Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a nationally prominent ministry around “The PTL Club” before financial crimes brought it down, died Monday at 86, his wife, Lori Bakker, said in a statement. His cause of death was not immediately known. “He was a pioneer of Christian television, but to me, he was my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honored to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry,” she said. Bakker and his first wife, Tammy Faye, became household names through the program, which at its mid-1980s peak drew as many as 13 million viewers a night. Their ministry also operated Heritage USA, a Christian-themed resort, hotel and amusement park in Fort Mill, South Carolina, south of Charlotte. The ministry’s reach depended on donations from viewers, while its lavish image made the couple a frequent target of television satire. Its collapse became a defining case in debates over televangelists’ fundraising and accountability. Bakker’s troubles became public in 1987, when he acknowledged a sexual encounter with church secretary Jessica Hahn and resigned from the ministry. Pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell took over its operations. A federal investigation into PTL’s finances led to Bakker’s 1988 indictment on mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy charges. He was convicted and initially sentenced to 45 years; an appeals court later reduced the sentence to eight years. He was released on parole in 1994. Bakker and Tammy Faye, whom he met while attending North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, married in 1961 and began as traveling evangelists. He later joined the Christian Broadcasting Network, where he hosted “The 700 Club,” before leaving in 1972. Two years later, he established the PTL Satellite Network. PTL stood for “Praise the Lord.” The couple divorced in 1992 while Bakker was in prison. Tammy Faye died of colon cancer in 2007. Bakker married Lori in 1998, and the two launched “The Jim Bakker Show” in 2003. They lived near Branson, Missouri, where the program was filmed. Bakker suffered a stroke in 2020. His later ministry also faced scrutiny over health claims. In 2021, Bakker and his production company settled a lawsuit alleging he had falsely promoted the supplement Silver Solution as a COVID-19 cure. The settlement provided $156,000 in refunds to people who bought the product or donated to obtain it. The lawsuit cited claims made on 11 episodes in February and March 2020. Bakker and Tammy Faye had two children. He and Lori adopted five children in 2002.