Jim Bakker, PTL Founder and Christian Broadcaster, Dies at 86
Jim Bakker, longtime Christian television broadcaster and founder of the PTL ministry, has died at the age of 86.
Bakker’s wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death Monday, October 5, through The Jim Bakker Show’s official Facebook page.
Bakker was one of the most recognizable figures in American Christian television, with a broadcasting career that stretched across more than six decades.
Born January 2, 1940, in Muskegon, Michigan, Bakker entered Christian television in the 1960s. He worked with Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network, where he became the first host of The 700 Club, and later worked alongside Paul and Jan Crouch during the early development of Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Bakker and his then-wife, Tammy Faye, launched The PTL Club in 1974. The program became one of the best-known Christian television broadcasts in the country. PTL later developed Heritage USA, a large Christian retreat and theme park in South Carolina.
Bakker returned to Christian broadcasting in 2003 with The Jim Bakker Show. In his later years, the program placed a strong emphasis on Bible prophecy, current events, Israel, the Book of Revelation and preparation for the last days.
He continued his ministry alongside his wife Lori from Morningside near Branson, Missouri.
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