Televangelist Jim Bakker Dies at 86
publishers 68articles 75first reported 6 Oct, 03:20 UTCdeveloping since 6 Oct · 9 editionstop 25 #3
Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a multimillion-dollar Christian broadcasting empire before a sex scandal and fraud conviction brought it down, died Monday at 86.
His second wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death on social media, calling him “a pioneer of Christian television” and describing him as her husband and best friend. She did not disclose the cause of death.
Bakker rose to prominence alongside his first wife, Tammy Faye Bakker. After beginning as traveling evangelists, they launched “The PTL Club” in 1974. At its height in the 1980s, the program reached as many as 13 million viewers, while their ministry operated the 2,300-acre Heritage USA theme park and resort in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Bakker resigned from the PTL ministry in 1987 after revelations of a 1980 sexual encounter with church secretary Jessica Hahn and a $265,000 payment made with ministry funds. Hahn accused him of sexual assault; Bakker maintained that the encounter was consensual.
In 1989, Bakker was convicted on 24 fraud and conspiracy counts involving the ministry’s finances and vacation packages at Heritage USA. He ultimately served about four and a half years in prison. Tammy Faye divorced him in 1992 while he was incarcerated.
After his 1994 release, Bakker married Lori in 1998 and returned to television ministry in 2003. The couple lived near Branson, Missouri, where they produced “The Jim Bakker Show.”
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 12 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
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- Source articles
- 75
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 12 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
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