Jim Bakker

Jim Bakker (born January 2, 1939), is an American televangelist, and the former host of The PTL Club (with his wife Tammy Faye Bakker[?]).

From 1984 to 1987, Bakker and his associates offered life-time partnerships to fund the building of facilities at "Heritage USA", a Christian holiday and activity center in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In return for their financial support, the partners were promised free lodging at Heritage USA, if space was available. However, the organisation could not keep its promises towards them and was accused of deliberately refraining from building sufficient lodging space for regular guests plus Lifetime Partners. One of the most important allegations was that they oversold, which constituted a fraud. Bakker was put on trial. In Charlotte, North Carolina, Judge Robert Potter convicted Bakker with fraud and conspiring to commit fraud and sentenced him to 45 years in prison. He served almost 5 years in prison and was paroled for good behavior in 1993. In 1992 he and his wife Tammy Faye were separated at her request.

On March 19, 1987 following a scandal involving Jessica Hahn[?], Bakker resigned from the PTL.

In 1996 Jim Bakker's book was published, entitled I Was Wrong (Thomas Nelson Publishers).