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Jim Bakker, who built 'PTL Club' televangelism empire, has died at 86
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- Jim Bakker, the televangelist known for co-founding "The PTL Club" and building a major evangelical empire in the 1980s, has died at age 86; his cause of death was not disclosed.
- Bakker rose to fame alongside his first wife, Tammy Faye, with their ministry reaching millions through television and the Heritage USA theme park, but their empire collapsed following a sex scandal and financial crimes.
- In 1987, Bakker admitted to a sexual encounter with a church employee, leading to his resignation, and in 1988 he was convicted of fraud-related charges and sentenced to prison, serving several years before parole.
- After his release, Bakker married his second wife, Lori, and relaunched a TV ministry, but faced further controversy in 2021 when he settled a lawsuit over false COVID-19 cure claims made on his show.
- Tammy Faye Bakker, who remained a cultural icon until her death in 2007, divorced Jim in 1992, and together they had two children; Jim and Lori adopted five children in 2002.
