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T.D. Jakes

Beliefnet Columnist

Thomas Dexter (T.D.) Jakes is a best-selling author, a Grammy and Dove-nominated music artist, entrepeneur and conference and crusade speaker who draws each year a collective audience of hundreds of thousands�the world�s celebrity and the suffering�to arenas across the globe to seek a "God of Second Chances."

He is pastor of one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation�the multi-denominational, 26,000 member Potter�s House church in Dallas. His "Potter�s House" television program is seen on Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) and Black Entertainment Television (BET) throughout the United States, and in Uganda, Nairobi, Kenya, South Africa, Australia and England.

Most recently, he is a critically acclaimed two-time playwright engaging the nation in a close look at breast cancer and its effect on marriages in his second stage play, "Behind Closed Doors." The play follows on the heels of the twenty books and more he's written, including the best sellers "The Lady, Her Lover and Her Lord," "His Lady," "Maximize the Moment," and his most recent release, "The Great Investment" (October 2000, G. P. Putnam & Sons)

He was born in South Charleston, West Virginia, and grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of the region. The first small church congregations he pastored were in Montgomery and Smithers, West Virginia.

He and his wife, Serita, live in South Dallas with their five children.

Columns and articles by T.D. Jakes

Mama Taught Me to Pray May 4, 2006
When his sister was seriously ill, T.D. Jakes's tough-minded mother stormed heaven with her prayers.

The Great Investment Jun 10, 2003
Family, faith, and finance are the three ingredients of a successful life.

God Will Help Us Bear The Unbearable Sep 24, 2001
Faith isn't embarrassed by disaster, as it wasn't designed to avoid confronting pain

The Dawn Of A New Day Aug 9, 2001
Middle Age is never the end-- it is only a new beginning.

On the Move Jul 10, 2001
Men across the nation are still moving in one accord for the glory of God.

Thank God It's Friday! Apr 10, 2001
On this supposed final day of His life, one man knew something that no one else did: this was not the end of the story.

The Significance of a Rib Mar 26, 2001
An insight into the plight of women from antiquity to today.

The Pentecostal Divide Feb 15, 2001
Despite the separation of the past, the racial chasm among Pentecostal Christians is narrowing.

A Faith Base for America Jan 31, 2001
An integral thread in America's social tapestry, faith-based groups represent the vision this country was founded upon.

Christians, Politics, and the Uncertainty of the Future Dec 8, 2000
What does the election mean to American Christians?