Jim Bakker, who built 'PTL Club' televangelism empire, has died at 86
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who → build → 86
Jim Bakker, who along with his first wife Tammy Faye built an evangelical empire around the hugely successful "The PTL Club" TV show, only to lose it all over a sex scandal and financial crimes, has died.
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who → build → scandal
Bakker died Monday, his second wife, Lori Bakker, said in a statement.
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wife → die → statement
"He was a pioneer of Christian television, but to me, he was my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honored to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry," she said.
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she → honor → life
The pair lived near the Missouri entertainment town of Branson and filmed their TV show "The Jim Bakker Show" there since it launched in 2003.
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it → live → 2003
Bakker suffered a stroke in 2020.
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Bakker → suffer → 2020
But it was another evangelical program that made Jim and his first wife Tammy Faye Bakker cultural icons — so much so that they were often skewered in the 1980s and 1990s by late-night comedians and parodied on "Saturday Night Live."
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they → make → Live
A theatrical movie on their lives, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," was released in September 2021.
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movie → release → September
At its peak in the mid-1980s, the Bakkers' ministry included not only the TV show drawing up to 13 million nightly viewers but also the Christian-based Heritage USA theme park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
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ministry → include → Mill
Bakker got his start as a traveling preacher
Bakker was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, where he met Tammy Faye.
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he → get → Faye
They married in 1961 and dropped out of college to start their own traveling ministry — he preached, she sang and played the accordion as they crossed the country visiting churches and tent revivals.
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they → marry → churches
They caught the attention of televangelist Pat Robertson, and in 1965 launched a children's show on Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network.
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They → catch → Network
By 1966, he was hosting "The 700 Club," a Christian talk show.
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he → host → Club
Bakker left CBN in 1972 and two years later formed the PTL Satellite Network.
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Bakker → leave → Network
"The PTL Club" — PTL stands for "Praise the Lord" — became its signature show.
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PTL → stand → Lord
When it hit its heyday in the 1980s, "The PTL Club" was drawing millions of viewers — and bringing in millions of dollars annually from followers.
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Club → hit → followers
The show featured chats with guests and Christian entertainers.
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show → feature → guests
Bakker offered upbeat sermons and Tammy Faye — charismatic and always wearing her trademark heavy mascara — sang.
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Faye → offer → mascara
Most episodes were taped at their sprawling complex just south of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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episodes → tap → Charlotte
The couple was so famous that they were often parodied by TV comedians for their lavish lifestyle and Tammy Faye's abundant makeup.
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they → parody → lifestyle
Sex scandal and financial crimes damage his empire
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scandal → damage → empire
In March 1987, their empire began to crack when Bakker admitted to a sexual encounter with church clerk Jessica Hahn.
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Bakker → begin → Hahn
Bakker was forced to resign from his own empire, turning over operations to pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell.
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Bakker → force → Falwell
Tammy Faye stuck by Bakker, often with tears running down her mascara, even as many saw his downfall as a fitting symbol of the greed and hypocrisy of the 1980s.
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many → stick → 1980s
Things only got worse.
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Things → get → ?
In 1988, Bakker was indicted for mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy after an investigation of PTL's finances.
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Bakker → indict → finances
He was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, though the sentence was later reduced to eight years.
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sentence → convict → years
At a news conference after Bakker was found guilty, Tammy Faye stood in front of the microphones and sang the hymn, "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand."
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I → find → Christ
Their marriage crumbled and Tammy Faye divorced Bakker in 1992, just short of their 31st anniversary, while he was still in prison.
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he → crumble → prison
She later married Roe Messner, a building contractor whose projects included the Heritage USA theme park.
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projects → marry → park
Messner was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1995 and spent about two years in prison.
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Messner → convict → prison
Tammy Faye died of colon cancer in 2007.
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Faye → die → 2007
Bakker was released on parole in 1994.
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Bakker → release → 1994
He married his second wife, Lori, in 1998.
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He → marry → 1998
The couple launched "The Jim Bakker Show" on the PTL Satellite Network five years later.
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couple → launch → Network
In June 2021, Bakker and his Morningside Church Productions Inc. settled a lawsuit accusing him of falsely claiming the health supplement Silver Solution could cure COVID-19.
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supplement → settle → COVID-19
The settlement called for $156,000 in refunds to people who paid money or gave contributions to obtain the product in the early days of the pandemic.
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who → call → pandemic
The lawsuit said Bakker and a guest made the cure claim during 11 episodes in February and March of 2020.
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Bakker → say → 2020
Bakker and Tammy Faye had two children.
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Bakker → have → children
He and his second wife adopted five children in 2002.
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He → adopt → 2002
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