Perspective through The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Confession: I have always liked Tammy Faye Bakker (or Messner as she was known before she passed away).

My mother watched Jim and Tammy Faye’s Praise The Lord (PTL) programming in the 80’s when I was young but I don’t remember that.

I liked Tammy Faye because of her talk show with Jim J. Bullock in the late ’90s. The show was a trainwreck just like the two hosts. You just couldn’t look away because they were so fun and provided mindless entertainment.

Watching the excellent movie, The Eyes of Tammy Faye based on the 2000 documentary of the same name, I was reminded again that every person in ministry needs to remind themselves that the only reason that we still be standing is: “There but for the grace of God go I”.

What happened to Jim and Tammy Faye’s Bakker ministry followed the same arc of most evangelical downfalls. Great meteoric rises of success by charismatic personalities followed by greed, lust, and then the eventual exposure of all of the dirty deeds.

Jim Bakker was found guilty of fraud and went to prison. He also confessed to an extramarital affair and was also accused of making sexual advances toward men.

Actress Jessica Chastain’s excellent portrayal of Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye showed that like all of us, Tammy Faye was a complex and flawed human being. As a believer, I appreciated that Chastain did not mock Tammy Faye’s faith in the Lord. She portrayed her as a woman who truly…