Jerry Falwell

===PTL===
[[File:Jerryfalwellwaterslide.jpg|thumb|upright|Falwell rides the water slide at [[Heritage USA]]]]
In March 1987, [[Pentecostal]] televangelist [[Jim Bakker]] came under media scrutiny when it was revealed that he had a sexual encounter (and alleged rape) with [[Jessica Hahn]] and had paid for her silence.<ref name=Time12-1988>{{cite magazine | last=Ostling|first=Richard N. |author-link=Richard N. Ostling | title=Jim Bakker's Crumbling World | date=December 19, 1988 | magazine=Time |volume=132 |issue=25 |location=New York |page=72 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,956551,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820142543/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,956551,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 20, 2006 | access-date=December 5, 2007 }}</ref> Bakker believed that fellow Pentecostal pastor [[Jimmy Swaggart]] was attempting to take over his ministry because he had initiated a church investigation into allegations of his sexual misconduct.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/03/24/Fire-and-brimstone-evangelist-Jimmy-Swaggart-admitted-today-he-instigated-a/5623543560400/|publisher=[[United Press International]]|title=Fire-and-brimstone evangelist Jimmy Swaggart admitted today he instigated a...| date=March 24, 1987|access-date=January 5, 2019}}</ref> To avoid the takeover, Bakker resigned on March 19 and appointed Falwell to succeed him as head of his PTL ministry, which included the [[PTL Satellite Network]], television program ''[[The PTL Club]]'' and the Christian-themed [[amusement park]] [[Heritage USA]].<ref name="Observer">{{cite web|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article205362719.html|work=[[The Charlotte Observer]]|title=Jim Bakker's theme park was like a Christian Disneyland. Here's what happened to it.|date=March 17, 2018|access-date=January 5, 2019|last=Funk|first=Tim}}</ref>

Bakker believed Falwell would temporarily lead the ministry until the scandal died down,<ref name="ATC">{{cite news|title=Son of Jim and Tammy Faye Finds His Own 'Grace' |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/01/15/132864466/jim-and-tammy-fayes-son-finds-his-own-grace |work=[[All Things Considered]] |publisher=[[NPR]]| date=January 5, 2019}}</ref> but Falwell barred Bakker from returning to PTL on April 28,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051501365.html?noredirect=on|last=Harris|first=Art|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|title=Falwell Takes Control, Bars Bakker from PTL| date=April 29, 1987|access-date=January 5, 2019}}</ref> and referred to him as "probably the greatest scab and cancer on the face of Christianity in 2,000 years of church history".<ref name="Observer"/> Later that summer, as donations to the ministry declined in the wake of Bakker's scandal and resignation, Falwell raised $20 million to keep PTL solvent and delivered on a promise to ride the water slide at Heritage USA.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,965543,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050212141215/http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,965543,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 12, 2005 | title=American Notes: Fund Raising | magazine=Time |location=New York | date=September 21, 1987 | access-date=November 29, 2007 }}</ref> Despite this, Falwell was unable to revive the ministry from bankruptcy and he resigned in October 1987.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/09/us/falwell-quits-warning-ptl-ministry-may-end.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|title= Falwell Quits, Warning PTL Ministry May End|date=October 9, 1987|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref>