a staunch advocate for ending the incessant subjugation of underrepresented people and offering a hand of fellowship and aid. Through their COGIC Urban Initiatives Department, the RITES Program works to make re-entry possible through entrepreneurship. Certainly Bishop Blake or Bishop Bass (President, CUI) would have been more suitable for the meeting.
Father Michael Pfleger would have also been better suited for the meeting, given his 50 years of work in the greater Chicagoland area and working directly with and for the people of his parish. Undoubtedly, he knows the strain violence, crime and even the threat of recidivism put on his community. Pastor, Rudolph McKissic, Dr. E. Dewey Smith, Bishop Joseph Walker or Bishop Paul Morton would have also been worthy additions to the conversation. I can almost assure you that the roundtable was filled with these men not because of their voices, but their complicit silence! These are only a few suggestions and don’t cover all the possible seats at this proverbial ‘table’. Surely there are countless others who are worthy of note and it is my hope that in the wake of this fallout, we become better acclimated to the good work they do in regard to activism and prison reform.
‘Optics’…Pastor John Gray Addresses His Presence At the Table
The Conclusion of the Matter
My issue with this meeting is simple, it yielded no results, or even a plan for the future. Will there be a future meeting? Ask the HBCU heads who now feel jilted after their meeting with the President. While many of the Pastors are thankful for the invitation to the table, this meeting is nothing like Daniel in Babylon working under Nebuchadnezzar. In that instance, the nation was under his wicked rule and God used Daniel’s gift to not only make room for him, but for his friends as they were made heads over provinces in the Kingdom. Like Daniel and his friends, it would have been advantageous for at least one to decline the “meal” of furthering the Trump agenda in the form of the dubious photo opp. President Trump has done some good for the country, but majority of what he does is to the detriment of the greater good of all citizens.
For trusted Pastors to use their opportunity to compliment a man that sows discord, deceive his base and discredit this democracy is stomach churning. These men didn’t show grace, they showed cowardice! I’m reminded of Mordecai’s words to Esther when he reported Haman’s plot:
Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:13-14
What happens when you have the opportunity to speak truth to power and affect change and instead choose to praise oppression? Haman laid it out for his cousin: “they’re will kill you, too!” Such is the case, for these Pastors as they return home to their congregations and their incarcerated family members who are no better today than they were yesterday! Pastor Edwrin Sutton of Smith Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Poughkeepsi, New York eloquently voiced the frustration most of us feel, today (read Pastor Sutton’s statement in full, here):
l also firmly believe that when you are not invited to the TABLE it’s because you are on the MENU. However, how humiliating it is when you are at the TABLE but still ON THE MENU! If you are going to sit at the table, AT LEAST place your order! Moses met with the Pharaoh, but he placed his order! He said LET GOD’S PEOPLE GO! When did one preacher at least one time PLACE THEIR ORDER while they were at the table?!? Furthermore, when I read the official minutes of the meeting l was deeply disturbed! If you are going to be a TRUE PROPHETIC WITNESS, there must be at least two components; You must HEAR FROM GOD and you must SPEAK FOR GOD! No one spoke for God FULLY!!!Whenever we become “starstruck” with those who are influenced by the powers of darkness, we stop being PROPHETS and start being PUPPETS, controlled by our mesmerization of PEOPLE, PLATFORMS and POWER! To those who might have went to the meeting out of pure motives, my question for you is where was the wisdom? Surely, if you didn’t go for a Photo Op, wisdom would tell you that the President invited you for a Photo Op! If you don’t support the President, surely wisdom would tell you He was going to have his team market it as such!!!! If you were conflicted about going, surely wisdom would have told you to seek council from credible black Pastors who fight for the liberation of minorities. You’ve been TRUMPed!
