Jim Bakker, who built ‘PTL Club’ televangelism empire, has died at 86
Jim Bakker, the televangelist who helped create the PTL ministry with his first wife, Tammy Faye, has died at age 86. The article does not state when or where he died.
The couple became widely known through “The PTL Club,” a Christian television program that combined guest conversations, entertainment and sermons. At its height in the 1980s, it drew millions of viewers and generated substantial donations.
Their ministry also operated Heritage USA, a Christian theme park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The Bakkers became cultural figures, attracting comedy parodies and later inspiring the 2021 film “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”
Bakker’s rise began in Christian broadcasting: he and Tammy Faye launched a children’s program on Pat Robertson’s network in 1965, and he began hosting “The 700 Club” the following year.
The ministry unraveled in 1987 after Bakker acknowledged a sexual encounter with church employee Jessica Hahn. He resigned, and pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell took over operations. The article provides no further details about funeral arrangements or what comes next for the ministry.
Key points
- Bakker and Tammy Faye built a major Christian television ministry around “The PTL Club.”
- At its peak, PTL included a South Carolina theme park and hotel.
- Bakker resigned in 1987 after acknowledging a sexual encounter with Jessica Hahn.