Jim Bakker: TV Preacher Who Lost His Empire After Scandal Dies at 86

Jim Bakker, a famous TV preacher who built one of the biggest Christian media empires in America, has died at the age of 86. His second wife, Lori Bakker, confirmed his death in a statement on Monday. The cause of death was not shared with the public. Bakker had suffered a stroke back in 2020.

Bakker became nationally known alongside his first wife, Tammy Faye, through their popular religious television show. At its peak in the mid-1980s, their program reached up to 13 million viewers each night. They also ran Heritage USA, a large Christian theme park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Their fame was so big that they were often made fun of on late-night comedy shows and 'Saturday Night Live.' Their story was even turned into a major movie called 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye,' released in September 2021.

Jim Bakker was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and studied at North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. That is where he met Tammy Faye, and the two got married in 1961. After leaving school, they traveled across the country, preaching at tent revivals and local churches. Jim would preach while Tammy Faye sang and played the accordion. Their work caught the attention of televangelist Pat Robertson, who gave them a children's show on his Christian Broadcasting Network in 1965.

By 1966, Bakker was hosting a well-known religious talk show called 'The 700 Club.' He left that network in 1972 and started his own, called the PTL Satellite Network, two years later. The main show on the network was 'The PTL Club,' which stood for 'Praise the Lord.' In the 1980s, the show brought in millions of dollars each year from devoted followers. It featured guest interviews, Christian music, and uplifting sermons from Jim, while Tammy Faye performed songs and became known for her dramatic eye makeup.

Everything fell apart in March 1987 when Bakker admitted he had a sexual encounter with a church clerk named Jessica Hahn. He stepped down from his leadership role and handed control of the ministry to pastor Jerry Falwell. Tammy Faye publicly stood by her husband during the scandal, but critics saw it as a symbol of the excesses of 1980s televangelism. Things got even worse when federal prosecutors charged Bakker in 1988 with conspiracy, wire fraud, and mail fraud connected to how PTL handled its money.

Bakker was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison, though that sentence was later reduced to eight years. After the verdict, Tammy Faye spoke to reporters by singing a hymn called 'On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand.' The couple divorced in 1992 while Bakker was still in prison. Tammy Faye later married Roe Messner, the contractor who had built Heritage USA, but he was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1995. Tammy Faye died of colon cancer in 2007.

Bakker was released from prison in 1994 and married Lori in 1998. Together, they launched 'The Jim Bakker Show' in 2003 near Branson, Missouri, a popular entertainment town. He and Lori also adopted five children in 2002, and he had two children from his first marriage. In June 2021, Bakker settled a lawsuit over claims made on his show in early 2020 that a product called Silver Solution could cure COVID-19. The settlement required $156,000 in refunds to people who had bought or donated for the product based on those claims.