T.D. Jakes: No MegaFest 2008

By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, July 03, 2007

MegaFest with Bishop T.D. Jakes will be put on hold for a second year, according to a new announcement.

The hugely popular Atlanta event that has drawn hundreds of thousands of people since 2004 may return in future years, but the exact year and location of a future MegaFest is indefinite.

"The Potter's House will revisit the idea of hosting MegaFest in future years and will announce that decision publicly, once made," said Jakes, founder and senior pastor of the 30,000-member Potter's House in Dallas.

The Potter's House first announced in October that they would be taking a yearlong sabbatical and evaluating plans for a MegaFest in 2008. That announcement was repeated on Tuesday, except this time the hiatus has been extended a second year.

Jakes, who had been dubbed "America's Best Preacher" by Time magazine in 2001, explained that he has decided to focus efforts on such events as "For Ladies Only" and "For Men Only" along with missionary efforts in Africa.

The megapastor first brought his ministry to the Georgia Dome in 1998 with his "Woman, Thou Art Loosed!" conference. He later brought "ManPower" to the city in 2003. The huge success of the two conferences led Jakes to bring the whole experience together with MegaFest in 2004 which was geared toward every member of the family. The event took place over the entire Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus and drew an overall record-breaking attendance of 560,000.

The colossal event boosted Atlanta's reputation as a premium spot for religious convention, said Lauren Jarrell of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. With a population comprised of 61 percent African Americans and the growing success of annual events as well as the addition of several national conventions, Atlanta's reputation was solidified as the premier meeting destination for African Americans.

"We are thrilled with the continuation of our success in the African-American convention market and are confident that our reputation as a top destination will continue to help us grow this market segment," said ACVB president and CEO Spurgeon Richardson, according to Atlanta Daily World.

The economic impact of MegaFest on the city has ranged between $40 million to $125 million.

MegaFest has also helped expand Jakes' visibility and elevate his stature, Shayne Lee, author of T.D. Jakes: America's New Preacher told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

But it was a $10 million event that took up a lot of time and resources.

And MegaFest attendance decreased in 2005 and in 2006. But Jakes has said, "We don't quantify success by how many people we have."

"We quantify success in how we provide them with services, and the tools to help families leave MegaFest stronger than when they arrived."

In the latest announcement, Jakes clarified, "I would like to emphasize that the ministry's decision does not in any way reflect negatively on Atlanta. Mayor Shirley Franklin and the citizens of Atlanta, as well as the city's government including the Georgia Dome, Georgia World Congress Center, Philips Arena, the Convention and Visitors Bureau officials, hotels and restaurants have all gone beyond our most ambitious expectations as they made our conference attendees feel welcomed and their presence appreciated. On behalf of The Potter's House church family, our partners, and friends, we extend our sincerest gratitude to the great city of Atlanta."

In a recent interview with The Dallas Morning News, Jakes expressed a desire to bring MegaFest to Dallas where his support base is. Discussions with the convention bureau have been ongoing but Jakes said they have not been able to overcome the "logistical issues."

"Once the [new Cowboys] stadium comes in, it may change things, but I want to see how many hotels come in around it, and the transportation that comes with it," Jakes stated. "But I would really, really like to bring [MegaFest] to Dallas.

"My support base is in Dallas. My people are in Dallas. And when you are part of a city, you really want to be a blessing to that city."

The Dallas pastor said he and his church are focused on providing "a thought-provoking, moving, meaningful and spiritually-based experience" for those who attend their events.

"We will continue to look at our events to ensure they accomplish these goals."

In the meantime, Bishop Paul Morton, popular preacher and senior pastor of Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans, is attempting to fill the MegaFest void in Atlanta with an annual family convention at the Georgia World Congress Center. Last week, Full Gospel drew an estimated 10,000 attendees with an economic impact of $10 million.