Jim Bakker Dies at 86 After Building a $129 Million TV Ministry
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 6
Jim Bakker Dies at 86 After Building a $129 Million TV Ministry
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 6
Summary
Jim Bakker, the televangelist whose empire collapsed in 1980s sex and financial scandals, died Monday at 86, his wife Lori Bakker said in an Instagram post.
No cause of death or location was given, though Bakker had what was described as a mild stroke in 2020.
Bakker and first wife Tammy Faye Bakker rose to national fame through PTL, a prosperity-gospel television ministry that at its peak drew 13 million viewers a day.
PTL generated as much as $129 million in annual revenue and helped build Heritage USA, a 2,500-acre Christian theme-park resort in South Carolina.
His ministry later unraveled in scandal, and he served five years in prison after violating federal laws tied to the blending of religion and money.