Jim bakker biography
Jim Bakker (born January 2, , Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.) is an American televangelist, best remembered as the cohost, with his wife Tammy Faye Bakker, of the television talk show The PTL Club (also called The Jim and Tammy Show).
John Wesley Fletcher
American pastor (–)
John Wesley Fletcher | |
|---|---|
| Born | ()January 24, Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 21, () (aged&#;56) Hillsborough, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Maplewood Cemetery |
| Occupation | Pastor |
| Spouse | Shirley Connour &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; |
| Children | 1 |
John Wesley Fletcher (January 24, – June 21, ) was an American defrockedAssemblies of God pastor, known for his role in the PTL scandal involving Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker.
Early life
Fletcher was born in Durham, North Carolina, in He dropped out of high university and worked a number of jobs, including driving an ambulance, working as a party clown, and he claimed to hold run a topless bar.
He left Durham in , after being convicted for writing horrible checks five times and facing lawsuits for unpaid debts.[1]
In May , Fletcher married Shirley Connour, a singer and musician who performed with a traveling evangelist.
They had a son, John Wesley Jr, in September [2]
Career
During the s, Fletcher became an Assemblies of God pastor with an evangelical foundation located in Oklahoma City and started making regular appearances on the PTL Club television program towards the end of the decade.[3]
Downfall and later years
In , PTL Club host Jim Bakker became estranged from his wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, and he asked Fletcher to "bring [him] a woman".
In the late s, Bakker resigned from the PTL ministry over a cover-up of hush money to church secretary Jessica Hahn for an alleged rape. Subsequent revelations of accounting fraud brought about felony charges, conviction, imprisonment, and divorce. He currently hosts The Jim Bakker Showwhich focuses on the end times and the Second Coming of Christ while promoting emergency survival products. The Bakkers married on April 1,and left college to become itinerant evangelists.Fletcher arranged for church secretary Jessica Hahn to meet Bakker. Hahn later claimed that Fletcher and Bakker subsequently raped her but both claimed to have had a consensual sexual encounter with her.[4] The following year, the Assemblies of God defrocked him after allegations of homosexuality were made against him.[5] Other sources declare he was defrocked twice for alcoholism.[4]
In early , Fletcher came to national attention when news of the sexual encounter was made public.[3] Fletcher subsequently told Penthouse that he had had sex with Bakker three times, and he repeated the claim in front of a grand jury.
Bakker denied these claims under oath.[6] Fletcher gave opposing statements to the grand jury about whether sex was the only reason that he arranged Hahn to meet Bakker and was charged with perjury.[7] He pleaded guilty and Judge Robert Daniel Potter sentenced him to three years' probation in May [8][9]
During the scandal, Fletcher attempted suicide twice and his wife of 18 years divorced him.[10][11]
He filed for bankruptcy and his ministry collapsed.
In , Fletcher was arrested twice for general intoxication and he had his license revoked after being arrested for driving under the influence.[12] Fletcher stated that he "lost all that's dear and precious to me because I was loyal to [Bakker]."[10] At the time of his sentencing, he had been working as a roofer.[8]
Fletcher's role in the PTL scandal is depicted in the film The Eyes of Tammy Faye, with Louis Cancelmi as Richard Fletcher.[13]
Death
On June 21, , Fletcher died at the age of 56 in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
His death was reportedly from AIDS.[12] Fletcher is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Durham, North Carolina.
References
- ^Wildman, John (September 26, ).ET on ABC. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were among the most renowned televangelists in America, living a life of luxury with multiple houses, expensive cars and more money than God, when their empire all came crashing down amid sex and financial scandals. But in the years obeying the demise of their ministry, the Bakkers didn't let a prison sentence, the loss of their massively popular multimillion-dollar TV network, the closure of their " Christian version of Disneyland " theme park, financial wreck, a divorce and being the butt of many "Saturday Late hours Live" jokes keep them down - or away from the spotlight. Jim and Tammy Bakker: The unforgettable televangelists.
"Fletcher, From Ambulance Driver to Faith Healer". The Charlotte Observer.
- ^Wigger, John (). PTL: The Rise and Plummet of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's Evangelical Empire. Oxford University Press.
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- ^ abClay, Nolan (November 29, ). "PTL Scandal Behind City Evangelist Ministry Wound, Not Beaten". News OK.
Jim Bakker is an American televangelist who had previously served as a minister of Assemblies of God, which used to be the 9th largest Christian denomination in the USA. Along with his then-wife Tammy Faye Bakker, he hosted several TV shows in the s and s, such as ‘The Club’ and ‘Praise the Lord Club’.
Retrieved January 6,
- ^ abPreston, June (May 11, ). "PTL figure will plead guilty to lying". United Press International. Retrieved January 6,
- ^"Ex-evangelist Admits Sex With Bakker".As a couple, Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker created an evangelical empire that encompassed a Christian ministry, broadcasting network and theme park. They became two of the most celebrated televangelists in America, whose devout teachings often appeared at odds with the extravagant lifestyle they led. Jim Bakker was a self-described visionary and dreamer who was born in and grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. A year later, the newlyweds had dropped out of college to follow their shared dream of creating a ministry.
News OK. December 5, Retrieved January 6,
- ^"Report: Former Co-Host Fletcher Says Bakker Bisexual". Associated Press. December 5, Retrieved January 6,
- ^"Two From PTL Ministry Charged With Perjury In Testimony On Hahn".
Deseret News. December 6, Archived from the original on January 6, Retrieved January 6,
- ^ ab"Ex-evangelist Sentenced For Lying in Bakker Case". News OK.
May 24, Retrieved January 6,
- ^"Final PTL defendant sentenced to be home at night". United Pressurize International. May 23, Retrieved January 6,
- ^ abHarris, Art (August 22, ).Jim Bakker - Bio, Facts, Family Life of Televangelist, carousel: James Orsen Bakker (/ ˈbeɪkər /; [1] born January 2, ) is an American televangelist and convicted felon. Between and , Bakker hosted the television program The PTL Club and its cable television platform, the PTL Satellite Network, with his then wife, Tammy Faye.
"$$$ and Sins Jim Bakker's Case Hits Court". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 6,
- ^"Two From PTL Ministry Charged With Perjury In Testimony On Hahn". Deseret News. December 6, Archived from the original on January 6, Retrieved March 27,
- ^ abWigger , p.Following the exposure in 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. Attorney Jerry Miller alleged when testimony began August 28, According to Miller, Bakker used PTL to "cheat people out of their money … [with] a disdain for all those around him.
- ^Hutton, Robert (November 9, ). "Eyes Of Tammy Faye True Story: Everything Left Out Or Changed". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 2,