Jim Bakker, minister who built a televangelism empire and lost it from sex and money scandals, dies at 86
Summary
Jim Bakker, a televangelist who built a large Christian TV audience and a religious empire, has died at 86. He became well known for "The PTL Club," but his career was hurt by a sex scandal and financial crime convictions; he later returned to TV ministry with a new show.Key Facts
- Jim Bakker died at age 86; the cause of death was not announced.
- He started as a traveling preacher with his first wife, Tammy Faye, and rose to fame with "The PTL Club" in the 1980s, which had millions of nightly viewers.
- Bakker and Tammy Faye built Heritage USA, a Christian theme park and hotel in South Carolina.
- In 1987, Bakker admitted to a sexual encounter with church employee Jessica Hahn, leading to his resignation.
- Bakker was convicted in 1989 of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy, sentenced to 45 years, later reduced to 8; he was released on parole in 1994.
- Tammy Faye divorced him in 1992, later married Roe Messner, who was also convicted of fraud. Tammy Faye died in 2007.
- Bakker married Lori in 1998, and they launched "The Jim Bakker Show" in 2003 from their home near Branson, Missouri.
- Bakker suffered a stroke in 2020 and faced a lawsuit settled in 2021 relating to false claims about COVID-19 products.
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