Jim Bakker, who built ‘PTL Club’ televangelism empire, has died at 86, tell me about this news today
06-10-2026
Jim Bakker, the televangelist who rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s before his ministry collapsed amid scandal and federal fraud convictions, has died at the age of 86.
His death was confirmed by his wife, Lori Bakker, who shared in a statement on the social media channels for The Jim Bakker Show that he passed away on the evening of Monday, October 5, 2026. A specific cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Key highlights of his life and ministry:
Rise with PTL and Heritage USA: Alongside his late first wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, he co-founded the PTL (“Praise the Lord”) Club in 1974. The program grew into an expansive satellite television network with millions of daily viewers. The ministry funded the construction of Heritage USA, a massive 2,500-acre Christian-themed resort and amusement park in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Scandal and Fall: In 1987, his broadcast empire collapsed following revelations of a hush-money payment to church secretary Jessica Hahn over a 1980 sexual encounter. Investigations into the ministry’s financial operations subsequently uncovered widespread fraud, specifically the overselling of lifetime memberships to hotel lodging at Heritage USA.
Conviction and Prison Sentence: In 1989, Bakker was convicted on multiple federal counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. He received a 45-year prison sentence, which was later reduced upon appeal, resulting in him serving nearly five years before his release on parole in 1994.
Second Act in Television: Following his prison release, Bakker authored his reflective memoir I Was Wrong and married Lori Graham in 1998. In 2003, they launched The Jim Bakker Show, broadcasting from near Branson, Missouri. In his later broadcasting years, his focus shifted toward biblical end-times prophecies, emergency preparedness, and survival supplies.