Jim Bakker, televangelist who built Christian TV empire, dies at 86
Televangelist Jim Bakker speaks at a "Pray for America" rally, an event sponsored by the coalition of evangelists. He would later be found guilty of diverting millions of dollars from his followers to buy mansions and automobiles for himself. (Photo
Televangelist Jim Bakker, who built a Christian television empire preaching the gospel, has died. He was 86.
Bakker’s second wife announced the death on Instagram:
It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening.
For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a pioneer of Christian television, but to me, he was my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honored to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry.
Jim loved people deeply. He loved this ministry, and he loved the friends and partners who stood with him throughout the years. Even in his final days, his heart was still for the work of God and for the Gospel to continue reaching the world.
Our family is grieving, and we ask for your prayers and privacy during this time.
Jim finished his race with faith. His voice, his vision, and his legacy will never be forgotten.
— Lori Bakker
PTL Club was a televangelism empire
Bakker and his then wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, launched "The PTL Club" in the 1970s.
At its peak in the mid-1980s, the Bakkers’ ministry included not only the TV show drawing up to 13 million nightly viewers but also the Christian-based Heritage USA theme park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Bakker lost the ministry in a sex scandal in the 1980s when Bakker admitted to a sexual encounter with church clerk Jessica Hahn. Bakker was forced to resign from his own empire, turning over operations to pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell.
Tammy Faye stuck by Bakker, often with tears running down her mascara, even as many saw his downfall as a fitting symbol of the greed and hypocrisy of the 1980s but it got worse. In 1988, Bakker was indicted for mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy after an investigation of PTL’s finances. He was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, though the sentence was later reduced to eight years.
Jim and Tammy Faye's marriage fell apart and she divorced him in 1992, just short of their 31st anniversary, while he was still in prison. She later married Roe Messner, a building contractor whose projects included the Heritage USA theme park. Messner was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1995 and spent about two years in prison.
Tammy Faye died of colon cancer in 2007.
Bakker was released on parole in 1994. He married his second wife, Lori, in 1998. The couple launched "The Jim Bakker Show" on the PTL Satellite Network five years later.
The Source: This article includes information from The Assoicated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.