Inside Bishop T D Jakes's $5,5M Home Where He Lives with His Wife of 39 Years

Bishop T.D. Jakes is a famous preacher who has been criticized in the past for his lavish lifestyle. Together with his wife and kids, he has lived in quite a few luxury homes over the years. Here are details of the house he and his wife currently live in.

Among Christians, it is widely believed that God rewards his most faithful children and anyone who knows Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder of the Dallas megachurch, The Potter's House, and his wife, Serita Jakes, will understand that these two are devoted believers who have been blessed many times.

They have a great family, and the two have been married for almost four decades, longer than the life span of many people currently walking the face of the earth.

The pair met when the preacher was invited as a guest preacher at Serita's home church in Beckley, West Virginia, and she felt a powerful attraction toward him as she listened to him preach on that fateful day.

They met shortly after, and by May 1982, the pair had been united in holy matrimony. It was a great start to something wonderful, but like every other Christian out there, the two had some trials to pass through, including a nasty accident that prevented her from using her legs properly.

Fortunately, the preacher was right by her side, caring for her, praying for her, and teaching her how to work again. It was a challenging period for the pair, but it got them even closer that the connection they shared became "unexplainable" and stronger.

The pair welcomed five beautiful kids together and now are grandparents to several grandkids. Not many would describe the preacher's family as perfect, but there's little doubt that they are tight-knit, and even when one of them makes mistakes like his daughter, Sarah, did when she was 14, everyone pitched in to support and help.

In this way, the family has survived and thrived, and these days, the name T.D. Jakes has become a household name in Christian circles. But unfortunately, this means many eyes are always watching, ready to chew them out when they make mistakes.

This article explores one of the most popular topics that make netizens lash out at the man and his family — their luxury home(s).

A PREACHER WHO LIVES A POSH LIFESTYLE

Bishop T.D. Jakes started as a small-town preacher, but his ambitions were grand, so he worked by day, and when night fell, he would preach at any venue he was permitted to. Fast forward to today, he is now a multimillionaire with a church that has more than 30,000 members.

He doesn't just preach these days; he sings and delivers speeches at venues worldwide, both for secular and non-secular audiences. He has also recently added actor and movie producer to the number of hats he wears, which in reality is a lot to take on.

Bishop Jakes has declared in the past that he believes the term "preacher" to be too limiting as he desires the freedom to be anything and everything. So naturally, such visibility and fame put him under the spotlight, especially in the Christian community, where leaders are expected to be flawless.

This means exposure to criticisms from people who believe he is too lavish with his lifestyle. After all, the Christian bible preaches frugality and self-discipline in all things, which many preachers like Billy Graham practice.

When he's not receiving backlash for that, Bishop Jakes is criticized for not giving sermons about social justice like the preachers of old.

At first glance, it may appear like the preacher is unfazed by all the criticisms, but in reality, they reach him and shred his soft heart; however, he knows that all of that comes with fame, so he does his best not to let the nasty statements rob him of happiness.

The famous bishop first became a pastor at the age of 23 when he started preaching at the Greater Emanuel Temple of Faith in Smithers, West Virginia, in 1982; then, he joined the Higher Ground Always Abounding Assemblies before moving to South Charleston in 1995.

The same year, he founded a company named T.D.J. Enterprises, through which he produced his films and published his books. Throughout the 90s, the preacher spread the word until he finally started his own ministry in Dallas, and in no time at all, his congregation grew.

By 2008, he had 17,000 members even though his church property, which he bought from W.V. Grant in 1996, could only take 8,000 worshippers. So the bishop had to spend more money, approximately $45 million, on expanding the place so it could take more than double the previous number.

With such a large gathering, it is no surprise that Bishop Jakes receives so much backlash, and even though he mostly ignores the troll, there are times when he feels obligated to speak about it.

He once revealed that he believes his posh lifestyle should encourage younger people, especially blacks, to pursue good things because if they see that "God can do it for him, then he can do it for them as well."

HIS OLD HOME

At 28, Bishop Jakes' lived in West Virginia, where he had a modest house. The place was not much to look out for, but it was good enough to live in for years until he made progress in life.

It was a small beginning for him, but he moved to a traditional-style mansion initially built in 1987, and the preacher purchased it three years later. It is located in Dallas and consists of five bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, and a living space of about 10,681 square feet.

The place is directly opposite White Rock Lake. The entrance is lined with elegant white pillars and two-story windows guaranteed to impress even before the interior details are revealed.

Besides the rooms and bathrooms, the house also boasts an airy kitchen equipped with a fireplace, a breakfast bar, granite countertops, and a door that leads to the terrace overlooking the lake.

There is also a larger dining room complete with french doors that go to one of the many patio spaces in the house.

For the more outdoorsy people, the house has a ton of physical attractions where people can spend time, including a koi pond, an outdoor grill area, a gym cabana, and large spaces for entertaining guests.

For Bishop Jakes, this house was where he went to get back in sync with himself, but after becoming more famous, the home lost some of the peace it had offered.

According to him, people would show up at his doorstep at odd hours wanting prayers or guidance — some even came drunk, and it gradually became a safety hazard for his family, especially since he traveled very frequently.

Eventually, the man of God had to move to get some of that tranquility back and retain safety for his wife and kids.

HIS HOME NOW

After leaving his lakefront home in Dallas, Bishop Jakes and his family moved to Fort Worth, where he purchased a 14,045 square foot home at $5.5 million in December 2004.

The original asking price had been $7 million, but he somehow haggled it, leaving him with a pretty decent bargain.

Initially built in 1979, the property underwent an extensive renovation that lasted three good years and produced stunning results. Unlike his former house, which was traditional in structure, his Fort Worth home is a perfect blend of contemporary and modern design.

It boasts vaulted ceilings, a couple of fireplaces, and different types of flooring, including wood, marble, and stone; then, there are amenities like a wet bar, guest house, spacious garage, sports court, and a swimming pool equipped with a spa.

The bishop liked the community so much that two months later, he bought the home sitting next to theirs two months later in February 2005.

The exact price he purchased it was undisclosed, but anyone willing to buy it would need at least $1.2 million in recent times.

HIS DAUGHTER LOVES THE POSH LIFE TOO

As earlier stated, T.D. Jakes welcomed five kids with his longtime wife but because of his lavish lifestyle people pay close attention to his family, looking for things to attack.

For years many searched for something scandalous from his past to use against him, but nothing came up — until he's 14 years old daughter, Sarah, got pregnant.

The trolls had a field day with that one, but the bishop did not forsake his child, who was already feeling very shameful for what she had done.

She would chastise herself for her mistakes, and for a long time, she struggled with the shame of what had happened.

It took the grace of God for her to close her ears to all the terrible judgemental inputs from people who had expected perfection from her, but when she did, she was able to turn things around for good.

She had her child and even decided to start her own ministry, becoming the only child of the preacher to do so. Now in her 30s, Sarah has quietly put together a startup empire of her own, thanks to sold-out preaching tours, multiple book deals, and a podcast she hosts.

She has appeared frequently on T.V. and has remained candid about her tumultuous teen years and rocky young adult life.

In 2020, Sarah, who is currently married to Toure Roberts, purchased a large property outside Calabasas for about $4 million.

The estate is located in an exclusive community where many A-list celebrities have made their home at some point or the other, and it boasts almost 10,000 square feet of living space and a sprawling 10-acre lot,

It was built in 2004 and is designed symmetrically with lush yards, a large pool, and a garage big enough to fit four vehicles. Inside, there is a large foyer with a double staircase, an enormous chandelier, and marble floors.

Many other amenities fill this masterpiece, including an outdoor B.B.Q. Station, a highly modernized kitchen, and ample entertaining space make this estate one of the most luxurious out there, which is a pure indication that, like her dad, Sarah has a taste for the finer things in life.