Jim Bakker, TV pastor who served time for defrauding followers, dies at 86

Oct. 6, 2026, 4:15 AM UTCThe televangelist served less than 5 years after being convicted of fraud in 1989.In this March 19, 1987, file photo, Television evangelist Jim Bakker poses in Columbia, S.C.Lou Krasky / AP PhotoTelevision pastor Jim Bakker, who served time in prison for defrauding his followers in the 1980s, has died.He was 86.His death was announced by wife, Lori, on the “The Jim Bakker Show” Facebook page Monday night.“It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening,” Lori said.She said she lost a husband, not just a figure well-known to television’s religious audience.“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,” she said.