US televangelist Jim Bakker, convicted of fraud, dies aged 86
Jim Bakker, the American televangelist whose multimillion-dollar Christian ministry ended in scandal, has died at 86. His wife Lori confirmed the death on Monday.
Jim Bakker, televangelist brought down by fraud and sex scandal, dead at 86
Jim Bakker, the American televangelist who built a multimillion-dollar Christian broadcasting empire before his career collapsed amid a sex scandal and fraud conviction, died on Monday at the age of 86, punchng.com reports.
His wife, Lori Bakker, announced the death in a statement shared on social media. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.
"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 in the statement. She described him as "a pioneer of Christian television" and "my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honoured to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry."
Bakker rose to national prominence alongside his then-wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, through The PTL Club, a Christian television programme they launched in the 1970s. The show grew into a large religious broadcasting empire, and the couple also developed Heritage USA, a Christian theme park and resort in South Carolina. At the height of their influence, the Bakkers attracted millions of viewers and raised substantial sums through their ministry.
The empire began to unravel in the late 1980s. Bakker resigned from PTL in 1987 following revelations that money had been paid to church secretary Jessica Hahn, who accused him of sexual assault. He was subsequently investigated over the ministry's finances and convicted in 1989 on fraud and conspiracy charges.
Bakker was sentenced to 45 years in prison but served approximately five years before being released on parole in 1994. The conviction also ended his first marriage; Tammy Faye later divorced him and continued her own television career until her death in 2007.
After his release, Bakker returned to Christian broadcasting and established a new ministry in Missouri, where he hosted The Jim Bakker Show. The programme focused heavily on end-times teachings and promoted survivalist products.
His later ministry was again touched by controversy. In 2020, Missouri authorities sued Bakker after he promoted a product as a treatment for COVID-19. The case was later settled, with Bakker and his ministry agreeing to pay restitution.
Despite repeated controversies, Bakker remained active in Christian broadcasting for decades. In her statement, Lori said: "Jim loved people deeply. He loved this ministry, and he loved the friends and partners who stood with him throughout the years. Even in his final days, his heart was still for the work of God and for the gospel to continue reaching the world."
Lori Bakker and the family have asked for privacy following his death.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)