Jim Bakker’s legacy offers warnings about prosperity gospel, unchecked church power

As a religious leader, Jim Bakker embellished his testimony, preached the prosperity gospel, committed fraud to raise funds for his theme park, lived an extravagant lifestyle, cheated on his wife, and staged a comeback after spending almost five years in prison.

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction…”