Jim Bakker is an American televangelist and media personality who rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s. He is best known for his television show, The PTL Club, and his subsequent involvement in a scandal that led to his fall from grace. Bakker has since reinvented himself and is now a successful entrepreneur, author, and speaker. This article will provide an overview of his life, career, and post-scandal life.
Early Life of Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker was born in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1940. He was raised in a Pentecostal family and attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. After college, he took a job as a pastor at a church in South Carolina. It was here that he met his future wife, Tammy Faye Messner.
In the 1970s, Bakker and Messner started a television ministry, which they called the PTL Club. The show quickly became one of the most popular religious programs on television. Bakker and Messner used the show to raise money for their ministry and to promote their books and merchandise.
Rise to Fame
During the 1980s, Bakker and Messner became very successful and well-known figures in the Christian world. They opened their own theme park, Heritage USA, which became one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Bakker and Messner also began to amass a large fortune, which they used to fund their ministry and lifestyle.
However, in 1987 Bakker was accused of using his ministry to defraud his followers. He was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Despite the scandal, Bakker and Messner remained popular figures in the Christian world.
Post-Scandal Life
After his release from prison in 1994, Bakker reinvented himself as a successful entrepreneur and author. He started a new television show, The Jim Bakker Show, which he used to promote his books and merchandise. He also started a new ministry, Morningside Church, which he used to spread his message of faith and hope.
Bakker also became an outspoken advocate for prison reform and the rights of inmates. He has written several books on the subject and is a frequent speaker at prisons and churches.
Jim Bakker has had an eventful life. From his rise to fame in the 1970s and 1980s to his subsequent fall from grace, Bakker has demonstrated an incredible ability to reinvent himself. He is now a successful entrepreneur, author, and speaker, and his message of faith and hope resonates with people around the world.
