Jim Bakker, a prominent televangelist who co-founded the widely watched The PTL Club with his first wife Tammy Faye Bakker, died on October 5 at the age of 86, according to a statement from his second wife, Lori Bakker. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed. Bakker had suffered a stroke in 2020 and continued his ministry in later years through The Jim Bakker Show, based near Branson, Missouri.
Bakker’s career spanned decades, beginning with his rise as a preacher alongside Tammy Faye in the 1960s and 1970s. Their partnership led to the creation of the PTL Satellite Network, which included The PTL Club—a daily television program that at its peak drew up to 13 million nightly viewers in the mid-1980s. The ministry also encompassed the Heritage USA theme park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina, a Christian-based resort that became a major attraction. Bakker’s early career included stints on Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), where he hosted The 700 Club before launching PTL in 1974.
Bakker’s empire unraveled in 1987 following a sex scandal and subsequent financial crimes conviction. He admitted to a sexual encounter with Jessica Hahn, a church secretary, which Hahn described as non-consensual. The revelation led to his resignation from PTL and the transfer of operations to Jerry Falwell. Bakker was later convicted of fraud and conspiracy for misusing ministry funds, serving five years in prison from 1989 to 1994. During his incarceration, he renounced the prosperity gospel he had preached, later authoring a memoir that reflected on his missteps.
After his release, Bakker resumed his ministry but adopted a markedly different tone. His post-prison broadcasts emphasized apocalyptic themes, warning of the End Times and urging followers to prepare for the Rapture. He sold survival products, including freeze-dried food with a 30-year shelf life, fuel-less generators, and doomsday guides, alongside unproven remedies such as “Silver Solution”, which he claimed could treat illnesses including COVID-19. His second wife, Lori Bakker, described him as a devoted minister who remained committed to his faith until his death. She stated in a family announcement that Bakker had “finished his race with faith” and that his legacy would endure.
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Bakker attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, where he met Tammy Faye. The couple married in 1961 and began their ministry together, traveling across the country before gaining national attention. Their personal lives and public personas became cultural touchstones, often parodied in media and later dramatized in the 2021 film The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Despite their eventual divorce in 1992, their partnership left an indelible mark on Christian broadcasting.
Bakker is survived by his second wife, Lori, and his children from his first marriage. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.