Jim Bakker, Once One of America’s Most Influential Televangelists, Dies at 86

Jim Bakker, the televangelist whose rise to fame and dramatic fall from grace became one of the biggest religious scandals of the 1980s, has died at the age of 86. [cbsnews.com]

Bakker helped build a massive evangelical broadcasting empire through “The PTL Club,” a television ministry he co-founded with his then-wife, Tammy Faye Bakker. The program attracted millions of viewers and transformed the couple into household names, making them among the most recognizable figures in Christian broadcasting.

At its peak, the PTL organization generated enormous influence and revenue, expanding beyond television into religious-themed attractions and ministry projects. Bakker portrayed the ministry as a vehicle for spreading faith, while supporters viewed him as one of the leading voices of the modern televangelist movement.

But the empire came crashing down in the late 1980s amid allegations involving misconduct and financial improprieties. The scandal dominated headlines across the country and became one of the most talked-about religious controversies of the era.

The fallout eventually led to Bakker losing control of his ministry and facing criminal charges related to financial fraud. He was convicted and served time in prison, bringing an abrupt end to what had once appeared to be an unstoppable religious empire.

Despite the disgrace that followed, Bakker remained active in ministry circles after his release. Over the following decades, he rebuilt a smaller media presence and continued broadcasting to a loyal audience, though he never regained the prominence he enjoyed during PTL’s heyday.

His story was marked by extraordinary highs and lows. To supporters, Bakker was a pioneering television evangelist who helped reshape religious broadcasting in America. To critics, he became a symbol of excess, celebrity and the dangers of mixing faith with wealth and fame.

The death of Bakker closes a remarkable chapter in American religious and media history, one that included immense popularity, public scandal, criminal conviction and an unlikely second act that kept him in the public eye for decades after his fall.