US Televangelist Jim Bakker Dies at 86 After Controversial Ministry Career

American televangelist Jim Bakker has died at the age of 86, according to a statement shared by his wife, Lori Bakker. The cause and circumstances of his death were not disclosed. Bakker rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s as co-founder of The PTL Club with his first wife, Tammy Faye Bakker. Their ministry grew into a major Christian broadcasting network and developed Heritage USA, a large Christian theme park and resort in South Carolina. His career later collapsed amid a sexual scandal and fraud case involving the sale of lifetime vacation packages at the resort. He was convicted in 1989 on fraud and conspiracy charges and served more than four years in prison after his initial sentence was reduced. At the height of its influence, the PTL ministry reportedly reached millions of viewers and employed about 2,000 people. Tammy Faye Bakker, who was never charged, divorced him in 1992 and died in 2007.

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