Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built the PTL Club into a major Christian television ministry before a financial fraud conviction, has died at 86.
Jim Bakker died Monday at age 86, his second wife, Lori Bakker, announced. She described him as her husband and longtime ministry partner but did not disclose a cause of death. Bakker had suffered a stroke in 2020.
Bakker became one of the most recognizable figures in American Christian television through “The PTL Club,” which he launched with his first wife, Tammy Faye Bakker.
The program grew into a large ministry operation during the 1980s, alongside the PTL Satellite Network and Heritage USA, a Christian-themed resort and attraction in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
The ministry’s rapid expansion ended in scandal in 1987 after Bakker acknowledged a sexual encounter with church secretary Jessica Hahn. The controversy led him to relinquish control of PTL, while further scrutiny focused on the ministry’s finances.
Bakker was later convicted of mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy and initially sentenced to 45 years in federal prison. His sentence was reduced, and he was released on parole in 1995 after serving less than five years.
Tammy Faye divorced Bakker in 1992 while he was imprisoned. She later became a television personality in her own right and died of cancer in 2007. Bakker married Lori in 1998, and the couple launched “The Jim Bakker Show” in 2003.
In his later years, Bakker’s television ministry adopted a more apocalyptic and survival-focused message. His ministry also faced legal scrutiny over Silver Solution, a product he promoted as a treatment for COVID-19.
In 2021, Bakker and Morningside Church Productions Inc. settled a lawsuit involving allegations that the product had been falsely marketed as capable of curing the disease. The settlement included $156,000 in refunds.
Bakker and Tammy Faye had two children, while Jim and Lori later adopted five children. His son Jay Bakker confirmed his father’s death and described their relationship as complicated while saying he needed time to mourn.
