This piece at Apprising Ministries grows from a letter I received with the following questions concerning Oneness Pentecostal heretic and Word Faith mogul T.D. Jakes:

Can you please send me more evidence about whether T. D. Jakes denies the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity? Can you show me where he has clearly misstated what the Trinity truly is? What is T. D. Jakes’ doctrinal background?

Yes, I certainly can:

KEEPING YOU APPRISED OF: T.D. JAKES ON THE TRINITY

And just click on his name for the link to my archive about T.D. Jakes.

You also asked: “Can you show me where he has clearly misstated what the Trinity truly is?” In answering let me point out that I have been in the field of Comparative Religion, apologetics and counter-cult evangelism for 20 years now. The reason I mention this is to tell you that unfortunately it’s not common when someone who teaches false doctrine concerning the Trinity does so “clearly.”

However, you will be able to see Jakes’ position in T.D. JAKES ON THE TRINITY (JOT) referenced above. Now let me also answer your other question: “What is T. D. Jakes’ doctrinal background?” as I show you what Jakes has said about the Trinity. First, I have written and specifically asked Jakes for his view on the Trinity:

LETTER TO DR. T.D.JAKES ASKING FOR HIS DEFINITIVE VIEW ON THE HOLY TRINITY

He chose to refuse to answer and in fact I received no response from his people at all. In JOT I do point out that his ordination is through a church which is Oneness Pentecostal. In a Christianity Today article Jakes says he “became Pentecostal 26 years ago at a Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church, where I was later ordained a Bishop.”

And as I also said in JOT: “I was unable to locate a website for this church but from years of personal research and study I can tell you that almost invariably when we see the word Apostolic in the name of a church it is Oneness Pentecostal.” Jakes has never specifically denied that he is Oneness Pentecostal (OP).

The fact is that OP flatly denies the doctrine of the Trinity which is:

Within the nature of the one true and living God there are three co-equal and co-eternal Persons (cognizant egos) existing simultaneously; The whole undivided essence of God belongs equally to each of the three Persons; God the Father; God the Son—Who is Christ Jesus of Nazareth—and God the Holy Spirit. And these three Persons are that one God.

Instead OP says:

God is one Person Who revealed Himself in three different modes (i.e. manifestations or roles). In the Old Testament God revealed Himself as Father; in Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament He reveals Himself as Son, and in this Church age this one Person as God is revealing Himself as the Holy Spirit. These are not three different Persons, but rather, one Person Who is acting in three different ways.

Now here is how the Belief Statement from The Potter’s House where T.D. Jakes is pastor currently and clearly reflects his OP view of God:

God–There is one God, creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Online source)

That is classic OP language. If Jakes believed in the Trinity as I accurately outlined above, as well as in my letter to him, then he would simply say so; but he doesn’t. I pray this helps.