Jim Bakker, the televangelist whose star rose to the late‑1970s television heavens, has died at 86.
Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye founded The PTL Club in 1974, a show that at its peak drew more than 13 million viewers a day – a milestone that earned them a place in U.S. broadcasting lore.
The couple’s empire came crashing down in the late 1980s when a 1980 sexual encounter with former church secretary Jessica Hahn was made public. The fallout led to Bakker’s resignation, a $265 000 payout, and his being stripped of ministry credentials.
In 1989, Bakker was convicted on 24 counts of mail and wire fraud, related to a scheme that drained millions from their Heritage USA theme park. He served over four years in federal prison before being released in 1994.
Following his release, he authored a book titled *I Was Wrong* and married his second wife Lori in 1998. The duo relaunched a TV ministry in 2003 and later produced *The Jim Bakker Show* in 2008.
Bakker’s life was a blend of evangelical zeal, lavish fortune – including private jets, luxury homes, and even an air‑conditioned dog house – and relentless controversy. He has been described by his widow as “a pioneer of Christian television” and “my best friend.” No cause of death was disclosed.
His passing marks the end of an era that both defined and challenged the landscape of U.S. religious broadcasting. Jim Bakker’s story remains a cautionary tale of ambition, faith, and the fragility of public trust.
