Jim Bakker, the longtime televangelist who rose to national fame alongside the late Tammy Faye Bakker, has died. He was 85.
His wife, Lori Beth Graham Bakker, announced his death on social media, saying he “went home to be with the Lord this evening.” She did not share a cause of death.
Bakker became one of the most recognizable figures in American Christian television through The PTL Club, but his career later unraveled in a highly publicized federal fraud case that sent him to prison.
Jim Bakker’s Wife Announces His Death
“It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening,” Lori wrote.
Read More: Faith-Based, Family-Friendly Shows You Can Stream on Netflix
She described Bakker as her husband and best friend, while also remembering the six decades he spent preaching the Gospel.
“Jim loved people deeply. He loved this ministry, and he loved the friends and partners who stood with him throughout the years,” she wrote. “Even in his final days, his heart was still for the work of God and for the Gospel to continue reaching the world.”
Lori asked for prayers and privacy for their family, adding, “Jim finished his race with faith. His voice, his vision, and his legacy will never be forgotten.”
Jim Bakker’s Rise to Fame
Bakker and Tammy Faye met at a Minnesota Bible college and married in 1961. They began their ministry in South Carolina before joining Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network, where they hosted a children’s puppet show beginning in 1964.
Read More: 100 Faith-Filled Country Songs to Lift Your Soul
In 1974, they launched The PTL Club, short for Praise The Lord. The Christian television program eventually grew into a massive religious broadcasting and theme park empire, making the Bakkers two of America’s best-known televangelists.
Their success also brought enormous wealth, but Bakker’s ministry eventually became the subject of a major federal investigation.
Read More: These 11 Country Stars Are Unapologetically Vocal About God
In 1988, he was indicted on 24 federal counts of mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the public. Prosecutors accused him of using ministry funds for personal benefit, including money raised through the sale of $1,000 lifetime memberships to a luxury hotel that was never fully built.
A jury found Bakker guilty on all 24 counts in 1989. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison but ultimately served five.
Tammy Faye divorced Bakker in 1992 while he was incarcerated. She later married Roe Messner and died of cancer in 2007 at age 65.
After his release from prison, Bakker married Lori Beth Graham in 1998. The couple adopted five children, and he eventually returned to televangelism. In recent years, he hosted The Jim Bakker Show, which focused heavily on Christian prophecy and the end times.
11 Country Stars Who Speak Out About Their Faith
When it comes to country music, you don’t have to search for too hard to find songs that bring Jesus in.
Country stars tend to be bold in speaking out about their faith and the struggles they’ve had trying to walk that straight and narrow path to find God.
It’s also no surprise that many of fans’ favorite artists have either released Christian-leaning songs or have collaborated with gospel-singing neighbors.
We’ve rounded up several country singers who have unapologetically spoken to their faith for the world to see and who spread the Gospel, one song at a time.
Gallery Credit: Jess Rose
