Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a television ministry empire with Tammy Faye Bakker before a scandal and a fraud conviction sent him to prison, has died. He was 86. His wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death on Monday, Oct. 5. She did not disclose a cause of death.
Jim Bakker, the former husband of Tammy Faye, died decades after his televangelist empire collapsed
Lori confirmed Jim Bakker’s death in a statement shared through The Jim Bakker Show’s Facebook page. She called him “a pioneer of Christian television” and reflected on his decades in ministry.
As per NBC News, Bakker and Tammy Faye rose to national fame through “The PTL Club.” Their ministry grew into a multimillion-dollar operation that included the Heritage USA Christian theme park in South Carolina.
That empire began to unravel in 1987. Reports revealed that PTL had paid more than $250,000 to church secretary Jessica Hahn after a sexual encounter with Bakker. Bakker acknowledged the encounter but disputed how others characterized the circumstances.
A federal investigation later focused on PTL’s finances. In 1989, a jury convicted Bakker of fraud and conspiracy. A judge initially sentenced him to 45 years in prison, though a court later reduced that sentence. He served just under five years before his 1994 parole.
Tammy Faye initially stood by Bakker but filed for divorce in 1992 while he remained in prison. She later remarried and rebuilt her television career before her death from cancer in 2007.
After prison, Bakker eventually returned to religious broadcasting. He married Lori in 1998 and launched “The Jim Bakker Show” in 2003.
Controversy followed him into his later career. In 2021, Bakker and his church settled a Missouri lawsuit over claims that Silver Solution could cure COVID-19. The settlement required refunds for consumers who paid for the product.
Despite the scandal that reshaped his public life, Jim Bakker continued broadcasting and preaching for decades. Lori said he remained focused on his ministry even during his final days.
