Controversial televangelist Jim Bakker dies aged 86
Controversial televangelist Jim Bakker, who built a Christian broadcasting and ministry empire with his then-wife Tammy Faye, has died aged 86. He became a prominent figure through the television programme The PTL Club, but his career was later overshadowed by allegations of sexual assault and criminal convictions related to ministry finances.
Bakker resigned from the ministry in 1987 after paying $200,000 to church secretary Jessica Hahn, who said he had sexually assaulted her; he disputed her account and later described the sex as consensual. In 1989, he was convicted on 24 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy over the raising and misuse of $400 million, initially receiving a 45-year sentence and a $500,000 fine. After an appeal, he served about five years; he later returned to religious broadcasting, while Tammy Faye divorced him during his imprisonment and died in 2007.
- Jim Bakker has died aged 86.
- The PTL Club helped build his Christian television empire.
- He served about five years after fraud convictions.
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Jim Bakker was an American televangelist who built a large religious broadcasting network in partnership with his first wife, Tammy Faye, during the 1970s and 1980s. His television programme The PTL Club became widely watched and helped make him a prominent figure in evangelical Christianity. Through his ministry, he raised hundreds of millions of pounds in donations.
His career was marked by serious controversy beginning in 1987, when he stepped down after a settlement with Jessica Hahn, a church secretary who alleged sexual assault; Bakker disputed this account and later said the encounter was consensual. In 1989, he was convicted of defrauding his ministry by misusing approximately $400 million in donations. Though initially sentenced to 45 years in prison with a $500,000 fine, his sentence was reduced on appeal and he was eventually released after about five years.
After leaving prison, Bakker returned to religious broadcasting and ministry. His first wife divorced him during his imprisonment and died in 2007. His case became a notable example of financial scandal within the televangelism industry.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Scandal-plagued Jim Bakker, who built a television empire with ex-wife Tammy Faye, dies at 86”.