Popular Preacher Who Was Convicted of Fraud Dies: “From Fame to Prison”
- American televangelist Jim Bakker has died at 86, leaving behind a complicated legacy
- Bakker’s wife, Lori, announced his death in an emotional statement, describing him as her husband and best friend
- His remarkable life was marked by the rise and fall of the PTL empire, a scandal, and a fraud conviction
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American televangelist Jim Bakker, who became one of the biggest names in Christian television alongside his then-wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, has died.
According to his wife, Lori Bakker, Jim died on Monday. His cause of death was not immediately disclosed, CNN reports.
Source: Instagram
“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 said.
Bakker rose to prominence in the 1970s through The PTL Club, a Christian television programme that attracted millions of viewers.
The couple also built Heritage USA, a Christian theme park and resort in South Carolina, turning their ministry into a multimillion-dollar empire.
But behind the glitz and influence, trouble was brewing.
Baker's scandal, prison and a dramatic fall
According to a report by The PUNCH, Bakker resigned from PTL in 1987 after revelations that money had been paid to church secretary Jessica Hahn, who accused him of sexual assault.
He was later convicted of fraud and conspiracy charges linked to the ministry’s finances and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
He eventually served about five years before his release in 1994.
His conviction also ended his marriage to Tammy Faye, who later built her own television career before she died in 2007.
Rather than disappearing from public life, Bakker eventually returned to Christian broadcasting and launched a new ministry in Missouri.
Through The Jim Bakker Show, he focused on end-times teachings and survivalist products.
In 2020, Missouri authorities sued him after he promoted a product as a treatment for COVID-19. The case was eventually settled, with Bakker and his ministry agreeing to pay restitution.
Despite the turbulent chapters, Lori remembered her husband for his devotion to ministry.
“Jim loved people deeply,” she said, adding that even in his final days, “his heart was still for the work of God.”
Source: Instagram
Pastor Jerry Eze shares his touching encounter
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Pastor Jerry Eze opened up about his meeting with a woman who terribly beat up his mother when she was alive.
Pastor Jerry Eze said his family lived with the woman in the same compound years ago.
When the woman showed up to see him on November 26, Pastor Eze shared what happened next.
Source: Legit.ng
