Jay Bakker
Encyclopedia
Jamie Charles Bakker (December 18, 1975) is an American
Christian
pastor and the son of Jim Bakker
and the late Tammy Faye Bakker Messner. He ministers to Revolution Church, a church
he founded in 1994 in Phoenix, Arizona
with Kelli Miller and Mike Wall. Jay preaches at the New York City
branch of Revolution Church located at Pete's Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St., Brooklyn, New York. Pete's Candy Store
is a nightclub that features live music at night. Before moving to New York, Jay turned over the Atlanta location of Revolution to his friend and associate Stu Damron. Much of Jay's story was retold in a documentary on Sundance Channel called One Punk Under God
: The Prodigal Son of Jim and Tammy Faye.
of his father being sent to prison
, combined with the subsequent ostracism by others in the Church and religious community, led to a period of substance abuse
and partying. He was distrustful of other ministers and viewed televangelist Jerry Falwell
to be instrumental in ruining his family. In his autobiography, Son of a Preacher Man, he claimed Reverend Falwell deceived his father into relinquishing PTL
and auctioned off much of the church's property, including some of the Bakker family's personal possessions that were left there. After becoming sober
, he re-examined his faith
and Christianity, adopting a philosophy that God
is a loving and accepting entity rather than a judgment
al one.
s and gay marriage, Bakker falls outside of the beliefs of many in the conservative Christian community. When Larry King asked him if he was "part of the liberal sect of Christianity
," he said that he was "more liberal than most". He also decries the influence of politics in religion, saying that it prevents civil discussion of topics such as homosexuality
and abortion
.
Bakker's appearance is non-traditional and includes piercings and tattoos. Because of his philosophy and appearance, his followers and associates tend to share these qualities of coming from outside of conservative Christianity and call themselves "outlaw preachers".
that details his youth, relationship with his parents, the PTL
scandals, and the founding of Revolution Church.
In 2006, he was featured in the six-part documentary One Punk Under God
on the Sundance Channel.
He has appeared on Larry King Live
and The Joy Behar Show (August 23, 2011) and has been featured in Rolling Stone
, The New York Times
, Time
, The Economist
, FHM
and New York Magazine.
In 2011, Bakker and co-author Martin Edlund wrote the book Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self, and Society. The book explores the radical, transformative, and inclusive nature of grace
, challenges Christians to reassess their understanding of salvation
, and encourages non-believers to see Jesus
with fresh eyes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
pastor and the son of Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker
James Orsen "Jim" Bakker is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program.A sex scandal led to his resignation from the ministry...
and the late Tammy Faye Bakker Messner. He ministers to Revolution Church, a church
Church Body
A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
he founded in 1994 in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
with Kelli Miller and Mike Wall. Jay preaches at the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
branch of Revolution Church located at Pete's Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St., Brooklyn, New York. Pete's Candy Store
Pete's Candy Store
Pete's Candy Store is a New York City performing space, bar and club located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. It is located at 709 Lorimer St, between Frost St and Richardson St. Well-known acts associated with the venue include Lizzie West, The Reverend Vince Anderson and Will Oldham. ...
is a nightclub that features live music at night. Before moving to New York, Jay turned over the Atlanta location of Revolution to his friend and associate Stu Damron. Much of Jay's story was retold in a documentary on Sundance Channel called One Punk Under God
One Punk Under God
One Punk Under God is a 2006 original observational documentary that airs on the Sundance Channel, directed and produced by Jeremy Simmons. It focused on the life of Jay Bakker, only son of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner , formerly evangelical ministers and hosts of The PTL Club...
: The Prodigal Son of Jim and Tammy Faye.
Influence of family scandals on early life
The traumaPsychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
of his father being sent to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, combined with the subsequent ostracism by others in the Church and religious community, led to a period of substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
and partying. He was distrustful of other ministers and viewed televangelist Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
to be instrumental in ruining his family. In his autobiography, Son of a Preacher Man, he claimed Reverend Falwell deceived his father into relinquishing PTL
PTL
PTL may refer to:* The PTL Club, a defunct television program* PTL Satellite Network, a defunct Christian cable network on which The PTL Club was shown* Praise The Lord, a television program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network...
and auctioned off much of the church's property, including some of the Bakker family's personal possessions that were left there. After becoming sober
Sobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels, or effects from, alcohol or other drugs that alter ones mood or behaviors. According to WHO "Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms..." sobriety is continued abstinence from alcohol and psychoactive drug use...
, he re-examined his faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and Christianity, adopting a philosophy that God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is a loving and accepting entity rather than a judgment
Judgment
A judgment , in a legal context, is synonymous with the formal decision made by a court following a lawsuit. At the same time the court may also make a range of court orders, such as imposing a sentence upon a guilty defendant in a criminal matter, or providing a remedy for the plaintiff in a civil...
al one.
Political and social views
Because his philosophy of inclusiveness extends to gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
s and gay marriage, Bakker falls outside of the beliefs of many in the conservative Christian community. When Larry King asked him if he was "part of the liberal sect of Christianity
Christian left
The Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
," he said that he was "more liberal than most". He also decries the influence of politics in religion, saying that it prevents civil discussion of topics such as homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
Bakker's appearance is non-traditional and includes piercings and tattoos. Because of his philosophy and appearance, his followers and associates tend to share these qualities of coming from outside of conservative Christianity and call themselves "outlaw preachers".
Appearances in media
Bakker wrote the book Son of a Preacher Man: My Search for Grace in the Shadows which is an autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
that details his youth, relationship with his parents, the PTL
PTL
PTL may refer to:* The PTL Club, a defunct television program* PTL Satellite Network, a defunct Christian cable network on which The PTL Club was shown* Praise The Lord, a television program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network...
scandals, and the founding of Revolution Church.
In 2006, he was featured in the six-part documentary One Punk Under God
One Punk Under God
One Punk Under God is a 2006 original observational documentary that airs on the Sundance Channel, directed and produced by Jeremy Simmons. It focused on the life of Jay Bakker, only son of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner , formerly evangelical ministers and hosts of The PTL Club...
on the Sundance Channel.
He has appeared on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
and The Joy Behar Show (August 23, 2011) and has been featured in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
and New York Magazine.
In 2011, Bakker and co-author Martin Edlund wrote the book Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self, and Society. The book explores the radical, transformative, and inclusive nature of grace
Grace (Christianity)
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
, challenges Christians to reassess their understanding of salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
, and encourages non-believers to see Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
with fresh eyes.