Matthew 7:27 could describe the fall of Heritage USA and PTL Network. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
(Barry Bowen – Trinity Foundation) On Monday, October 5th, Lori Bakker, cohost of The Jim Bakker Show, posted the news her husband televangelist Jim Bakker died. Lori’s brief announcement ends with the words, “Jim finished his race with faith. His voice, his vision, and his legacy will never be forgotten.”
Bakker’s legacy is worth critically examining so that future church congregations and leaders avoid repeating and excusing the same abuses.
As a religious leader, Bakker embellished his testimony, preached the prosperity gospel, committed fraud to raise funds for his theme park, lived an extravagant lifestyle, cheated on his wife, and staged a comeback after spending almost five years in prison.
Bakker’s Childhood and Teen Years
In his adolescent years, Bakker developed an interest in entertainment which he began cultivating by his teens.
In his book Forgiven: The Rise and Fall of Jim Bakker and the PTL Ministry, author Charles E. Shepard wrote, “From the beginning, show business was in Jim Bakker’s blood.”
Shepard explains that Jim, whose real name was James Orsen Bakker, got his middle name from George Orsen Wells, the actor famous for narrating The War of the Worlds radio broadcast.
During his senior year of high school Bakker produced an extravagant variety show at his high school. Shepard reports that Bakker recruited “thirty acts and a cast of more than three hundred.”
It was also during this time that Bakker claimed to surrender to God. Note: If Web Page Blocked pops up click on accept risk. The link will take you to the article. Trinity Foundation is NOT a dangerous web page.
Related
Scandal-ridden Televangelist, Jim Bakker, Dies at 86
Research: Word of Faith/Prosperity Gospel
CRN has compiled a list of false teachers and several other professing Christians we’ve warned you about over the years. The list also contains those we must keep an eye on plus movements, organizations and “frauds, phonies and money-grubbing religious quacks” to mark and avoid as per Romans 16:17-18 such as Jim Bakker.
CRN publishes a wide range of views for research and study. Please keep in mind that the content of a post doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of CRN.