Jim Bakker, Televangelist Whose Empire Fell in Scandal, Dies at 86

Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a massive Christian broadcasting empire before it collapsed amid sex and financial scandals, has died at 86. His second wife, Lori Bakker, confirmed his death on Monday, though no cause was given.

Bakker's life was a study in contradictions: a pioneer of Christian television who reached millions nightly, a convicted felon, and a figure whose downfall became a cultural touchstone. His death, coming a year after fellow televangelist Jimmy Swaggart passed, closes a chapter on the 1980s era of prosperity gospel preachers whose influence still echoes today.

From Tent Revivals to a Media Empire

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Bakker met his first wife, Tammy Faye, at North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. They married in 1961 and left school to travel the country, preaching in churches and tent revivals, with Tammy Faye singing and playing accordion.

Their big break came when televangelist Pat Robertson noticed them. By 1966, Bakker was hosting The 700 Club on Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network. He left in 1972 and, two years later, launched the PTL Satellite Network. Its flagship show, The PTL Club (PTL stood for