BET Joins Forces With Bishop T.D. Jakes & The Potter's House to Bring Easter Service to Families Around the World

"The Light, An Easter Production" Will Air Commercial-Free Sunday, April 12 at 10 AM ET/PT on BET

Join T.D. Jakes, Senior Pastor of The Potter's House, The Potter's House Arts & Music Ministry and Quentin Darrington in the Two-Hour Special Production Retelling the Resurrection Story Through Various Music Genres

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NEW YORK -- Today, BET announces "The Light, An Easter Production" -- a special broadcast of Easter Service in partnership with the world-renowned worship center, The Potter's House. Premiering Sunday, April 12, at 10 AM ET/PT commercial-free on BET, the two-hour special will bring families an uplifting Easter celebration.

The Potter's House Arts and Music Ministry, a Grammy Award-winning group, along with a special guest appearance by Tony Award-winning Broadway veteran Quentin Darrington (Once on This Island, Cats, and Memphis), will tell the story of Jesus Christ from the book of John's perspective centered around how the light of Christ came into the world to dispel darkness. From hip-hop to presentations by children's dance companies, to poetry and sometimes comical recitations, the Easter production aims to bring hope and strength to a world navigating challenging times.

While Easter in quarantine may feel alienating, global spiritual leader Bishop T.D. Jakes advocates that physical distancing requirements are not just a test in how connected we are to one another, but how deeply connected we are to God. Jakes reminds us that Easter, in its beginning, did not start with a crowd, and attendance numbers should not affect the value of the moment.

"The first Easter service wasn't crowded, and it didn't lose its significance for the lack of a crowd. There were few people around the tomb," said Bishop T.D. Jakes. "Celebrating Easter in our homes with our families, you can still have a memorable time together with your family around you and have a spiritual moment that's intimate between you and the people you love."

"Many of us around the world are leaning on our spirituality for a sense of calmness, during these times of uncertainty. As many churches are being forced to shut their doors in response to calls for social distancing, we want to provide a way for families to still observe the valued tradition of coming together for Easter services. As an organization whose roots are anchored in the African American experience, and whose original programming has always highlighted many aspects of gospel music and the religious experience, we are delighted to bring this unique program to our viewers around the world," said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to mount, "The Light, An Easter Production" joins BET's array of initiatives and resources that will provide spiritual, emotional, educational, and financial support to communities of color. Additional initiatives include the "Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort" broadcast special in partnership with United Way Worldwide, our support of the NAACP's Town Hall Series and daily reporting on BET.com on what the African American community needs to know about COVID-19, and how it is impacting our lives.

For further details on "The Light, An Easter Production," as well as resources available around BET's COVID-19 relief efforts, please visit BET.com.

About BET

BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa, and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

About The Potter's House

Located in Dallas, The Potter's House is a 30,000-member nondenominational, multicultural church and humanitarian organization led by Bishop T. D. Jakes, twice featured on the cover of Time magazine as America's Best Preacher and as one of the nation's 25 Most Influential Evangelicals. The Potter's House has five locations: The Potter's House of Dallas, The Potter's House of Fort Worth, The Potter's House of North Dallas, The Potter's House of Denver and The Potter's House OneLA. Jakes and The Potter's House are broadcasting and distributing content regularly. Resources are specifically designed to address escalating concerns as social distancing mandates from health and government authorities continue. All of The Potter's House's free streaming platform options can be found here.