The Potter's House (T.D. Jakes)
Dallas-based evangelical megachurch led by T.D. Jakes (1996). MegaFest conferences and substantial broadcast network.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — Dallas-based evangelical megachurch; documented prosperity-gospel-adjacent patterns.
Profile facts
In context
The Potter's House is one of the largest US predominantly Black megachurches. Jakes's MegaFest conferences and 'Woman, Thou Art Loosed' book/film franchise extend the brand. Documented patterns include substantial tithing and prosperity-gospel adjacency.
Recovery resources
- Tears of Eden — Christian spiritual-abuse-survivor support and clinician referral.
- Recovering Grace — Originally IBLP-focused; archive includes broader fundamentalist Christian high-control material.
- Reclamation Collective — Religious-trauma-aware therapist network; relevant for post-exit identity-rebuilding.
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Evidence by BITE axis
- Substantial tithing pressure
- Prosperity-gospel adjacency
- documented prosperity-gospel-adjacent patterns
Timeline
- 1996Potter's House founded
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
| Title | Type | Reliability | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without a Pastor of His Own, Obama Turns to Five · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| 10 leadership tips from Bishop T.D. Jakes · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| Corée du Sud | Government | Primary | — |
| T.D. Jakes steps down as Dallas megachurch senior pastor, installs son-in-law, daughter as co-senior pastors_, CBS Texas Staff, Website cbsnews.com | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| Preacher T. D. Jakes · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| A religious man — not right, not left · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
Sources
- Various press coverage search ↗
- Without a Pastor of His Own, Obama Turns to Five — https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/us/politics/15pastor.html open ↗
- 10 leadership tips from Bishop T.D. Jakes — https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2014/06/02/10-leadership-tips-from-bishop-t-d-jakes/?noredirect=on open ↗
- Corée du Sud — https://lod.nl.go.kr/resource/KAC200305666 open ↗
- T.D. Jakes steps down as Dallas megachurch senior pastor, installs son-in-law, daughter as co-senior pastors_, CBS Texas Staff, Website cbsnews.com — https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/t-d-jakes-steps-down-as-dallas-megachurch-senior-pastor-installs-son-in-law-daughter/ open ↗
- Preacher T. D. Jakes — http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20010917,00.html open ↗
- A religious man — not right, not left — http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/wickham/2005-08-08-wickham_x.htm open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J corrective: Moderate-band (CLCI 16) entry upgraded from Mainstream-comparator lighter palette to Christian high-control palette — Batch J's clci<21 fallthrough was too lean for the documented control vector of this category.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J: per-group recovery resources applied via programmatic palette (closest-fit by category + subCategory + score). Palette: Mainstream-comparator lighter.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
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Frequently asked questions
Q.Is The Potter's House a cult?
CLCI Hub deliberately avoids the binary label "cult." Instead it places groups on a transparent 0–40 spectrum of documented control using Steven Hassan's BITE model (Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotional). The Potter's House scores 16 out of 40 — "Moderate Control", at medium confidence. The score describes documented control patterns, not a judgement of members' sincerity or beliefs; many members do not personally experience the patterns listed.
Q.What is The Potter's House's CLCI score?
The Potter's House scores 16 out of 40 on the Cult-Like Control Index, which falls in the "Moderate" band. That total is the sum of four BITE axes — Behaviour 4, Information 4, Thought 4, Emotional 4 — plus a signed modifier of +0 for aggravating or mitigating factors.
Q.Why does The Potter's House score 16 on the CLCI?
The score reflects publicly documented patterns including: Substantial tithing pressure; Prosperity-gospel adjacency. These map onto the BITE axes of behaviour, information, thought, and emotional control, and a signed modifier of +0 is applied for factors such as financial demands, leadership accountability, and exit costs. Every claim is backed by the citations in the Sources section on this page.
Q.How reliable is the The Potter's House rating?
This profile is rated Medium confidence. Medium confidence means the score rests on reputable journalism plus consistent ex-member testimony. CLCI scores are not fixed — they are revised whenever new public evidence appears, and groups that reform can score lower over time.
Q.Where can I get help regarding The Potter's House?
If you or someone you care about is affected by The Potter's House, start with the Recovery resources listed on this page. General cult-aware support is available from the International Cultic Studies Association (icsahome.com) and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center (freedomofmind.com). CLCI Hub is an educational resource, not a crisis service — if anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.