Culture · United States of America
US televangelist Jim Bakker dies aged 86
Jim Bakker, whose PTL ministry grew into a large television operation before fraud convictions and a sex scandal ended his leadership, died on 5 October. His second wife, Lori Bakker, announced the death.
Jim Bakker, the US televangelist whose PTL operation collapsed amid scandal and fraud convictions, has died aged 86.
- Died on 5 October aged 86.
- Lori Bakker announced his death.
- Cause of death was not disclosed.
- He left PTL after the 1987 scandal.
- He was convicted of fraud in 1989.
What's new
- Jim Bakker died on 5 October aged 86.
- Lori Bakker announced his death on social media.
- No cause or circumstances of death were disclosed.
- Bakker’s career included fraud convictions and a later television return.
US televangelist Jim Bakker died on 5 October at the age of 86, after a career in religious broadcasting that included building the PTL ministry, a fraud conviction connected to its Heritage USA resort scheme, prison time and a later return to television. His second wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death; the cause and circumstances were not made public.13
Rise of PTL
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, on 2 January 1940, Bakker married Tammy Faye Bakker in 1961. The pair appeared in a children’s religious puppet programme carried by Pat Robertson’s network before founding The PTL Club in 1974, according to the BBC. Their ministry developed into a large operation, with 2,000 employees and the Heritage USA Christian resort complex at Fort Mill, South Carolina.123
At its height, PTL reached 13 million viewers on 200 television stations and brought in US$129m annually, according to reports by the Guardian and Straits Times. The BBC separately reported that The PTL Club drew 13 million viewers a day at its peak.123
Scandal and conviction
Bakker left PTL in 1987 after disclosures of a 1980 sexual encounter with former church secretary Jessica Hahn and a US$265,000 payment. The payment was made with ministry funds, according to the BBC. While Bakker was incarcerated, Tammy Faye Bakker ended their marriage in 1992.123
In 1989, Bakker was convicted on 24 fraud and conspiracy counts over a Heritage USA vacation scheme. Prosecutors said followers had been defrauded of US$158m through sales of lifetime annual holidays that could not be provided, and alleged that US$3.7m was diverted to support Bakker’s lifestyle. After his initial 45-year term was shortened, he served four and a half years behind bars and was subsequently stripped of his ministerial credentials.13
Bakker denied an intention to cheat supporters, saying: "I have made mistakes. He said he had never intended to cheat anyone. His former top aide, Richard Dortch, gave evidence against him after accepting a plea deal on lesser charges and completed 18 months of an eight-year prison term.3
Later broadcasting
Bakker married Lori Bakker in 1998. They started a new television ministry in 2003 and began recording The Jim Bakker Show at Morningside, near Branson, Missouri, in 2008. In 2020, Bakker sold what officials said was a false Covid-19 treatment, according to the Guardian and Straits Times.13
Lori Bakker called him a "pioneer of Christian television" when announcing his death. She did not disclose a cause of death, according to the BBC.23
Why it matters
For readers in Europe, Bakker’s death closes the account of a US religious television figure whose ministry combined mass broadcasting, a major resort operation and fundraising from followers. The case also records how criminal proceedings and the loss of ministerial credentials reshaped a prominent television ministry.123
Why it matters
Bakker’s career illustrates the scale that US religious television ministries could reach, with PTL reported to have attracted millions of viewers. His conviction and removal from ministerial duties also show the consequences that followed the collapse of the operation.23
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