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 believed that God loved everyone. even when it wasn't popular to do so. 

"I had this judgment against [Tammy Faye], and I realized it's so fascinating how the media can give everyone a collective memory that may not really be the truth," Chastain told the LA Times. "I wanted to do something about it to honor her."

Tammy Faye Bakker stood up for the LGBTQ community and those with AIDS in the 1980's even as many prominent evangelicals said terrible things about the community.  

In 1985, Tammy Faye conducted a groundbreaking interview on PTLwith Steve Pieters, a gay Christian battling AIDS. 

With tears streaming down her face, Tammy Faye lamented her fellow Christians’ judgment. “How sad that we as Christians—who are to be the salt of the earth, and we who are supposed to be able to love everyone—are afraid so badly of an AIDS patient that we will not go up and put our arm around them and tell them that we care,” Tammy Faye said. (Source: The Atlantic)

She continued her ministry to the  LGBTQ community even up until her death perhaps because she knew what it was like to be ridiculed and ostracized.

Tammy Faye’s son, Jay Bakker, told me that his mother often took him to visit AIDS hospices to “love on” gay and lesbian people. She once served as grand marshal in a Pride parade and led a crowd of drag queens in singing “Jesus Loves Me.” 

When asked why his mother was so beloved by the gay community, Jay told me, “Because gay folks know what it’s like to be scapegoated. They know what it’s like to be the butt of jokes. They know what it’s like to be hurt by other people and to live your truth anyway.”

I don't believe Tammy Faye Bakker was perfect (none of us are) but I do believe that she loved Jesus and that she truly wanted to spread God's love and the joy of the Lord to the world.  She had compassion on the least of these when they needed most.

With her outlandish makeup and Betty Boop-type voice, Tammy Faye was an outrageous caricature to many people but she didn't apologize for it and she stayed with it until the end.

That's my trademark, and if I take my trademark away, then it’s not me," Tammy Faye Bakker says in the documentary [The Eyes of Tammy Faye]. "You can do anything else, but my eyelashes stay where they are."

While the over the top makeup may have served as armor and a costume for Tammy Faye to hide behind, she was well aware that people laughed at her, she accepted it, and kept doing it anyway.   

 "What people don't get is when they make fun of me, I'm in on it. So it's OK," Bakker once told Larry King. (Source Allure Magazine)

To be honest, I found statement that quite refreshing.  In today's ministry world everyone seems to be following the same branding and marketing schtick with carefully styled outfits and similar internet soundbites.  There's not a lot of unique people just being themselves in ministry these days.

While I don't advocate wearing clown makeup, I will say that people need to be themselves.

It's so easy to do...

As one who is new to serving in platform ministry, I can see how easy it is to get caught up in the lights, the stage, the crowd, and all the trappings of being a public figure.  

That's why if you have been called to platform ministry, it is critical to spend time in the secret place with the Lord because otherwise you can get caught up in thinking that it's because of YOUR talent, your charisma, and your excellence that you're successful and not attribute it to the Holy Spirit. It's also easy to enjoy the adulation instead of keeping the focus on glorifying God.

We see so many charismatic and talented ministry leaders fall into a scandal because it is so easy to do.  

Tammy Faye's story reminded me that while it is easy to do, it is not inevitable because: 

God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

Redemption is possible

Tammy Faye's story shows us that redemption is possible after a fall from grace.  Generally, when we see these evangelical downfalls, most cry and express remorse (at being caught) and then soon are back to their old tricks again when they start up a new ministry. 

What I think is most sad and enlightening is that Tammy Faye did find redemption but not among Christians.  She found it out in the secular arena.  For a woman who unabashedly would tell the public that God loves them, she found redemption and acceptance in the marginalized and those whom the church shunned.  

As is portrayed in the movie, in the 1980s The "Evangelical" political party became obsessed with gaining power through secular politics and Tammy Faye says, "I think we should just leave politics out of it."  

I don't know whether she said this in real life or not but I do believe that women like Tammy Faye saw the writing on the wall with how prominent evangelical leaders were willing to do anything to continue to gain power and curry favor with politicians.

The priority of politics over Jesus is even demonstrated in the way Jim Bakker was welcomed back into evangelical circles because he was parroting the right company lines even though it appears that he is back to his old tricks again by selling misleading Corionavirus cures and as a result was sued by the State of Missouri  (Source NPR)

Religion is consumed with gaining power and becoming influential in earthly Kingdoms.

Those following Jesus know that we have the power and authority in His Kingdom while here on earth and THAT is the priority.

A MUST LISTEN

One of my favorite parts of the Movie is when they sing this Disco themed song Jesus keeps taking me higher and higher with glittery headbands and all (It was the 1980's after all!) It was so awesome that I went to YouTube to see if it was a real song and it was! 

I wasn't the only person who looked up the song either and let me tell you it's every bit as delicious as it was in the movie.  (Shout out to the actress Jessica Chastain who recorded Tammy Faye's original songs and did a fantastic job!)

This song is as delicious as it gets for a guilty pleasure!