Famed televangelist Jim Bakker dead at age 86

Famous Christian televangelist Jim Bakker passed away on Monday at the age of 86, according to his wife.

Bakker was one of the most prominent television evangelists of his time before he was convicted of financial crimes and admitted to having an affair with a church secretary.

In 1987, Bakker admitted to a sexual encounter with Jessica Hahn. ... Two years later, he was convicted of fraud and conspiracy.

"It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening," said Lori Bakker, his second wife, in a statement.

"For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ," she wrote. "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."

Bakker was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and dropped out of a Bible college in Minneapolis after marrying his first wife, Tammy Faye Bakker. They began a traveling ministry before hosting a kids' show for televangelist Pat Robertson.

He left in 1972 and began the PTL Satellite Network. PTL stands for "Praise the Lord."

He and Tammy Faye became cultural icons in the 1980s and 1990s through their popular evangelical television program. The show drew 13 million viewers at its peak and led to their building a Christian-based theme park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

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In 1987, Bakker admitted to a sexual encounter with Jessica Hahn, a church secretary, and was forced to hand over control of his empire to Jerry Falwell.

Two years later, he was convicted of fraud and conspiracy from an investigation into his company's finances. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison, but that was later reduced to eight years.

The trial resulted in one of the most well-known moments of the Bakkers' spectacle when Tammy Faye cried during a news conference and sang "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand."

Tammy Faye divorced Jim Bakker in 1992 and went on to marry Roe Messner, the contractor of the Christian theme park. Messner was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1995, and Tammy Faye died of colon cancer in 2007.

Bakker continued to evangelize up until his death and was a supporter of President Donald Trump.

"Even in his final days, his heart was still for the work of God and for the gospel to continue reaching the world," Lori Bakker concluded.

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