Televangelist Jim Bakker Dies at 86, Wife Announces

Televangelist Jim Bakker has died at 86, his wife, Lori Bakker, announced Monday evening. Her statement, shared after his death, did not disclose the circumstances. Bakker was known for building the PTL television ministry with his former wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, and hosting The PTL Club, a Christian program that became a prominent part of his career. Lori Bakker said her husband had devoted 66 years to preaching the Gospel. She also described him as her husband and best friend and said the family was grieving and had asked for prayers and privacy. The supplied reports did not provide further details about his death. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker launched The PTL Club, short for Praise the Lord, in the 1970s. The program grew into a national ministry, and the couple expanded their work beyond television. PTL developed Heritage USA, a Christian retreat and theme park in South Carolina, and built a satellite television network. Bakker resigned from PTL in 1987 amid revelations about a sexual encounter with church secretary Jessica Hahn and a payment made to her by the ministry. Accounts differ on the amount, so no single figure is established by the available reports.