Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a major Christian television empire with his former wife Tammy Faye Bakker before his career collapsed amid sex and financial scandals, has died at age 86.
Bakker died Monday, October 5, according to his wife, Lori Bakker. A cause of death was not immediately announced.
Lori Bakker said her husband had spent 66 years preaching the Christian Gospel and described him as a pioneer of Christian television. She said he remained committed to his ministry during his final days and asked for privacy for the family as they mourned.
Bakker became one of the most recognizable religious broadcasters in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s.
He and Tammy Faye became nationally known through “The PTL Club,” with PTL standing for “Praise the Lord.” The television program combined preaching, interviews, music and entertainment and attracted millions of viewers.
Their ministry eventually grew into a large religious and entertainment organization based near Charlotte, North Carolina. Its holdings included Heritage USA, a sprawling Christian resort and theme park in South Carolina.
At its peak, the ministry brought in enormous sums of money from viewers and supporters. Bakker encouraged followers to contribute money and purchase memberships connected to accommodations at Heritage USA.
His religious empire began falling apart in 1987 after revelations about a 1980 sexual encounter with church secretary Jessica Hahn.
Hahn later said the encounter was not consensual and accused Bakker of sexually assaulting her. Bakker denied that allegation and maintained that the encounter was consensual.
The controversy grew after it became public that money had been provided to Hahn in connection with an agreement intended to keep the encounter confidential.
Bakker resigned from PTL in March 1987.
The scandal led to increased scrutiny of PTL’s finances and eventually to a federal investigation that focused on money raised from supporters.
Federal prosecutors accused Bakker of selling far more lifetime lodging partnerships at Heritage USA than the ministry could realistically provide. Prosecutors said supporters were persuaded to contribute large amounts of money based on promises of accommodations at the resort.
In 1988, Bakker was indicted on federal mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy charges.
A jury convicted him on 24 counts in 1989 after a highly publicized trial.
Bakker was originally sentenced to 45 years in federal prison and fined $500,000. That sentence was later overturned on appeal, and he received a shorter sentence after resentencing. He ultimately spent about five years in prison before being released on parole in 1994.
His marriage to Tammy Faye ended while he was incarcerated. The couple divorced in 1992 after more than 30 years of marriage.
Tammy Faye later married construction contractor Roe Messner. She remained a public figure for years and died from cancer in 2007.
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker had two children, Tammy Sue and Jay.
Bakker married Lori Beth Graham in 1998. The couple later adopted five children.
After his release from prison, Bakker eventually returned to religious broadcasting.
He launched “The Jim Bakker Show” in 2003 and established a ministry in Missouri. His later programs often focused on biblical prophecy, political events and preparations for disasters or major disruptions.
That period of his career also brought new controversy.
In 2020, Bakker and his ministry faced legal action over claims made while promoting a product called Silver Solution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Missouri authorities accused the ministry of making misleading claims about the product’s ability to treat the coronavirus.
A settlement reached the following year required refunds for consumers who had purchased or received the product through contributions.
Bakker also suffered a stroke in 2020 and temporarily stepped away from his television program.
Despite the scandals that followed him for decades, Bakker remained active in Christian broadcasting and retained a group of loyal supporters.
His television career stretched across several generations of American religious broadcasting.
Bakker’s rise alongside Tammy Faye helped demonstrate how television could transform religious ministries into large national organizations supported by millions of viewers and donors.
His downfall also became one of the most widely publicized scandals in the history of American televangelism.
Bakker later acknowledged many of his mistakes and wrote about his prison experience and religious beliefs following his release.
His life remained closely associated with both the enormous growth of televangelism during the 1980s and the scandals that changed public perceptions of some television ministries.
Bakker was 86.