Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built the PTL ministry and Heritage USA resort in the Charlotte region before a financial scandal led to his conviction for fraud and conspiracy, has died at 86. His wife, Lori Bakker, announced his death on Instagram Monday evening. The family asked for prayers and privacy, saying Bakker had “finished his race with faith.” His cause of death was not immediately disclosed. Bakker and his first wife, Tammy Faye, launched “The PTL Club” from Charlotte in 1975. The program grew into a major televangelism operation, drawing millions of viewers and bringing in millions of dollars annually during its 1980s peak. The couple also developed Heritage USA, a religious resort in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The ministry’s fortunes changed in 1987, when Bakker acknowledged a sexual encounter with former church secretary Jessica Hahn. Hahn alleged she had been sexually assaulted; Bakker said the encounter was consensual. He resigned from PTL, and broadcaster Jerry Falwell took over its operations. A federal investigation into PTL’s finances led to Bakker’s 1989 conviction on fraud and conspiracy charges. He was initially sentenced to 45 years, later reduced to eight. He was released on parole in 1994 after serving about five years and apologized for his conduct. Bakker returned to television and continued hosting “The Jim Bakker Show” until his death. In 2021, he and his production company agreed to provide $156,000 in refunds to people who bought or contributed money for Silver Solution, after a lawsuit challenged claims on the show that the product could cure COVID-19. The PTL tower still rises above homes built on the former Heritage USA site. MorningStar Church, which is not affiliated with the Bakkers, took over the property in 2004. Its proposal to convert the 21-story tower into a retirement center stalled after the 2008 economic collapse disrupted financing for the $40 million project. The church has until February 2027 to submit development plans or demolish the tower. Bakker was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and met Tammy Faye while attending North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. They married in 1961 and began as traveling evangelists. After hosting programs on the Christian Broadcasting Network, Bakker left in 1972 and formed the PTL Satellite Network two years later. Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker had two children and divorced in 1992. She died of colon cancer in 2007. Their son Jay Bakker, now a progressive Christian pastor, said on social media that he had a complicated relationship with his father and needed time to grieve. In a February interview, he said they held differing views on theology and politics but tried to maintain a relationship.