Pastor T.D. Jakes Heart Attack Played Role in Decision to Step Down From Church

Pastor T.D. Jakes suffering a heart attack during a November sermon was one of the dominoes that led to him taking on a reduced role at his megachurch.

Reps for Jakes tell TMZ ... the heart attack, emergency surgery and ensuing recovery are some of the reasons he's taking a step back from his role as pastor of The Potter's House of Dallas.

We're told Jakes spent a lot of time recovering from the heart issue, and it's affecting him to some degree.

As we reported ... Jakes announced Sunday he was naming his daughter and her husband as his successors ... handing over the reins to them at The Potter's House and selecting them as the next pastors.

Jakes' camp says health is not the only reason he's stepping back, though ... and he's said he wants to address some major economic issues.

We're told the other dominoes that led to his departure happened in 2022 ... when Jakes' daughter and son-in-law moved from Los Angeles to Dallas to get more involved at the megachurch, and "the historic farewell of the annual Woman, Thou Art Loosed conference to continuing the global Woman Evolve movement," led by Jakes' daughter.

Jakes also installed his daughter and her husband as assistant pastors of The Potter's House in 2023, giving them valuable leadership responsibilities before ultimately handing them the keys.