The Potter’s House co-senior pastor opens up about purpose, legacy and his new book.
Touré Roberts did not come to faith from inside a church. He came from the streets of South Central Los Angeles, where hardship was constant and the path forward was anything but clear. Today he is co-senior pastor of The Potter’s House of Dallas alongside his wife Sarah Jakes Roberts, a bestselling author and the founder of One Church LA. Rolling Out’s In the Spirit sat down with him to talk about legacy, calling and what it means to know God in a world that keeps shifting.
You were born in Oakland and raised in South Central Los Angeles. What did growing up in that community teach you about faith?
In Oakland, my parents were involved in a community all about serving people. We had feeding centers and they were big on fighting for justice. I picked up early that life was about people. In Los Angeles I experienced a lot of hardship, and yet through that hardship I continued to grow and overcome. I learned that if you are committed to a life of service, no matter what you face, God will see you through.
You spent time in corporate America before entering full-time ministry. How did that season prepare you for the pulpit?
Corporate America and running my own company taught me about systems, structure and scalability. When I founded One Church LA, I was having a personal experience with God and when I shared it with friends they were impacted. I thought about how to scale that impact. That was a business paradigm, so I planted the church to communicate not just to one person but to many. The Bible says be fruitful and multiply, which is a business principle.
Your books Purpose Awakening, Wholeness and Balance each address a different layer of human experience. What connects them, and what does your forthcoming book Knowing add?
The through line is purpose. Purpose Awakening is about being awakened to God’s intentionality for your life. Wholeness is about recognizing that being awakened does not mean you are emotionally well enough to fulfill it. Balance is about being your best self when you have so much going on. Knowing is about recognizing that as the world becomes more uncertain, you are still known by God. It also teaches you how to tap into an inner faculty God has placed in each of us that becomes not only your stability but your compass.
You founded One Church in 2002 and built it into a congregation known for drawing creatives and entertainers. What did you see that the traditional church was missing?
Hollywood was seen as a lost cause through the lens of the church. I saw something different. I saw people who, if they were affirmed in who they were in God and were taught and fed, would be a great contribution to the kingdom of God. As they grew in influence, the kingdom would grow in influence. Everyone was running away from Hollywood. I decided to run right to it.
Who were the mentors and spiritual fathers who shaped your faith?
Several people offered me pieces along the way. Dr. Solomon Drake taught me integrity and trusting the Word. Bishop Kenneth Ulmer helped me understand the Holy Spirit and what it means to live a Spirit-filled life. Dr. Jack Hayford shaped my heart toward building people rather than buildings. My father-in-law Bishop T.D. Jakes showed me the kingdom did not have to stay inside the church. Dr. Myles Munroe shaped my understanding of the gospel of the kingdom. A. R. Bernard who was an incredible teacher of the word. Dr. Cindy Trimm is prolific as it relates to ministry And Pastor Phil Munsey has been behind the scenes for almost 20 years, speaking prophetically and helping me navigate my way.
Bishop T.D. Jakes passed leadership of The Potter’s House to you and Sarah Jakes Roberts in 2025. What does it mean to carry that legacy?
It was deeply humbling. We had our dream situation in California and we didn’t need to come to Dallas to do something bigger for God. But we had a real passion to not see the work of Bishop Jakes fall to the ground. We felt a prophetic pull to step into this place and make certain that the standard of kingdom excellence was not only sustained but moved forward. We also recognized we were not supposed to be Bishop T.D. Jakes. If who we were was enough for God to choose us, then who we are would be enough in doing so.
You have built Called Leaders and One House Music alongside your pastoral work. How do you hold the tension and do you see them as separate callings?
It is hard because they require different hats. My congregation needs me to feed their souls and help them become the best reflections of Christ. Called Leaders is different. It is for those who are saved but also need someone to minister to the businessperson in them. Business very much can be ministry. A sizable number of the disciples Jesus called were entrepreneurs, and they need a different type of discipleship. One House Music, One House Multimedia and Modern Faith are all connected to my personal calling to reach people through storytelling by any means necessary. They are separate lanes but they come from the same place, which is seeing people flourish and be fruitful in their impact in the kingdom.
Your platform reaches over a million followers and more than 100 million views. What responsibility does that place on you?
It is a massive responsibility. When you are ministering, even when you think the camera is off, the camera is on. There may be several thousand people present but there are hundreds of thousands watching later. You cannot see them and you do not know what stage they are at. It is a responsibility I do not allow to overwhelm me, but one that sobers me and makes me think twice about what I say and do.
For someone sitting in a season of personal brokenness right now, what would you say to them?
You are seen. There is nothing unnatural about being in a broken place. God would only allow you to be there if He already knew He had the ability to make you whole. Acknowledging your brokenness means you are already in the beginning of the process of being healed. The first way to get healed is to say ouch. And the second thing I would say is this state is temporary. This is not your future. This is a journey that creates room for the lover of your soul to come in and show you that whatever you are facing, He is the God of that too.
How do you hear from God in a world that is constantly competing for your attention?
The first step is truly believing that you can. God gave you ears to hear, eyes to see, a nose to smell. Why would He not give you the ability to perceive His voice? The second thing is recognizing that corporations are in boardrooms right now trying to figure out how best to distract you. There is a financial gain connected to your attention. So you have to be intentional about creating space for distraction to be at bay so you can tap into your organ of perception. Then you have to act on what you sense. If you sense something and do not respond, and later realize that had you responded things would have gone a more desirable way, that is how you learn to trust what God is showing you.
Music is central to One House. What do you look for in worship that goes beyond production?
Some rabbis believe that in Genesis, God did not just speak creation into existence but sang it. There is also a passage where Zephaniah says the Lord sings over us. We are wired to respond to sound and music. What I look for beyond talent is the ability to tap into the purity of God and bring that into the creative process. I know people who can barely keep on pitch but because they are so connected to God, it resonates. That connection matters more than technical skill.
What scripture speaks most to your journey in Christ?
Philippians 1:6. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. That is my story. From humble beginnings in Watts, to being shot at 16 and nearly dying, to succeeding outwardly in corporate America while withering inwardly, to going through a divorce and thinking my life was over, to seeing God restore my life and my sense of calling. He who started something in you, if He started it, He will finish it. Sometimes in spite of you.
As you step into this next chapter what does leaving the world better actually look like?
The biggest thing is raising up the next generation of leaders. The only way I can leave the world better is if I served God well in my generation. You take your strength and pour it into the next generation. What I honor about Bishop Jakes is he did not wait until he was 85 to hand things over. He used his latter strength to pour into the next generation so they can be strong. For me it is being faithful in my generation while pouring into others, so that when I am gone there is still impact, and not the same impact but even greater impact. Jesus says greater things you will do. That is my mission and mandate.
How can people connect with your work and find the book Knowing?
Everything can be found at toureroberts.com. You can also follow on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads and TikTok. Knowing is going to change people’s lives. The believer can also use it as a tool to give to those who do not yet believe, because sometimes it is easier for someone to accept a book that promises certainty in uncertain times than it is to hand them a Bible.