Jim Bakker, the televangelist who helped build a major Christian broadcasting enterprise with Tammy Faye Bakker, has died at age 86. Multiple outlets report that his wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death via a social media post.
Bakker rose to prominence as co-host of “The PTL Club,” which became the centerpiece of his evangelical media business. Several reports describe the rise of the programming and its message, including a focus on the “gospel of prosperity.”
Outlets also emphasize that his career was later overshadowed by criminal and personal scandal. NBC News and others note that Bakker served time in prison in the 1980s for defrauding followers, while The New York Times and CBS News connect his downfall to both sex and financial scandals. Other publications recount how the enterprise ultimately collapsed following these allegations and convictions, though they vary slightly in emphasis on specific wrongdoing.
