[b]Jim Bakker dreams big in Missouri
What a stunning reversal of fortune for a man who fell so spectacularly in the late 1980s when his $129 million-a-year religious empire crumbled; prison time and personal shame followed. A return to the airwaves seemed impossible.
Yet no one here tries hiding Bakker's past. They openly acknowledge the striking similarities between Morningside and Heritage USA, the Christian theme park and resort in South Carolina that was the linchpin of the PTL empire.
Bakker designed both, giving them the feel of dense European villages. Real estate, once again, is part of the mission.
But this time will be different, Bakker's supporters say. He has changed. Morningside will prove it. And inside these walls, at least, the doubters are few. ...
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