SEATTLE, WA – Jay Bakker, son of televangelist Jim Bakker, is speaking out after receiving a disturbing message from TMZ. The leader of Revolution Church appealed to basic human decency in his social media post.
“This morning, I woke up late and struggled to get my kids ready for school, only to be confronted with a disturbing message,” Jay Bakker told his supporters on Monday (Feb. 23). The spiritual leader shared the message in question, which was one of Jamie Schram, News Director for TMZ.com, inquiring about the health of Jim Bakker.
Schram was attempting to confirm whether or not Jim suffered a stroke and subsequently passed away as a result of the medical emergency. Jay struggled to cope with the manner in which the communication was delivered.
“It wouldn’t have been the first instance of receiving distressing news in this way,” Jay Bakker told his supporters. “My father has endured multiple strokes over the past few years, but thankfully, he is still alive,” the Revolution Church leader confirmed.
Jay Bakker went on to appeal to basic decency, especially in media, when inquiring about sensitive issues such as health, life, and death. “This morning was incredibly traumatic, which I believe is a factor in the erosion of fundamental human compassion,” the spiritual leader said. “The world appears to be in a state of turmoil.”
Jay Bakker is the only son of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye. He was a teenager when his father went to prison for fraud-related charges tied to The PTL Club ministry, which his parents founded in 1974.
“It was strange because we were on everything,” Jay Bakker said of his upbringing before scandals led to The PTL Club disbanding in 1987. “I had security guards and things like that because we had death threats.”
Now, as the leader of what many would consider a progressive church, Jay is all about bridging gaps.
“My mom was able to go into a gay bookstore and do a signing one day and then go sing in a Baptist church the next day,” the Revolution Church leader said of his late mother. “She walked in many different worlds and loved people in so many different places,” Jay Bakker added.
“God doesn’t make any junk.”