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Article: Scandal Shakes Bakkers' Empire;Followers Fear Widespread Impact on Evangelicals
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- March 21, 1987
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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The "Jim and Tammy Show" went on as scheduled yesterday-but
without Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. In a television studio in Fort
Mill, S.C.-the seat of the Bakkers' evangelical empire-members of the
audience wept and mumbled, "Thank you, Jesus."
"I have a feeling the devil has bitten off a bit more than he
knows how to chew," show regular Bob Johnson told the studio
audience. They burst into applause. But there was no way of knowing
the reaction of about 500,000 "prayer partners" watching in an
estimated 200 television markets nationwide.
Thursday night Bakker resigned from his multimillion-dollar PTL
ministry-whose initials are variously translated as "People That
Love" and "Praise the ...