American televangelist Jim Bakker, who built one of the United States’ most prominent Christian television ministries before his career was derailed by sexual and financial scandals, has died at the age of 86. His wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death in a social media statement on Monday, although the cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Bakker rose to prominence alongside his then-wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, through The PTL Club, a Christian television programme they launched in the 1970s. The ministry grew into a major religious broadcasting operation and included Heritage USA, a Christian theme park and resort in South Carolina, attracting millions of viewers and raising substantial sums through television fundraising.
His career collapsed in the late 1980s after allegations concerning his personal conduct and the finances of his ministry. Bakker resigned from PTL in 1987, was convicted of fraud and conspiracy charges in 1989, and served about five years of a 45-year sentence before his release on parole in 1994. He later returned to Christian broadcasting and established a new ministry in Missouri, but remained involved in controversy, including a 2020 case over his promotion of a product as a COVID-19 treatment, which was later settled with restitution.
