Jim Bakker dies at 86. See the televangelist’s rise and fall.

Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a multimillion-dollar evangelical broadcasting empire before a sex scandal and fraud conviction led to his public downfall, died Oct. 5, 2026, at age 86.

​ Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a multimillion-dollar evangelical broadcasting empire before a sex scandal and fraud conviction led to his public downfall, died Oct. 5, 2026, at age 86. USA TODAY – Breaking News and Latest News Today Read More