Jimmy Bakker Comes Back.

Topics: Forgiveness , Error

A contrite Jim Bakker returned to his childhood church to ask
forgiveness. The former televangelist preached at Central
Assembly of God in Muskegon, Mich., July 30, Religion News
Service reported. It was the first time he had been there in 30 years.

"If I've ever hurt you, I say please forgive me," Bakker told
the congregation of several hundred people during a two-hour
service. "My life was smashed, but Jesus Christ has put me back
together again." Bakker's grandfather helped start the church in
the Depression, and his cousins and their families still attend
there.

Bakker, 60, former head of PTL Ministries and Heritage USA,
served five years in federal prison on fraud charges. He has
spoken about confession of sins, forgiveness, and reconciliation
for the last two years in churches around the country, RNS
reported. Bakker's wife, Tammy Faye, divorced him while he was in
prison and married his best friend, Roe Messner. Bakker, who
remarried about two years ago, is starting a ministry in Florida
for children from inner cities.

At times in prison "I felt like God had left me," Bakker said.
"That's the real problem with prosperity teaching," a cornerstone
in his television days. "If God comes to you when you prosper, do
you think he will walk away when you are poor?" he asked.
"There's a lot of false doctrine going around, and I was
preaching a lot of it."

ReligionToday.com, August 2, 2000.
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