US televangelist Jim Bakker, who rose to fame by building a multimillion-dollar Christian media empire before his career collapsed amid a sex scandal and fraud conviction, has died aged 86.
Bakker’s death was announced on Monday, October 5, 2026, by his second wife, Lori Bakker, who described him as a “pioneer of Christian television.”
Lori said Bakker, the man she was honored to walk beside through many seasons of life and ministry.
“He was a pioneer of Christian television, but to me, he was my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honored to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry,” she stated.
She did not disclose his cause of death.
Rise to Christian television fame
Bakker and his first wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, founded The PTL Club in 1974.
The Christian television program, whose name stood for “Praise the Lord” or “People That Love,” eventually became one of the most successful religious broadcasts in the United States.
At its peak, The PTL Club reportedly attracted millions of viewers, helping the couple build a sprawling Christian media empire.
Their ministry employed about 2,000 people and included the 2,300-acre Heritage USA Christian theme park complex in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
The couple also became known for their lavish lifestyle, with their wealth reportedly allowing them to own a private jet, several homes, luxury vehicles, expensive jewelry, and even an air-conditioned doghouse.
Sex scandal rocked Bakker’s empire
Bakker’s empire began to unravel in the late 1980s after revelations surrounding a 1980 sexual encounter with Jessica Hahn, a former church secretary.
Hahn later accused Bakker of sexual assault, allegations he denied. Bakker maintained that the encounter had been consensual.
It also emerged that Hahn had received a $265,000 payment from PTL funds following the encounter.
The scandal forced Bakker to resign from the PTL ministry in 1987. He was subsequently stripped of his ministerial credentials and removed from religious duties.
Jim Bakker fraud conviction and prison sentence
Bakker’s troubles deepened when he was prosecuted over the finances of his ministry and Heritage USA.
In 1989, he was convicted on 24 counts of mail and wire fraud and conspiracy in connection with a scheme involving the Christian theme park.
He ultimately served more than four years in prison before being released in 1994.
Following his release, Bakker wrote the book I Was Wrong, reflecting on his downfall and conviction.
Tammy Faye remained with Bakker during much of his legal ordeal but divorced him in 1992 while he was still in prison.
She later became a prominent figure in her own right and died from cancer in 2007.
After his release from prison, Bakker remarried.
He married Lori Bakker in 1998, and the couple later launched a new television ministry in 2003.
In 2008, they began taping The Jim Bakker Show, allowing Bakker to return to Christian broadcasting after years away from the spotlight.
