Serita A. Jakes is an author, speaker and visionary. She serves alongside her husband, Bishop T. D. Jakes of the legendary 30,000-member Dallas-based church, The Potter’s House.
Mrs. Jakes serves as executive director of women’s and children’s affairs at The Potter’s House, where she oversees the internationally acclaimed God’s Leading Ladies Life Enrichment Program, the nationally acclaimed Distinctively Debutante Program, a mentoring program for academically astute girls, ages 10-17 and Starting Over, a ministry committed to the betterment of women who encounter life altering challenges such as abuse, divorce, joblessness and grief.
A gifted writer, Mrs. Jakes released her first book, The Princess Within, in 1999. In 2003, Warner Faith published Jakes’ second book, Beside Every Good Man: Loving Myself While Standing By Him and in 2011, she released her third book, a novel, The Crossing, which tackles such issues as domestic violence, trauma and post traumatic stress syndrome. The Princess Within has now been adapted to a teen edition for girls ages, 12-15 entitled, The Princess Within for Teens. In 2014, she released The Princess Within for Teens to rave reviews and awards. The revised edition addresses contemporary issues that many “tween” and teen girls experience including bullying, peer pressure and social media.
A drama major in college, Mrs. Jakes has also lent her expertise to stage and film. She was the co-executive producer of the stage plays Woman, Thou Art Loosed and Behind Closed Doors. In addition, she assisted in the production of the film, Jumping the Broom, which topped box office numbers on opening weekend.
Her latest venture was releasing the SJ Home Collection, a collection of candles and accessories. She has always believed it is important for a woman to set the atmosphere in their home – it is what you do with the house that makes it a home. With this collection, she hopes to spread the calming and peaceful atmosphere in homes all over the world.
Jakes’ biblically-grounded knowledge allows her to share with believers and non-believers alike through appearances on The Dr. Phil Show, CNN, Oprah’s Next Chapter and Fox News. She also has been profiled in such notable publications as Ebony, The Washington Post, Essence and Rolling Out.
A loving wife, mother and grandmother, Mrs. Jakes and her husband have five children and she is lovingly called “Granny” by her five grandchildren.
