On April 20, I wrote an op-ed to counter the narrative that Jim Bakker was selling a cure for COVID-19 on The Jim Bakker Show. I know Jim supports his ministry partly by the sale of products, and he has been offering the Silver Solution product for more than 10 years. I’ve used the Silver Solution myself, since it is known to help your immune system. His guest clearly said it had not been tested for use with COVID-19, but the implication was that a stronger immune system would help fight off any virus, including this new virus for which there is so far no known cure.
A group that has been hounding Bakker and other ministries like his for years jumped on this, especially when the attorney general of Missouri ordered a cease and desist, which Bakker followed. It is now working its way through the courts, and I expect Jim to be vindicated. Other retailers who sell this product have not gotten in trouble, and the product is still for sale in many places.
I’ve known Jim Bakker for many years. As I said in my op-ed, I believe he is a good man who wants to spread the gospel. Because he is sometimes like a lightning rod, those who hate the gospel and hate conservative Christians look for anything they can attack him for. And now, a group called Faithful America has created a petition, which so far has 20,000 signatures, and sent it to every media outlet that runs The Jim Bakker Show, urging them to take the show off the air. Now it’s time to fight fire with fire by signing petitions in support of Jim Bakker. (After learning of Jim Bakker’s stroke and subsequent sabbatical from The Jim Bakker Show, Faithful America decided to pause its petition until he returns. But since we know Jim will be back on the air soon, we must still do what we can to defend him now.)
I felt that my op-ed, which you can read here, was my way of showing my strong support of Jim and his ministry. But I am very concerned that if we let these bullies get Jim off the air simply because he, in my opinion, merely used poor judgment to mention the word “COVID-19” in the same program as a health supplement, they will go after other ministries next.
SkyWatch TV, headed by Tom Horn, has initiated a petition drive on the website SaveJimBakkerShow.com, and within a few days, it already has 5,000 signatures. I’ve been told that a number of ministries are doing what I am and calling attention to the petition, expressing their concern about standing up to this group. I decided I would do something I rarely do, and that is to draw attention to a petition drive.
I’m hoping you will agree and post this on your own social media site, sign it and encourage others to sign it too. I believe we can draw attention to the fight Jim Bakker is in and come to his aid to show the various networks and cable stations that they should keep the show on the air.
To my knowledge, only World Harvest Television and GEB Network have taken or are in the process of taking the show off their networks. A couple of others took it off the air and put it back on. I encourage World Harvest Television—which was founded in 1972 by the late Lester Sumrall, whom I considered to be a friend and mentor—to put it back on the air.
Would you sign the petition today? Would you put it on social media?
If Jim Bakker had actually claimed that this supplement for the immune system cured COVID-19, I would be the first to denounce that, but he did not. You can watch the clip for yourself and see the truth. The attack against him is disinformation and has been repeated by some of the fake news media. I’m encouraged by the support Jim has already gotten. The vast majority of his partners are apparently standing with him, and it’s crucial that we stand with him too.
