Pastor T.D. Jakes of the Potter's
House, located in Dallas, Texas, will be a part of the Black Entertainment
Network's "BET Honors" special airing in February 2013, the network
announced last week.
The BET network announced Thursday,
Dec. 20 that Jakes will be honored for his humanitarian work, primarily in the
areas of leadership and education.
Jakes, who is the pastor of the
Potter's House, which boasts an attendance of 17,000, has contributed
significantly to humanitarian work in the United States through various
programs, including the Texas Offenders Reentry Initiative, which helps former
offenders smoothly transfer back into society, and MegaCARE, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to worldwide philanthropic work.
Jakes also serves as a guiding voice
for many American Christians seeking answers to modern-day issues and
tragedies.
For example, Jakes has recently spoken
out on the school shooting which took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in
Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14. 2012.
"I pray for America to be united
in its collective reasoning so that this massacre and those that came before it
may be abated, once and for all," Jakes wrote in a prayer dedicated to
those involved in the Sandy Hook shooting, entitled "A Prayer For
Newtown," published by The Huffington Post on Dec. 21.
"We are Your children often
overwhelmed and staggering under the weight of our responsibilities, derelict
in our duties and destitute of a resolution without You! Help us to make sense
of our times," Jakes added.
In addition, Jakes previously told
MSNBC's "News Nation with Tamron Hall" that in tragic times such as
these "we all are mutually responsible to make sure our brothers are well
taken care of and definitely that our children are kept safe."
The famed pastor will accompany
actress Halle Berry, musician Chaka Khan, music executive Clarence Avant, and
female basketball star Lisa Leslie in the February televised honoree ceremony.
The special is a part of the BET's
Black History Month schedule, and involves the recognition of notable African
Americans who have excelled in the areas of music, literature, entertainment,
media, service and education, according to Multichannel News.
The honoring ceremony, which will be
hosted by actress Gabrielle Union, will be taped in Washington D.C. on Jan. 12
and will air on the BET Network on Feb. 11.
Previous "BET Honors"
recipients include actor Jamie Foxx and musician Sean John Combs, among others.