Jim Bakker, the televangelist who co-founded a lucrative media empire with his first wife, Tammy Faye, before a high-profile sex scandal and federal fraud convictions brought down his ministry, has died at the age of 86.
His death was confirmed in a statement on Monday by his second wife, Lori Bakker. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
"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," she said.
Based near the entertainment hub of Branson, Missouri, the couple had produced and hosted "The Jim Bakker Show" in the area since launching it in 2003. Bakker suffered a stroke in 2020.
Decades prior, it was another evangelical broadcast that elevated Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker to national prominence. Their celebrity status routinely made them subjects of satire on late-night comedy programs and "Saturday Night Live," and their life story inspired the September 2021 feature film "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."
At its peak in the mid-1980s, the couple's religious organization reached up to 13 million viewers each night and operated the Heritage USA Christian theme park and hotel complex in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Bakker studied at North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, where he met Tammy Faye. After marrying in 1961, the pair left school to begin an itinerant ministry, traveling the country to perform at tent revivals and local churches, with Bakker preaching while his wife sang and played the accordion.
Their efforts caught the interest of televangelist Pat Robertson, leading to a children’s program on his Christian Broadcasting Network in 1965. By 1966, Bakker was hosting the religious talk show "The 700 Club."
Bakker departed CBN in 1972 and established the PTL Satellite Network two years later. Its centerpiece broadcast became "The PTL Club," short for "Praise the Lord."
At its height in the 1980s, the program generated millions of dollars annually from millions of devoted followers.
Filmed largely at their extensive resort south of Charlotte, North Carolina, the show blended guest interviews with Christian musical acts. Bakker delivered encouraging sermons, while Tammy Faye—distinguished by her dramatic mascara—performed music.
The couple’s prominent lifestyle and Tammy Faye’s recognizable appearance made them frequent targets for television comedy.
The ministry collapsed in March 1987 following Bakker’s admission of a sexual encounter with church clerk Jessica Hahn. Bakker stepped down from his position, transferring control to pastor Jerry Falwell.
Tammy Faye remained supportive of her husband publicly during the scandal, which came to be viewed by critics as emblematic of 1980s televangelist excess.
Conditions worsened further.
Federal prosecutors indicted Bakker in 1988 on conspiracy, wire fraud, and mail fraud charges tied to PTL financial operations. Following his conviction, he received a 45-year prison term, which was later reduced to eight years.
At a media briefing after the verdict, Tammy Faye addressed reporters by singing the hymn "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand."
The marriage ended in divorce in 1992 while Bakker remained incarcerated. Tammy Faye later wed building contractor Roe Messner, who had built the Heritage USA property and was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1995. She died of colon cancer in 2007.
Paroled in 1994, Bakker married Lori in 1998, and five years later they established "The Jim Bakker Show" on the PTL network.
In June 2021, Bakker and his media company resolved a lawsuit over claims made in early 2020 that a health supplement called Silver Solution could cure COVID-19. The settlement called for $156,000 in refunds to people who purchased or donated to receive the product following claims made during 11 broadcasts.
Bakker had two children with his first wife, and he and Lori adopted five children in 2002.
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