T.D. Jakes Preaches Pivoting, Briefly Addresses Rumors at New Year’s Revival

While Bishop T.D. Jakes has recently drawn fire on social media for allegedly attending events with Sean “Diddy” Combs, his recent messages at First Baptist Church of Glenarden pushed prosperity in 2024.  

“I want to see the word made flesh. I do prison ministry. People get on my nerves talking about whom I’m seen with,” Bishop Jakes said on Saturday, Jan. 6, day four of the New Year’s revival, sponsored by First Baptist Church of Glenarden and Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church.

“You want to know why all hell is going on against me? Jakes continued. “The devil is mad. Through good soul, I want to train 1,000 millionaires. I want to Build parks and senior citizens’ homes. That’s why I am on the hit list. Is there anyone covering me with prayer?”

Drawing from the biblical book of Joshua, Bishop T.D. Jakes emphasized that the Black church needs to “pivot.”

As he strolled around in the pulpit filled with ministers, Jakes said Friday that he wanted to challenge the congregation’s thinking. “We spend our money looking rich on shoes that hurt our feet,” he said.

While Jakes has been criticized for promoting a term often referred to as “prosperity gospel,” he set the record straight on his intentions. He touted many of his church’s programs— from building housing for senior citizens, to rehabilitating those behind bars.

“We have church better than any other people in the world, but Jesus didn’t say that I come that you have church. Jesus said I come that you have life and have it more abundantly,” the bishop said.

Jakes preached that too many messages are “emotionally titillating instead of being intellectually stimulating.”

The History of the Joint New Year’s Revival 

First Baptist Church of Glenarden and Greater Mount Calvary have sponsored the revival for the last 30 years, and from Jan. 3-6, the revival featured three ministers and several national recording artists, in addition to worship leaders from the church.

In a televised interview on the revival, First Baptist Church of Glenarden Minister of Music Anthony Brown asked Greater Mt. Calvary Pastor Alfred Owens how the joint revival began.  

The story begins with First Baptist Church of Glenarden Pastor John K. Jenkins  Sr. walked into Constitution Hall  in 1991.

“He gave me a check for $5,000 and the rest is history,” Owens said. 

Owens added that Greater Mt. Calvary had an unpaid bill for $5,000 and Jenkins had written the check before coming to Constitution Hall. When he gave him the check he said, “I knew how costly it is to rent a facility and I wanted to support him.”

The next year the two churches had the revival at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, and since that time, the revival has been held at the worship center of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden.

The 2024 revival began on Wednesday, Jan. 3 with Judith McAllister, Donald Lawrence and Maurette Brown Clark singing and Dr. Phillip Pointer preaching. Birmingham, Alabama Pastor Mike McClure, preached Thursday.

“We are conditioning a new school Christian who praises God, but is insensitive to the needs of the people,” McClure, who sang and preached, said. “Praise without pain is just a performance.”

Jakes Encourages Addressing Economic Realities, Pivoting 

On Saturday Jakes had a special lesson for church leaders, where pastors must face certain economic realities. 

“We are losing our middle class,” Jakes said.

He further emphasized the issues of spending in the church. 

“Jesus won’t pay for my hotel or to fly me back to Dallas. Our churches have to be more than a place to hoop and shout,” Jakes said. 

He pushed the importance of proper planning and pivoting.

“You have to have a strategy. We don’t need to cultivate our purpose, we need to cultivate our strategy,” Jakes said. “Harlan Sanders was 65 when he started KFC. Shout ‘Pivot!’ You have to Pivot.”

Church Leaders, Revival Guests React to Jakes

The Rev. Henry P. Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church of Highland Park, said the New Year’s revival started this week at his church, but he still attended the revival with Jakes.

“At a time when there is so much godlessness, so many  stores have closed and there so many thefts, we need hope. Bishop Jakes brought that,” Davis said, before recalling a particularly powerful moment. “I will never forget the sight of young people giving their lives to Christ.”

Jerome Bell, pastor of Grace Memorial  Baptist Church, said he is not bothered by the social media rumors against Jakes. “It doesn’t discredit all of the great work that he has already done: water wells  in Africa, the homeless, feeding folks, building senior citizen complexes,” Bell said. “I don’t care if he went to the party or not.”

Cynthia Brockett, a member of Greater Mount Calvary,  watched the revival all four nights. “What is done in darkness will come out in the light?  People, even ministers, can  get caught up like we do. A lot of people got saved under Bishop Jakes but we can’t put him on a pedestal.”

Dr. Willie Jolley, a motivational speaker and member of First Baptist Church expressed his support for Jakes.

 “There were no issues. He was very gracious that so many of us came out to support him,” Jolley said. “There has been so much hoopla because he has been tried in social media and some have given up, but what we did, by showing up, was to say we have your back.”

 “That’s what I told him backstage,” Jolley emphasized. “I hugged him and ‘I said I got your back.’”