TD Jakes to Be Recipient of 2013 'BET Honors' for Humanitarian Efforts

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.