India, Oct. 6 -- Jim Bakker, the televangelist who came to be known across the country in the 1970s and 80s, died at the age of 86. His wife, Lori Bakker, shared the news of his passing in a Facebook post.

She announced that Bakker had died on the evening of October 5. "It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening. For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a pioneer of Christian television, but to me, he was my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honored to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry. Jim loved people deeply. He loved this ministry, and he loved the friends and partners who stood with him th...