Jim Bakker, a prominent figure in Christian television, passed away Monday at age 86. His second wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death but did not immediately disclose the cause. Bakker had experienced a stroke in 2020.
Bakker rose to prominence alongside his first wife, Tammy Faye, through “The PTL Club,” a television program that attracted up to 13 million viewers nightly at its peak in the mid-1980s. The ministry expanded to include Heritage USA, a Christian-themed entertainment complex with hotel and recreational facilities located in South Carolina. The couple became cultural figures whose lavish lifestyle and distinctive public personas made them frequent subjects of satire by late-night comedians and satirical programs.
Bakker’s trajectory in religious media began after he and Tammy Faye met at North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. Following their marriage in 1961, they initiated a traveling ministry before gaining attention from televangelist Pat Robertson. This connection led to work at Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network, where Bakker eventually hosted “The 700 Club” before departing in 1972 to establish the PTL Satellite Network.
The ministry’s decline accelerated in March 1987 when Bakker acknowledged a sexual encounter with a church employee, leading to his resignation. The subsequent year brought indictment on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy related to PTL’s financial management. Bakker was convicted and initially sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, though this was later reduced to eight years. He was released on parole in 1994. Tammy Faye divorced Bakker in 1992 while he remained incarcerated and later died of colon cancer in 2007.
Bakker married his second wife, Lori, in 1998 and relaunched his television ministry in 2003 from Branson, Missouri. In 2021, Bakker settled a lawsuit regarding claims that a health supplement could treat COVID-19, agreeing to refund $156,000 to customers.
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