Televangelist Jim Bakker Dead at 86

Jim Bakker, the American televangelist who was later convicted of fraud and conspiracy, has died. He was 86 years old. Bakker built a massive Christian presence on television with his then-wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, who died in 2007.

BREAKING: Televangelist Jim Bakker, who built a Christian television empire with his former wife Tammy Faye before his stunning fall from grace, has died at 86.

His wife Lori Bakker announces his death, remembering him as a "pioneer of Christian television," her "husband," and… pic.twitter.com/kl1GCSHPbG

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 6, 2026

Bakker's wife, Lori Beth Graham, posted of his death on Facebook.

Jim Bakker, the embattled head of Praise the Lord Network (PTL) and The Jim Bakker Show, has passed away at the age of 86, according to his wife Lori.

She posted a message on Facebook, writing of her Televangelist husband:

"It is with a broken heart that I share that my… pic.twitter.com/nYEFxgdRuV

— Protestia (@Protestia) October 6, 2026

"It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening," the post read. "For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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. Jim loved people deeply. He loved this ministry, and he loved the friends and partners who stood with him throughout the years. Even in his final days, his heart was still for the work of God and for the Gospel to continue reaching the world.  Our family is grieving and we ask for your prayers and privacy during this time.  Jim finished his race with faith. His voice, his vision, and his legacy will never be forgotten."

Bakker was born in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1940 to Raleigh Bakker and Furnia Irwin. He would later attend North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There he met Tammy Faye LaValley; despite Bakker having a fiancé in Michigan, they left college and married in 1961 before becoming itinerant evangelists. They had two children, Tammy Sue and Jamie Charles.

Televangelist Jim Bakker, who rose to national prominence in the 1970s and '80s before stepping down from his ministry amid scandal, has died. He was 86. https://t.co/DnE3QLUrpZ pic.twitter.com/WnwkQGrPPo

— CNN (@CNN) October 6, 2026

In 1966, the Bakkers began working for Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in Portsmouth, Virginia, hosting a children's variety show called "Come on Over." The success of that show led Robertson to make Bakker the host of a new primetime talk show, "The 700 Club." That would become the network's flagship program. The Bakkers left CBN in 1973.

They would later join Paul and Jan Crouch to cofound the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in California. During that time, the Bakkers moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and launched the East Coast version of "Praise the Lord" (PTL) under the TBN network umbrella. They then formed their own nonprofit organization, registered the PTL trademark, and left TBN. In 1975, "The PTL Club" debuted as a late night-style talk show.

In 1979, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into Bakker for allegedly misusing funds raised on the air. That report, finalized in 1982, found Bakker had raised $350,000 by telling viewers it would go to fund overseas missions. It was actually used to pay for part of Heritage USA, a Christian theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and that PTL funds were also used to fund the Bakkers' personal expenses. The FCC commissioners voted four to three to drop the investigation and allowed Bakker to sell the TV station he owned, eliminating future FCC oversight. The Justice Department declined to press charges at the time, citing a lack of evidence.

In 1987, Bakker was accused of sexual misconduct by church secretary Jessica Hahn. That led to his resignation. Later, it was revealed that a payment of $279,000 was made to Hahn. A subsequent investigation into the PTL Club's fundraising between 1984 and 1987 found that much of the money paid Heritage USA's operating expenses, and Bakker kept $3.4 million. He was indicted on eight counts of mail fraud, 15 counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy in 1988 and found guilty in August 1989. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

That sentencing was later reduced to eight years following a November 1992 hearing and he was paroled in July 1994, serving about five years of his sentence.

Bakker had a minor stroke in 2020, but no cause of death was revealed.

Bakker is survived by his wife, Lori Beth Graham, and his children.