Caption: This 01 May 1987 file photo shows Reverend Jim Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye Bakker at their first press conference in Palm Springs, California since Bakker was forced out of PTL (Praise The Lord) church.
In Brief
- Death of a Televangelist: Controversial US televangelist Jim Bakker has died at the age of 86, as confirmed by his second wife, Lori Bakker.
- Rise and Fall: Bakker built a massive media empire in the 1980s alongside his first wife, Tammy Faye, before his career collapsed amid a highly publicised sex scandal.
- Criminal Conviction: In 1989, he was convicted of defrauding his followers out of $158 million, leading to a prison sentence and the loss of his Christian holiday park.
US televangelist Jim Bakker, who built a lucrative media empire before being disgraced by a sex scandal and financial crimes, has died at the age of 86.
Bakker died on Monday, his second wife Lori Bakker said in a statement on the Instagram account of “The Jim Bakker Show.” She did not specify the cause of death.
“It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening,” Lori said.
“He was a pioneer of Christian television, but to me, he was my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honoured to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry.”
The couple hosted “The Jim Bakker Show,” which they launched in 2003.
Bakker, along with his first wife Tammy Faye Messner, rose to prominence in the 1980s, achieving fame on their evangelical programme “The PTL Club.” PTL stood for “Praise The Lord,” or “People That Love.”
But Bakker later fell into disgrace over a sex scandal and financial crimes.
In 1989, Bakker was found guilty of defrauding followers who sent him $158 million for partnerships at his Heritage USA Christian holiday park in South Carolina.
Tammy Faye divorced Bakker in 1992 and became a prominent and compassionate champion for the LGBTQ community.
She died of cancer in 2007, aged 65.
