Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a multimillion-dollar Christian broadcasting empire before it collapsed in scandal, has died at the age of 86. Bakker's second wife, Lori, announced his death on Facebook Monday evening. She did not confirm his cause of death.
"For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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," Lori said. Bakker rose to fame in the 1970s as the host of The PTL Club, alongside his first wife Tammy Faye.
The Christian TV show became the centrepiece of an evangelical media empire that included the PTL satellite network and the Heritage USA Christian theme park. By 1987, his ministry was engulfed in scandal following the revelation that PTL had paid church secretary Jessica Hahn to keep quiet about a sexual encounter with Bakker, followed by revelations of financial misconduct at the ministry. He was later convicted on 24 counts of mail and wire fraud and conspiracy, and was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
His sentence was reduced and he ultimately served nearly five years in prison. This is a developing story.
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