Jim Bakker Trial: 1989

Defendant: Jim Bakker
Crime Charged: Fraud and conspiracy
Chief Defense Lawyers: Harold Bender and George T. Davis
Chief Prosecutors: Jerry Miller and Deborah Smith
Judge: Robert D. Potter
Place: Charlotte, North Carolina
Dates of Trial: August 21-October 5, 1989
Verdict: Guilty
Sentence: 45 years imprisonment and $500,000 fine

SIGNIFICANCE: This trial marked the first prosecution of a television evangelist on charges of duping his followers.

For years Jim Bakker's Praise The Lord (PTL) ministry had been the most successful television program of its type. Following the exposure in 1987 of an affair with assistant Jessica Hahn, his financial empire began to crumble. An investigation into the workings of PTL led to 24 indictments charging that Bakker had defrauded the public of millions.

Between 1984 and 1987, PTL supporters paid $158 million to obtain "lifetime partnerships" in Bakker's Heritage USA theme park, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Miller alleged when testimony began August 28, 1989. Miller explained how the $1,000 partnerships were supposed to entitle the contributor to three nights' lodging a year for life at Heritage USA. But with accommodations for just 25,000 vacationers, Bakker oversold an additional 43,000 memberships, diverting $3.7 million to his own personal use. According to Miller, Bakker used PTL to "cheat people out of their money … [with] a disdain for all those around him."

George Davis, defending, said that Bakker admitted the facts of the case but denied any wrongdoing. "He was," argued Davis, "a creative, religious genius."

When Bakker's former personal assistant David Taggart, himself previously convicted of fraud, took the stand, he cataloged Bakker's lavish lifestyle: condominiums, houses, mink coats, diamonds, two Rolls Royces, and a Mercedes, all paid for out of donations.

Further evidence of extravagance came from Steve Nelson, an ex-PTL vice president, who also spoke of warning Bakker about the overbooked vacation deals. "I told him that I thought we had some big-time problems. I specifically said, "Someone could go to jail for this.' He told me not to worry, that there was always room at the inn." Seconds after giving his testimony, Nelson collapsed in court. At the behest of his lawyer, Bakker prayed gently at Nelson's side while paramedics administered treatment.

The next day it was Bakker's turn to require medical attention. He had been found beneath a desk in his lawyer's office, huddled in a fetal position, apparently hallucinating. "Please don't do this to me," he sobbed, as he was led away in shackles for psychiatric evaluation.

One week later Bakker was back in court to hear former aide Richard Dortch agree with prosecution contentions that the partnerships had been a classic "pyramid scheme." Dortch quoted Bakker as saying, "There's no limit to the amount of people we can offer them to, because I can control the crowds of people as they come."

Hurricane Interrupts Trial

No sooner had Bakker's defense gotten under way than Judge Robert Potter had to suspend the trial yet again, this time because Hurricane Hugo was imminent. When testimony resumed, Heritage contributor Sam Gassaway, an Atlanta land developer, denied expecting a guarantee of lodging. "I was a partner to help build something,… I did not expect title or anything of that nature."

Central to the defense argument was the contention that Bakker had never actually sold anything, that all of the monies he had received were donations, not purchases.

Bakker confirmed this when he testified. He started out in control, but the longer he remained on the stand the more his composure frayed. incontrol, Prosecutor Deborah Smith lashed him for continuing to receive million-dollar bonuses, despite knowing that PTL was financially troubled.

"I said to them not to give me the bonuses many, many times," insisted Bakker.

"And then you cashed the checks and used them to buy houses many, many times," Smith replied icily.

Alluding to $600,000 in bonuses received over six weeks in 1986, Bakker reiterated the Heritage board credo: "We say that by faith, God will supply the need."

"How about truth?" Smith shot back. "Did you ever tell them the truth of what the financial situation was?"

His voice dropping to a whisper, Bakker went on to blame Jerry Falwell and other evangelists for the PTL debacle. "The real conspiracy to defraud came from the group of people who took over the ministry for their own gain."

In closing, Smith told the jurors, "What you have here is a pyramid on the brink of collapse, a house of cards ready to fall." She concluded by quoting Lord Tennyson: "A lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies. Mr. Bakker is a world-class master of using half-truths."

Both defense attorneys made final addresses. George Davis, apparently pinning all his hopes on a mistrial, urged those jurors with doubts to hold out, "even if it's one versus eleven."

Fellow counsel Harold Bender adopted a more traditional tack. "He [Bakker] doesn't expect you to give him mercy. He doesn't expect mercy. But he does have the right to expect justice under the law."

On October 5, 1989, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Judge Robert Potter, as expected, came down hard. Saying, "Those of us who do have a religion are sick of being saps for money-grubbing preachers and priests," he jailed Bakker for 45 years and fined him $500,000.

Citing federal sentencing guidelines and Judge Potter's inappropriate mention of religion, an appeals court in February 1991 ordered a resentencing. On August 23, 1991, Judge George Mullen reduced Bakker's jail term to 18 years, making him eligible for parole in 1995. Mullen reduced Bakker's sentence again on December 22, 1992, to eight years, making him eligible for parole in 1993.

While Jim Bakker served his time, his wife Tammy Faye filed for divorce. The divorce became official in 1992. Jim Bakker was paroled in 1994, and at the time of his release said that he was not sure if he would ever return to preaching. In 1996, his book, I Was Wrong, was published telling his side of the PTL scandal.

Today, Jim Bakker is remarried and living in Los Angeles, California. He teaches Bible classes and preaches at the Los Angeles International Church. Bakker has recently said that he may some day consider a return to televangelism.

Those who expected Jim Bakker's trial to titillate and tantalize came away disappointed. There was hardly a mention of his affairs. Wisely, the prosecution concentrated on Bakker's greed and hubris. Measured against his indifference to those he bilked, any other diversions would have seemed irrelevant.

—Colin Evans and

—Ron Formica

Suggestions for Further Reading

Fitzgerald, Frances. "Jim And Tammy." The New Yorker (April 23, 1990): 45ff.

Martz, Larry and Ginny Carroll. Ministry of Greed. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988.

Richardson, Michael. The Edge of Disaster. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1987.

Shephard, Charles E. Forgiven. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1989.

BAKKER, JIM 1940- AND BAKKER, TAMMY 1942-

Televagelist team; founders of the ptl network

Beginnings

In 1965 Jim and Tammy Bakker, two young, itinerant evangelists, joined station WYAH in Virginia, Beach, Virginia with a Christian puppet show. It quickly attracted a devoted local audience and also became one of the most successful syndicated programs for Pat Robertson's developing Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). A year later Jim Bakker was allowed to broadcast the Christian talk show of which he had always dreamed, with a format based on the popular The Tonight Show. The 700 Club, as Bakker called it, became the prototype of the developing television ministry. Both the puppet show and The 700 Club were crucial in bringing new stations into the CBN system. It was also on The 700 Club that Bakker learned how effective his pleas for funds could be. When he weepingly asked his viewers to send in money to keep CBN on the air during an early fund-raising campaign, the station was flooded with pledges. Bakker would make financial crises a regular part of his ministry when he later set up on his own.

California

In 1972 Jim and Tammy Bakker left CBN and moved to California, where Jim helped to put together another religious broadcasting system, the Trinity Broadcast Network. There he introduced his talk show with a new name, the PTL Club. Originally the initials stood for "Praise The Lord," but to soften the charismatic implications of that phrase the initials were sometimes said to mean "People That Love," In time Bakker's critics would say they stood for "Pass The Loot."

PTL Network

In 1974 the Bakkers moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they set up a new broadcasting system, which they called the PTL Network. PTL quickly syndicated the Bakkers' show, which attracted larger and larger audiences. PTL became one of the leading religious television networks, and the Bakkers became religious celebrities. By 1975 contributions to PTL amounted to over five million dollars, and the amount was rising. Bakker insisted his was the world's fastest-growing ministry.

PTL's Message

The PTL Club reflected the developing nature of Pentecostalism in America. The production costs were high, requiring lavish sets, expensive clothing, and large numbers of volunteers to take pledges and talk with people who called into the program with their issues. Jim Bakker's engaging personality and Tammy's trademark heavy makeup, often spoiled by her tears, earned them devoted followers. Bakker softened the restrictive qualities of early Pentecostalism and suggested that God wanted his followers to be successful and live well. Certainly he and Tammy exemplified this in their own lives.

Competition

Bakker and Robertson seemed to be in competition during the late 1970s. Bakker insisted PTL was larger than CBN because he had more stations in his network, but CBN covered larger markets. PTL quickly followed CBN in leasing access to satellite broadcasting, making simultaneous broadcasting possible, and both expanded their physical facilities with funds generated from viewer donations.

Downfall

But before the end of the decade Bakker began to lay the basis for the financial scandal that would eventually bring down his empire. In 1978 he broke ground for a complex outside Charlotte, in neighboring South Carolina, that became Heritage USA. Bakker wanted this planned community of condominiums, shops, and meeting halls to serve as a combination resort, retreat, and retirement village for Christians, The project quickly drained the contributions that flowed to the ministry. Bakker's pleas for money to avert one financial catastrophe or another became commonplace on his program.

Prison

By 1979 the Bakkers' lavish lifestyle, extravagant projects, financial problems, and suspect pleas for funds to send to missions in Korea and Brazil attracted the attention of The Charlotte Observer, which began a long-term investigation of PTL. At the same time the Federal Communications Commission also started an in-conclusive investigation into the financial activities of the ministry. The investigation culminated in Jim Bakker's conviction in 1988 of overselling timeshares at Heritage USA.

Sources:

Jim Bakker, Move That Mountain (Charlotte, N.C.: PTL Network, 1975);

Larry Martz with Ginny Carroll, Ministry of Greed: The Inside Story of the Televangelists and Their Holy Wars (New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988);

Charles E. Shepard, Forgiven: The Rise and Fall of Jim Bakker and the PTL Ministry (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1989).

Jim Bakker , 1941-, American preacher and television evangelist, b. Muskegon, Mich. Born James Orson, he took the last name of his wife and partner Tamara Faye (Tammy Faye) Bakker. With his Assemblies of God congregation as a base, he hosted (1966-87) "The PTL (Praise the Lord) Club," one of the most popular of the television ministries. A sensation erupted when Bakker confessed (1987) to committing adultery. In 1989 he was convicted of defrauding his contributors of millions of dollars. He was divorced by his wife while serving his sentence and was released from prison in 1994.