CNIR — Christian News & Investigative Reports | October 5, 2026
BREAKING NEWS — Jim Bakker, the pioneering televangelist who became one of the most recognizable faces of Christian television through The PTL Club, has died at the age of 86.
Bakker died Monday evening, October 5, according to an announcement from his wife, Lori Bakker. His son Jay Bakker also confirmed his father’s death. A cause of death was not immediately announced.
“Jim Finished His Race With Faith”
Lori Bakker announced her husband’s death in an emotional statement shared through The Jim Bakker Show.
“It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening,” she wrote.
Lori said her husband had devoted 66 years to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, describing him as a pioneer of Christian television and saying that even during his final days, his heart remained focused on ministry and spreading the Gospel.
She concluded her announcement with the words:
“Jim finished his race with faith.”
The Bakker family is asking supporters for prayer and privacy as they grieve.
A Pioneer of Christian Television
Bakker became nationally known alongside his then-wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, through The PTL Club during the 1970s and 1980s.
The ministry grew into a major Christian broadcasting operation and eventually included Heritage USA, the massive Christian resort and theme park near Charlotte, North Carolina, that became one of the most visible symbols of the televangelism era.
For millions of Americans, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker became household names.
But Bakker’s ministry would eventually experience one of the most public collapses in modern American Christian broadcasting.
From Christian Television Empire to Federal Prison
Bakker resigned from PTL in 1987 amid revelations involving a sexual encounter with church secretary Jessica Hahn and a payment connected to the matter. Financial investigations into PTL followed.
In 1989, Bakker was convicted of fraud and conspiracy related to fundraising for Heritage USA. He was initially sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, though that sentence was later reduced. Bakker ultimately served about five years before his release.
His marriage to Tammy Faye ended while he was incarcerated.
Tammy Faye later remarried and died from cancer in 2007.
Bakker Returned to Christian Television
Jim Bakker’s story did not end with PTL.
Following his release from prison, he eventually returned to Christian broadcasting. He married Lori Beth Graham in 1998 and later launched The Jim Bakker Show, once again establishing a national television ministry.
His later broadcasts frequently focused on Christianity, biblical prophecy, current events and preparedness.
Bakker’s return was not without further controversy. His ministry faced legal action during the COVID-19 pandemic over claims surrounding a health product, eventually agreeing to restitution as part of a settlement.
A Complicated but Undeniable Legacy
Jim Bakker leaves behind one of the most complicated legacies in the history of American televangelism.
His life included extraordinary ministry success, international recognition, scandal, criminal conviction, imprisonment and an eventual return to Christian broadcasting.
Whatever conclusions are drawn about Bakker’s life and ministry, his influence on the development of modern Christian television cannot easily be separated from the history of religious broadcasting in America.
For his family, however, Monday night’s announcement was much more personal.
Lori Bakker remembered not simply the television personality known around the world, but her husband, best friend and ministry partner.
Jim Bakker was 86 years old.
This is a developing story. CNIR will update this report as additional information concerning Bakker’s death, funeral arrangements and memorial services becomes available.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any decisions. Source: Christian News & Investigative Reports (CNIR) — cnirbc.com Reporting the headline. Investigating the facts
