Jim Bakker

James Orson Bakker (born January 2, 1939 in Muskegon, Michigan) is an American televangelist, Assemblies of God preacher, and evangelist beset by scandal, and the former host of The PTL Club (PTL being an acronym for 'Praise the Lord' and 'People That Love') with his then-wife Tammy Faye Bakker.

Conviction and prison

Bakker was indicted on federal charges of fraud, tax evasion, and racketeering. In 1989 after trial in Charlotte, Judge Robert Potter convicted Bakker of fraud and conspiring to commit fraud and sentenced him to forty-five years in federal prison. Bakker's associate, Richard Dortch, senior vice-president of PTL, and associate pastor of Heritage Village Church, also went to prison. In 1992, Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye were divorced at her request. Reminiscent of Biblical passage Matthew 25:36, evangelist Billy Graham visited Bakker in prison, as did his son, Franklin Graham, repeatedly saying, "Jim Bakker's my friend."

Related Topics:
Indicted - Fraud - Tax evasion - Racketeering - 1989 - Charlotte - Federal prison - Richard Dortch - 1992 - Biblical - Matthew - Billy Graham - Franklin Graham

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The Bakker scandals and conviction eventually affected the reputation of other televangelists such as Jimmy Swaggart, Peter Popoff, and Pat Robertson. Richard Dortch said that pride, arrogance, and secrets led to the scandals. While most people never face temptations on the same scale, he said, the ingredients are the same as in seemingly smaller failures. Dortch said the men in PTL's leadership felt they were above accountability, that they felt specially called by God and accountable only to Him. He said they didn't plan the scandal, but that it was the natural result of living for oneself rather than for God.

Related Topics:
Jimmy Swaggart - Peter Popoff - Pat Robertson - Richard Dortch

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Defending Bakker one of his attorneys said: "If a man raises over $150 million for a business that competed with Disney and the major networks and kept $3 million for himself, he may be guilty of mismanagement, naïveté, even stupidity, but should it be a crime? Do you think Falwell lives in a 5-room house?" Critics say this defense ignores the differences between a not for profit entity and a for profit entity, between secular and religious enterprises, and between fraud and mistake. Ultimately, the defense failed and Bakker went to prison.

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In early 1991, a federal appeals court upheld Bakker's conviction on the fraud and conspiracy charges, but voided Bakker's 45-year sentence, as well as the $500,000 fine, and ordered that a new sentencing hearing be held. At that hearing, Bakker was sentenced to eight years prison. One of his cellmates during his incarceration was political activist Lyndon LaRouche.

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