Famous Christian televangelist Jim Bakker passed away on Monday at the age of 86, according to his wife, Lori Bakker.
Bakker built an evangelical television empire that became a cultural phenomenon before scandals led to his downfall. Born in Muskegon, Michigan, he dropped out of a Bible college in Minneapolis after marrying his first wife, Tammy Faye Bakker. The couple began a traveling ministry and later hosted a kids’ show for televangelist Pat Robertson.
In 1972, Bakker left Robertson’s program to establish the PTL Satellite Network—a nickname derived from “Praise the Lord.” His television program surged in popularity during the 1980s and 1990s, drawing up to 13 million viewers at its peak. The show helped them build a Christian-themed park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Bakker’s empire collapsed in 1987 when he admitted to a sexual encounter with Jessica Hahn, a church secretary. As a result, he was forced to hand over control of his network to Jerry Falwell. Two years later, in 1989, Bakker was convicted of fraud and conspiracy stemming from investigations into his company’s finances. He received an initial sentence of 45 years in prison but had it reduced to eight years.
After divorcing Tammy Faye in 1992, she married Roe Messner, the contractor of their theme park. Messner was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1995 and died of colon cancer in 2007.
Lori Bakker stated: “It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening.” She added: “For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 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.”
Bakker continued evangelizing until his death and was widely recognized as a supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
