ABC News (US)
· collected 2026-10-06 · by JIM SALTER Associated Press, HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press
Story summary
Jim Bakker, a controversial televangelist known for building a Christian television empire with his ex-wife Tammy Faye, died at the age of 86 on Monday. His wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death via social media and praised him as a pioneer of Christian TV who devoted 66 years to preaching.
Bakker rose to fame in the 1970s with The PTL Club, which drew up to 13 million nightly viewers by its peak. However, his career was marred by scandals starting in the late 1980s, including allegations of sexual assault and financial misconduct that led to convictions on fraud charges involving $400 million in misused funds. He served approximately five years in prison before being released.
Despite these setbacks, Bakker revived his television ministry in 2003 from Branson, Missouri, with a new show called "The Jim Bakker Show."
Written for “Jim Bakker Dies Age 86” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.
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
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 was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, where he met Tammy Faye.
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he → bear → 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
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
The Aporia
