Pastor Jim Bakker, host and founder of The Jim Bakker Show is a pioneer of Christian Television. From humble beginnings, he rose to build one of the largest ministries in the world.

As a young man, Pastor Bakker was called to make Jesus real to the world. During the golden era of television, he was divinely inspired on what medium he could use to do just that. He dreamed of a night-time Christian talk show-one that could display the format and quality of The Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson.

In 1966, his dream came true. While hosting Come on Over, a children’s show, on Pat Robertson’s fledgling Christian station in Virginia, Pastor Bakker became the founder and host for the first Christian talk show, The 700 Club.

For eight years, Pastor Bakker hosted the ground-breaking variety show with the top ministers and singers of the day. He and his family later joined Paul and Jan Crouch in California to pioneer a new television ministry. Pastor Bakker was the first President and a Founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

In 1974, Pastor Bakker relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, to birth The PTL Club, The Inspirational Network, and a state of the art Christian retreat center, Heritage USA. From there the PTL Television Network was born.

Pastor Bakker also pioneered Christian television in 52 nations as well as founding Heritage School of Evangelism, Heritage Academy and related schools. In addition to his many responsibilities at PTL, he authored more than ten books, and developed several special editions of the Bible.

In 1987, Pastor Bakker resigned as President of PTL after a moral indiscretion he had committed seven years earlier that was brought to the public’s attention.

PTL was placed into bankruptcy by its new management and in 1989 Pastor Bakker was indicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison on charges of overbooking the lodging space at Heritage USA.

Pastor Bakker was re-sentenced in 1991 to 18 years and then later reduced to eight years in Federal prison. He was released on parole in 1994 after serving five years. On July 22, 1996, a Federal Jury ruled that PTL was not selling securities by offering Lifetime Partnerships in Heritage USA, affirming what Pastor Bakker said since the very first day he was indicted. His case was overturned and the judge was dismissed from the case.

In 1998, while working in the inner-city ministry of the Dream Center of Los Angeles, Pastor Bakker met Lori Graham. After an abusive marriage of years of substance abuse, Graham founded a ministry of women who were suffering the emotional scars from abortion. They married later that year and dedicated their lives to ministry.

In 2002, the Bakkers expanded their family with five children from the inner-city of Phoenix where Lori B. had ministered for years. In that same year, they were offered the opportunity to move to Branson, Missouri to begin The Jim Bakker Show, which later launched in 2003.

The Jim Bakker Show is a daily broadcast, taped on location at the new Christian Retreat Center, Morningside, located just outside Branson, Missouri.

Pastor Jim is considered to be one of today’s experts on the book of Revelation. Since prison, he authored I Was Wrong, The Refuge, Prosperity and The Coming Apocalypse, and more recently Time Has Come.

In 2015, Pastor Bakker relaunched the PTL Television Network.

Fun Facts:

It was October 1957 at the Church of the Nazarene in downtown Phoenix, Arizona where Lori Graham Bakker’s parents brought her as an infant to be dedicated to the Lord. As Pastor Daniels held her in his arms, he prophesied, “This little girl has been born to be a bulwark against sin and the enemy.” It was this prophecy that Lori’s mother took within her own heart and it was the 17 years of attending and being a part of that church family that provided the foundation to restoration when Lori fell into a life that has destroyed so many others.

Lori believes with all of her heart in the Power of God’s restoration and love. Her life has been a living testimony of the Lord’s unfailing belief in our hearts. While walking a self-destructive path of partying and drugs as a teenager, Lori’s life took heartbreaking turns that would have shattered many other women. She survived a ten-year marriage plagued by abuse and domestic violence resulting in five abortions. By the age of 22, her hopes of carrying a child were forever taken by complications from the choice to terminate her pregnancies. For Lori, her future did not look promising, but God had a great and wonderful plan just for her.

On Easter Sunday, 1989, Lori was at a crossroads in her life. Finally free of her devastating marriage, she made the decision to go to church that morning at Phoenix First Assembly of God.

Lori accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior and began a journey of spiritual growth lasting almost a decade. She was blessed to be accepted for training into the discipleship program of Master’s Commission. Through this powerful program, she actively volunteered with community outreaches that included inner-city bus ministry, nursing home ministry, youth ministry, prison ministry and a unique women’s ministry dubbed Fashion Share which helped women prepare for job interviews and face the world feeling good about themselves. Many of the souls that she touched on this journey later changed Lori’s life in a profound and amazing way!

In 1994, Lori began the organization that has become Mourning to Joy Ministry. This special outreach has helped women deal with the pain and trauma of post-abortion as well as critical issues facing women today. The ministry, featured in noted publications such as Charisma, has been featured for its cutting-edge memorial services for the children lost through abortion and healing of the women involved.

Because of her dedicated service, Lori was invited to speak and minister at the Los Angeles International Church, also known as the Dream Center. It was there that Lori met Pastor Jim Bakker. After what has been described by others as a “fairytale courtship,” Pastor Jim and Lori celebrated their marriage on September 4, 1998. This union from God began a shared ministry and vision to minister to the world, projecting the message of God’s love and the Power of His restoration in their lives.

It has been 20 years since Jim and Lori Bakker merged their testimonies and faith. The abundance of God’s blessings has been truly and miraculously ordained! Lori chronicled the romantic adventure of their Cinderella story in her book, “More than I Could Ever Ask.” (released by Thomas Nelson Publishers in 2000) After many appeals from those touched by her story, her new book tentatively named, “Happily Ever After” is in progress.

In 2002, Lori and Pastor Jim expanded their family with five beautiful children from the inner-city of Phoenix where she had ministered for years during her Master’s Commission training and through Phoenix First Assembly. Lori had long ago accepted the loss of her dream of motherhood. Yet, the Lord saw into her heart and restored to her a family she never imagined would be possible. She is now relishing her role as a Grandmother as the Bakker family continues to grow!

Lori and Jim moved their family to Branson, Missouri in 2003. Sixteen years to the date that Pastor Jim made the last broadcast from PTL, he and Lori launched their new television ministry, the Jim Bakker Show. Together, Pastor Jim and Lori host a one-hour, daily TV program that is seen throughout the United States and around the globe, supported by the loving and generous care of partners all over the world.

In January 2008 the Lord guided them to move the ministry and studio to a new location called Morningside located in Blue Eye, Missouri. God has continued to bless this ministry and expand the possibilities for touching others and sharing the message of Jesus Christ through action!

Lori is currently the founder and executive director of Lori’s House, a safe, supportive home for pregnant women in difficult situations at Morningside that is completely unique to this area. This home is a place of ministry, love, rest and learning; a place of fellowship, caring and healing with its main goal to save babies and care for their mothers! This is a ministry straight from God’s heart to Lori’s and has changed many lives!

Despite past hardships, Lori Graham Bakker has never given up on the path that God laid out for her. She is now using her story of restoration and faith to speak to audiences on her new show “Life with Lori”. This is another dream come true for Lori Graham Bakker. As she stated in her first show, “God is raising up women to be the women of God that he has created us to be for such a time as this. This is our time to stand up in a Godly way, and in a beautiful way.”

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