TD Jakes suffers ‘slight health incident’ during Sunday sermon after praying Psalm 19:14

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Sunday, November 24, 2024

Bishop T.D. Jakes preaching at the 2024 Joint New Year’s Revival in Maryland at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden on Jan. 5, 2024. | Screengrab/YouTube/TD Jakes Ministries

T.D. Jakes, founder of The Potter's House megachurch in Dallas, Texas, is in “stable” condition after suffering “a slight health incident” after praying Psalm 19:14 during his Sunday morning service, his church has confirmed.

“During today’s service, Bishop T.D. Jakes experienced a slight health incident and received immediate medical attention following his powerful hour long message. Bishop Jakes is stable and under the care of medical professionals,” The Potter’s House of Dallas said in a statement on Facebook. “The entire Potter’s House family is grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from the community. Thank you for your understanding and continued prayers.”

A video clip of the health incident posted on YouTube shows Jakes sharing how much he loved preaching and wasn’t tired of his job before experiencing seizure-like symptoms on stage.

“It was a pleasure. I still love to preach. I ain't tired of preaching. I miss you. I miss you,” Jakes told the congregation.

“Have you ever gone to a hospital to visit somebody and you thought you was going to encourage them, and they encourage you? That's what preaching is. Like you think you're giving out something, you're getting back more than you gave. I love you,” he said as his hand appeared to tremble.

He then prayed Psalm 19:14.

“Now Lord let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight oh Lord my strength, and My Redeemer let him go in peace,” Jakes said.

Moments after that it became clear to his members that something was wrong and people on the stage rushed to his aid and surrounded him while his congregants immediately began praying before the livestream was disconnected.

Many who watched the incident in person and online speculated that Jakes may have had a stroke.

At the start of 2024, Jakes lamented that “we like our heroes dead” during a revival service in Maryland, where he spoke about the death of Moses and the transition of power to Joshua, several days after unverified claims cast innuendo about his sexuality and relationship with music mogul and producer Diddy that his team dismissed as "unequivocally false and baseless." 

The unverified report that became a trending topic on social media in December 2023 accused Jakes of being a participant at sex parties hosted by Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, and other sexual misconduct, in the wake of a recently-settled lawsuit in which R&B singer Cassie accused Combs of rape, as well as repeated physical abuse over nearly a decade.

In the explosive lawsuit, Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleged that shortly after she met Combs in 2005 at age 19, he began a controlling and abusive relationship with her in which she was given drugs, beaten, and forced to have sex with male prostitutes as he filmed. Combs allegedly hosted the orgies at high-end hotels across the U.S.

In September, a 14-page indictment unsealed by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, accused Combs, 54, of abusing, threatening and coercing women and others. The rapper is accused of leading a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, along with other crimes between 2008 and the present.