Mascara, megachurches and a Charlotte empire
Plus: Top news of the week—Primary voters oust longtime local Democrats; I-77 South toll lane plans delayed; Gas prices rise; PTO president charged with embezzlement; Panthers to play in HoF game
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Tammy Faye Bakker: Televangelism’s flamboyant queen of the ’80s, she rose from poverty to build a Christian media empire in Charlotte before scandal toppled it
Editor’s note: You see their names on street signs or parks, but who were some of the big-name people from decades ago who shaped Charlotte? They have fascinating stories, and for the next few Saturdays, we’re sharing them with you.
by John Short
For a brief, cheeky moment in the 1980s, the ultimate Charlotte status symbol wasn’t a car phone or a mahogany suite in the newly rebranded “uptown” — it was a bootleg T-shirt that proudly declared, “I ran into Tammy Faye at SouthPark Mall.”
Before the fraud convictions, the Betty Ford Center and the collapse of the 2,500-acre Heritage USA empire, Charlotte’s most colorful character was a 4-foot-11 televangelist queen. Unmistakable in heavy jewelry, indelible mascara and a radical brand of empathy, Tammy Faye Bakker possessed a legacy that would outlast her caricature.
But before her days as the queen of Charlotte’s televangelist boom, presiding over a multimillion-dollar broadcasting empire, she was just Tamara Faye LaValley. The path that led her to become one of the Charlotte area’s most recognizable figures began far from the spotlight, rooted in a childhood characterized by poverty and Pentecostalism.
Raised in a blended family of eight children, her family’s life revolved around the Pentecostal church, where Tammy Faye spoke in tongues and experienced a spiritual awakening at age 10, setting her on a path of unshakeable commitment to her faith.
While attending Bible college in Minneapolis, 18-year-old Tammy Faye met Jim Bakker in 1960. Jim proposed on their third date, and they married the following year. The young couple spent their early marriage as itinerant Bible Belt preachers, where Tammy Faye developed a Christian puppet show that would become a part of the early days of their broadcast careers.
In 1965, the Bakkers made the leap from the Bible Belt circuit to television, joining Pat Robertson’s emergent Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). At CBN, they had immediate success with their children’s show, “Come On Over,” and by 1966, Jim graduated to hosting CBN’s flagship program, “The 700 Club.”
The superstar couple stayed with Robertson until 1973, when they moved to California to co-found the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) with Paul and Jan Crouch. That venture was short-lived, and the Bakkers experienced a bitter falling out with the Crouches after just one year, which prompted the Bakkers to move to Charlotte in 1974 and launch their own network: PTL (Praise The Lord).
Once in Charlotte, the Bakkers were royalty. In a few short years, their ministry expanded into a massive satellite network that reached millions of homes daily, broadcasting around the world 24 hours a day by the mid-1980s.
What set the Bakkers apart from their televangelist peers was a highly produced, entertainment-focused approach to their ministry. Their flagship show, “The PTL Club,” felt more like “The Tonight Show” than a stuffy sermon, with the broadcast featuring a co-host and an announcer. Tammy Faye was the heart and soul of the network’s success.
Tammy Faye possessed a sanctified glamour. Her boundless energy and powerful emotional performance created a bona fide pop-culture icon out of the preacher’s wife. It was enough to inspire T-shirts years later that poked playful fun at her small stature and aggressive makeup.
By the mid-1980s, the Charlotte region’s spiritual center of gravity sat across the state line in Fort Mill, S.C., where the Bakkers were pursuing a “Christian Disneyland,” in the form of a 2,500-acre sprawl of in-your-face faith and fiberglass.
The grounds featured a massive water park, a Jerusalem-style marketplace, a miniature railroad and Billy Graham’s relocated boyhood home. Once built, the resort drew nearly six million visitors a year at its peak, making it the third most-visited theme park in America, trailing only Disney World and Disneyland.
To fund this massive expansion, the Bakkers relied on “PTL Club Partners,” who purchased over 66,000 “lifetime memberships” from the Bakkers. For a $1,000 donation, these partners were promised an annual three-night stay at the luxury Heritage Grand Hotel for life.
The donations from the Bakkers’ flock poured in at such a rate that a special office was required to handle the influx of cash, diamond rings, property deeds and even mink coats sent by devoted fans. When criticized for the lavish lifestyle that these willing donations provided, Jim unapologetically defended their surroundings on air, asking his audience: “Why should I apologize because God throws in crystal chandeliers, mahogany floors and the finest construction in the world?”
While Jim managed the growing and glamorous empire, Tammy Faye’s ministry began to draw attention for her differentiated social stances. During the 1980s, many prominent televangelists — including Jerry Falwell — were outspoken critics of the gay rights movement and claimed the AIDS epidemic was a punishment from God.
Tammy Faye embodied a starkly different approach, reaching out to the gay community with a raw, boundless compassion. She actively embraced those that other Christian leaders rejected or feared, and also openly supported people struggling with drug addiction and marital problems.
This stance was on full display in 1985 during her career-defining interview with Steve Pieters, a gay Christian minister battling AIDS. Against the intense pressure of her male-dominated industry, she used her massive platform to combat hysteria and plead for love and compassion for the gay community, tearfully telling Pieters on air, “We at PTL love you.”
When network executives pressured her afterward to interview a Christian psychiatrist about “curing” homosexuality, Tammy Faye resisted. Following the broadcast, she became an active and visible ally, attending Pride parades and visiting AIDS patients in hospices.
By 1987, the Bakker empire began to crumble under an embarrassing combination of financial fraud and public sex scandal. Intense media scrutiny revealed that Jim Bakker had misappropriated $265,000 in ministry funds to pay hush money to Jessica Hahn, a 21-year-old church secretary who accused him of sexual misconduct and rape.
Locally, The Charlotte Observer bird-dogged the story. Reporter Charles Shepard, who would win a Pulitzer Prize for his work, relentlessly investigated the ministry’s finances. The Observer highlighted the Bakkers’ corruption, publishing a blistering report titled “Bakkers Got $1.6 Million,” which detailed the massive bonuses Jim and Tammy Faye took while the ministry was drowning in debt. This reporting also revealed that, despite selling tens of thousands of lifetime hotel memberships, the Bakkers had only started constructing a single 500-room tower on the project (that was never finished).
In a panic, Jim abruptly resigned, claiming he was “set up” by his televangelist rivals. He handed PTL over to fundamentalist Baptist preacher Jerry Falwell, hoping Falwell would keep a hand on the till while the Bakkers rode out the storm.
Rather than lay low and keep the machine running, Falwell turned on the Bakkers, locking them out of the ministry and publicly exposing the depth of the financial ruin. When Jim complained about a hostile takeover, Falwell famously retorted: “To say that Jerry Falwell stole PTL is like accusing someone of stealing the Titanic just after it hit the iceberg.”
The collapse of the Bakkers’ empire was nothing short of spectacular, and they became a late-night punchline virtually overnight. Jim Bakker was convicted of multiple counts of fraud and sentenced to federal prison, and Heritage USA filed for bankruptcy. The intense stress took a severe toll on Tammy Faye, who was admitted to the Betty Ford Center in 1987 for a severe dependency on prescription drugs.
Tammy Faye would eventually recover, divorcing Jim in 1992 and marrying Roe Messner, the chief contractor who built Heritage USA. Years later, Roe was also convicted of bankruptcy fraud, prompting Tammy Faye to joke that she had a “prison ministry” whether she wanted one or not.
During her second act, Tammy Faye was ostracized by conservative Christian networks, but she found a fierce embrace within the LGBTQ+ community, who remembered that she had loved and defended them when almost no one else in her world would. In 1996, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. In her final television appearance on Larry King Live in 2007 — weighing just 65 pounds but still shielded by her signature mascara — she spoke of her unwavering faith. She died hours after the interview aired, at the age of 65.
In Charlotte, the Bakkers had brought a flashy, “prosperity gospel” glitz to the region that had fancied itself a haven for the buttoned-up Presbyterianism of its business leaders and the reserved evangelicalism of Billy Graham. Tammy Faye is remembered not just for the scandal, but for her radical empathy that forever shaped the landscape of religious broadcasting.
John Short is a freelance writer and co-host of The Charlotte Podcast who loves digging up Charlotte’s past and pondering its future. Say hey when you see him on the streetcar.
Today’s Ledger is sponsored by Carnegie Private Wealth. At Carnegie Private Wealth, we bring clarity to complexity. Through thoughtful planning and personal attention, we help you pursue opportunities and reclaim time for what matters most.
This week in Charlotte: Senate leader Berger falls further behind; Gas prices rise; Tech company Passport to be acquired; Scammers are using new crypto ATMs
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Politics
Election results: (Ledger) Voters in Mecklenburg County unseated several longtime Democratic officials, including N.C. Reps. Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed, as well as county commissioner Vilma Leake, replacing them with younger candidates backed by party leaders. Meanwhile, Sheriff Garry McFadden won a third term despite controversies.
Berger falls farther behind: Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page widened his lead over N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger on Friday to 23 votes after provisional ballots were counted, with a recount likely as final ballots are still pending. Berger, one of North Carolina’s most powerful politicians, had trailed by two votes on election night. (WRAL)
Education
Davidson expands initiative to strengthen civic dialogue: (The Charlotte Optimist) Davidson College has raised $47M to expand its Institute for Public Good, a campus-wide effort aimed at teaching students how to engage in thoughtful conversations across political differences.
Student legal services in limbo: (Niner Times) A proposed UNC System policy that would restrict student activity fee funding has left UNC Charlotte’s Student Legal Services — and similar offices at other campuses — facing possible closure, raising concerns about students losing free, on-campus legal support.
Vacant building debate: (WFAE) Families at Collinswood Language Academy are calling on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to demolish an abandoned building next to campus, citing trespassing, drug use and a recent police report involving a gun.
Local news
I-77 South toll lane plans delayed: (Ledger) The North Carolina Department of Transportation is pushing back its timeline by about 90 days for a proposal to add toll lanes along 11 miles of I-77 South, citing the need for more community input.
Lansdowne PTO president charged with embezzlement: (WFAE) The president of the PTO at Lansdowne Elementary in Charlotte has been charged with felony embezzlement after police say she used about $15,000 in PTO funds for personal expenses.
Gas prices rise: (Observer, subscriber-only) According to the American Automobile Association, gas prices in the Charlotte area have increased about 20 cents in the past week following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. Drivers in Mecklenburg County are now paying about $2.99 per gallon on average.
Business
Tech company Passport to be acquired: (Ledger on LinkedIn) Charlotte-based parking technology company Passport is set to be acquired by global mobility platform Arrive as part of a push to integrate urban transportation systems and prepare cities for autonomous vehicles.
LendingTree expands into AI: (Ledger) The Charlotte-based financial technology company plans to market new products including pet insurance while expanding its use of artificial intelligence in marketing and customer service, CEO Scott Peyree said.
Sports
Panthers to open preseason in Hall of Fame game: (ESPN) The Carolina Panthers will play the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6 in Canton, Ohio, kicking off the preseason during Hall of Fame weekend. The game comes as former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly and Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald prepare to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Historic winning streak for Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team: (WFAE) Huntersville-based 23XI Racing has kicked off the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series with three straight victories, including Tyler Reddick’s latest win in Austin. The team will try to keep the momentum going this weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Walking through Windsor Park. Plus: Lawyer says panel can’t delay I-77 widening; A look at new I-485 toll lanes; Election day information; Charlotte gas prices expected to rise; Plaza Midwood taproom closes; Bathroom-rating app
Wednesday (🔒)
3 long-serving local Democrats lose; Republican Berger in trouble. Plus: Aquarium envisioned for Discovery Place; I-77 plans moved back; Ledger switching tech platforms; LendingTree embraces AI and pet insurance; Review of ‘Esperanza Rising’
Friday (🔒)
Scammers are using new crypto ATMs. Plus: Why development projects move so slowly; The real scoop on Mr. K’s; CMPD’s recruiting challenges; How some passengers use driverless taxis; Lansdowne PTO president charged
Ways of Life (🔒)
In memoriam: Suzanne Elrod, a mom and squirrel saver. Also remembered: A home economist for Duke Power; a board member of various civic groups; a teacher of English and gifted students for decades
Charlotte FC to begin talks with Wilfried Zaha: The star winger’s future is one of CLT’s big questions; Plus: a new Agyemang emerging, advancing home opener vs. Austin
Hope travels fast in ‘Esperanza Rising’: The show runs at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte in ImaginOn, 300 E. Seventh St., through March 15.
Why is it so hard to get projects done? Plus: What’s happening at Mr. K’s site; Latest on the Sugar Creek library branch; Save the date for Whispers birthday party this month; Novant Health medical office project; Wine bar to South End