Jim Bakker, the televangelist who helped shape Christian television before his ministry was rocked by scandal and who later returned to broadcasting, has died at 86.

Bakker’s wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death Monday in a statement posted to “The Jim Bakker Show” Facebook page.

“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.

“For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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.”

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Bakker attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, where he met his first wife, Tammy Faye LaValley. The two married in 1961 and left college to become traveling evangelists, with Bakker preaching while Tammy Faye sang and played the accordion.

Bakker believed television could be a powerful means of spreading the Christian message. He joined Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network in the 1960s and became the first host of “The 700 Club.”

His biggest success came after he and Tammy Faye launched “The PTL Club” in the 1970s. The couple became two of the most recognizable figures in Christian broadcasting as their ministry grew into a multimillion-dollar operation that included the PTL Satellite Network and Heritage USA, a Christian-themed resort and amusement park in South Carolina.

At its height, Heritage USA attracted millions of visitors and helped make Bakker one of the most influential televangelists in America, before his ministry later collapsed in scandal.

His ministry came crashing down in 1987 after news surfaced of a $279,000 payment to church secretary Jessica Hahn, who accused Bakker of sexually assaulting her in 1980. Bakker acknowledged a sexual encounter but maintained that it was consensual.

He resigned from PTL, and a federal investigation into the ministry’s finances followed. Bakker was ultimately convicted on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison. His sentence was later reduced, and he was paroled in 1994 after serving nearly five years.

Bakker and Tammy Faye divorced in 1992 after 31 years of marriage and two children. She died from cancer in 2007.

After leaving prison, Bakker eventually returned to ministry. In 1998, he began working with the Los Angeles Dream Center, where he met Lori Graham. The two married that year and later adopted five siblings from Phoenix, where Lori had previously ministered.

In 2003, Bakker returned to Christian broadcasting with “The Jim Bakker Show,” which he hosted alongside Lori. His later ministry often reflected both biblical prophecy and his own story of failure and restoration.

Bakker faced controversy again in 2021 when he and Morningside Church Productions agreed to pay $156,000 to settle a lawsuit over claims made while promoting a colloidal silver product during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, Bakker continued preaching and broadcasting in his later years, and Lori said his commitment to sharing the Gospel remained with him until the end of his life.

“Jim loved people deeply. He loved this ministry, and he loved the friends and partners who stood with him throughout the years,” she wrote. “Even in his final days, his heart was still for the work of God and for the Gospel to continue reaching the world.”

“Our family is grieving, and we ask for your prayers and privacy during this time,” she added. “Jim finished his race with faith. His voice, his vision, and his legacy will never be forgotten.”

Bakker is survived by Lori and his nine children.