DALLAS /Christian News/ — Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder of the 30,000-member The Potter’s House Church of Dallas, is planting roots in Denver. Last Wednesday night at a celebration honoring retiring pastor Bishop Dennis Leonard, Jakes announced the renaming of Denver-based Heritage Christian Center to The Potter’s House Church of Denver.

Under the new leadership of the Rev. E. Christopher Hill, the 5,000-member Potter’s House Church of Denver will continue to serve the community with its long-standing feeding programs, homeless outreach, prison ministry and crisis counseling services.

Hill has served at the former Heritage Christian Center for seven months, coming to the church after several years traveling internationally as an evangelist and speaker. Prior to that, Hill worked for Jakes and The Potter’s House Church of Dallas as the church’s associate pastor and youth pastor, growing the youth program from a few students to more than 3,000 in less than three years.

“I witnessed the work ethic, integrity and faithfulness of Pastor Chris Hill as he tirelessly served the community of Dallas while with The Potter’s House. His excellence and exuberance as a pastor catapulted a generation in Dallas. I am not surprised to see the growth he has led in Denver in these few short months,” said Bishop Jakes.

The Potter’s House Church of Denver makes the third campus under the expanding Potter’s House name. Jakes launched a church campus in Fort Worth earlier this year. While the Fort Worth campus is a live simulcast of the Sunday morning service at the original Potter’s House campus in Dallas, the Denver campus will serve as an independent church led by Hill.

A globally recognized church of more than 30,000 members located in Dallas, The Potter’s House strives to be the voice and the hand that encourages people of all creeds and cultures to change their lives with hope, comfort and peace. The church is led by Bishop T. D. Jakes, twice featured on the cover of TIME magazine as “America’s Best Preacher” and as one of this nation’s “25 most influential evangelicals.” For more information visit www.thepottershouse.org or call 1.800.BISHOP.2.