American televangelist Jim Bakker, who rose to prominence through his Christian television ministry before his career was brought down by a sex scandal and fraud conviction, has died at the age of 86.
Bakker’s death was announced on Monday, October 5, by his second wife, Lori Bakker. She described him as a pioneer of Christian television and said he had “gone home to be with the Lord.” The cause of death was not disclosed.
Bakker became widely known in the 1970s and 1980s alongside his first wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, through their popular television programme, The PTL Club. At its peak, the ministry attracted millions of viewers and generated millions of dollars in annual revenue. The couple also developed the Heritage USA Christian resort in South Carolina.
His ministry collapsed in 1987 after revelations surrounding a sexual encounter with church secretary Jessica Hahn and a payment made to keep the matter quiet. Bakker subsequently faced federal charges over the finances of his ministry and was convicted in 1989 on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy for defrauding followers. He was initially sentenced to 45 years in prison, although the sentence was later reduced, and he served about four and a half years.
After his release in 1994, Bakker remarried Lori and returned to Christian broadcasting, launching The Jim Bakker Show in 2003. He remained active in ministry until his later years, although he continued to attract controversy, including over claims he made about a product as a treatment for COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Bakker’s death brings to an end the life of one of the most prominent and controversial figures in American televangelism, whose career moved from the heights of Christian broadcasting to prison before his eventual return to television ministry.
