Co-host of the television Bible focused show, 'The Jim Bakker Show'

Lori Bakker | Biography

Wife of Infamous Televangelist Jim Bakker

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Original : January 04, 2022

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Lori Bakker is an American televangelist and author. She is the wife of Jim Bakker, who served a five-year jail sentence from 1989 to 1994 on federal charges of mail and wire fraud.

Short Bio

Lori Bakker is a televangelist, motivational speaker, and author. She became an ordained minister in 1991 and ministered for many years at Phoenix First Assembly and Master’s Commission. In 1994, she launched the Mourning to Joy Ministry to help women deal with post-abortion pain and trauma and other severe issues women face.

In 2003, she and her husband, Jim, started co-hosting a television program, The Jim Bakker Show. In the program, they talked about verses and stories in the Bible and invited Biblical teachers and prophets to share their lessons on life and spirituality.

Jim and Lori Bakker would later build an abortion housing alternative program, Lori’s House, to provide housing, food, support, and life skills training for pregnant women in need or crisis. Lori serves as the founder and president of the cause.

From August 2019 to April 2020, Lori hosted a weekly talk show called Life with Lori.

Furthermore, she has also appeared in several programs, including Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and The Today Show.

How Old is Lori Bakker?

Lori Bakker was born Lori Beth Graham on 31 August 1957. She grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, in a middle-class family. Lori’s age is 64 years as of January 2022. 

Though she has not posted about her birthday on her social media lately, she did share her family photo on Instagram back on 30 August 2014, celebrating her 57th birthday with her family.

Lori Bakker Accidental Pregnancy

At 17, Lori began dating and then married a man. She found herself immersed in sex, drugs, and rock and roll culture with him, but her first marriage was like an accident as it turned out to be a nightmare of domestic violence and abuse. Lori told Orlando Sentinel in April 2000 that she became pregnant before the wedding and her first husband told her to choose between him and the baby. To be with him, she ended up going to an abortion clinic in 1975. She also said that her first husband beat her, including the night before their marriage.

By age 22, she became pregnant five times, but she ended up doing abortions all five times because of her spouse’s demand. The last abortion left complications that needed a hysterectomy, a surgery to remove a woman’s uterus, which left her unable to become pregnant again. In 1985, she escaped her ten-year abusive and violent marriage.

In 1989, she made a life-changing decision. She decided to attend Phoenix First Assembly of God on Easter Sunday on 26 March and quickly accepted Jesus Christ. She then joined a discipleship program called Master’s Commission. 

As Preacher’s Wife 

Jim and Lori Bakker first met each other on 16 July 1998, after worship services at the Los Angeles International church, where they had both attended to minister. 

Before their first encounter, Lori had listened to Jim at her church in Phoenix in February 1995, shortly after he was released on parole after serving almost five years of a jail sentence for committing fraud. The entire controversy is now known as Jim Bakkers' Scandal.

Jim and Lori had a huge age difference of 18 years and failed first marriages, but it didn’t stop them from falling in love with each other. They quickly started a romantic relationship after their meeting in Los Angeles, and they subsequently tied the knot in front of 250 guests in Burbank, California, on 4 September 1998.

Lori later chronicled their romantic story in a book titled ‘More Than I Could Ever Ask,’ released in 2000.

The couple celebrated their 18th anniversary in 2016 as Lori posted their wedding picture on Instagram, captioning, “18 years ago today God blessed me with the most wonderful husband a girl could ever ask for. Jim, I couldn’t imagine life without you! You are the love of my life, and I’m so thankful for our family!”

In 2002, the couple adopted five children. Lori has two stepchildren from Jim’s previous marriage. Jim was first married to late evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker Messner for 30 years before their divorce in 1992.

Net Worth

Though Lori’s net worth has not been known yet, her husband, Jim, has a net worth of $500 thousand.