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Do not fill this in! ==Personal life== James Orsen Bakker was born in [[Muskegon, Michigan|Muskegon]], [[Michigan]], the son of Raleigh Bakker and Furnia Lynette "Furn" Irwin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=doYfAAAAIBAJ&pg=6009,3137616&dq=finding-refuge-in-a-doting-grandmother&hl=en|title=Herald-Journal - Google News Archive Search|work=google.ca|access-date=September 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213143115/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=doYfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nM4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6009,3137616&dq=finding-refuge-in-a-doting-grandmother&hl=en|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Bakker attended [[North Central University]], a [[Minneapolis]] [[bible college]] affiliated with the [[Assemblies of God USA|Assemblies of God]], where he met fellow student [[Tammy Faye Messner|Tammy Faye LaValley]] in 1960.<ref>{{cite news|last=Welch|first=William M.|title=Ex-wife of evangelist Jim Bakker dies|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 21, 2007|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-21-tammy-faye_N.htm|access-date=November 29, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523233146/http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-21-tammy-faye_N.htm|archive-date=May 23, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Bakker worked at a restaurant in the [[Young–Quinlan Building|Young-Quinlan]] department store in Minneapolis; Tammy Faye worked at the Three Sisters, a nearby boutique.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sturdevant|first1=Andy|url=https://www.minnpost.com/stroll/2014/05/tammy-faye-bakkers-year-minneapolis-scoping-out-sites-college-marriage-and-ministry|title=Tammy Faye Bakker's year in Minneapolis: scoping out the sites, from college to marriage and ministry|newspaper=[[MinnPost]]|date=May 28, 2014|access-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203075601/https://www.minnpost.com/stroll/2014/05/tammy-faye-bakkers-year-minneapolis-scoping-out-sites-college-marriage-and-ministry|archive-date=February 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Bakkers married on April 1, 1961, and left college to become [[Itinerant minister|itinerant]] [[Evangelism|evangelists]]. They had two children, Tammy Sue "Sissy" Bakker Chapman (born March 2, 1970) and [[Jay Bakker|Jamie Charles "Jay" Bakker]] (born December 18, 1975). The couple divorced on March 13, 1992.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tammy Faye Bakker Gets Divorce, Custody of Son, 16|url=https://articles.latimes.com/1992-03-14/news/mn-3158_1_tammy-faye-bakker|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 14, 1992|access-date=February 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009180218/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-03-14/news/mn-3158_1_tammy-faye-bakker|archive-date=October 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 4, 1998, Bakker married Lori Beth Graham, a former televangelist, fifty days after they met.<ref>{{cite news |last=Garfield |first=Ken |date=April 1, 2000 |title=The Preacher's Wife: Lori Beth Bakker says she is her own woman |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=20000401&id=YWQzAAAAIBAJ&pg=6682,207555 |newspaper=[[The Free Lance-Star]] |location=Fredericksburg, VA |access-date=September 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429094010/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=20000401&id=YWQzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cwgGAAAAIBAJ&pg=6682,207555 |archive-date=April 29, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2002, they [[adopted]] five children.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://jimbakkershow.com/about-us/about-jim/|title=About Pastor Jim Bakker {{!}} The Jim Bakker Show|work=The Jim Bakker Show|access-date=October 1, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001220448/https://jimbakkershow.com/about-us/about-jim/|archive-date=October 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/65297-jim-bakker-s-son-the-no-1-thing-to-remember-when-dealing-with-immigrants|title=Jim Bakker's Son: The No. 1 Thing to Remember When Dealing With Immigrants|last=Lancaster|first=Jessilyn|website=Charisma News|language=en|access-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124041816/https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/65297-jim-bakker-s-son-the-no-1-thing-to-remember-when-dealing-with-immigrants|archive-date=January 24, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.charismanews.com/culture/74716-exclusive-jim-bakker-s-son-ricky-believes-this-is-the-generation-that-will-see-christ-return|title=EXCLUSIVE: Jim Bakker's Son Ricky Believes This Is the Generation That Will See Christ Return|last=Staff|first=Charisma|website=Charisma News|language=en|access-date=March 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203032906/https://www.charismanews.com/culture/74716-exclusive-jim-bakker-s-son-ricky-believes-this-is-the-generation-that-will-see-christ-return|archive-date=February 3, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> {{clear}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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