PTL / Heritage USA: 22 Years Later- 6/26/09- Vid #4

[TheStormy8153]

Jim bakker and tammy and what they started in the name of Jesus,were nothing but a satanic cult that came out of the assembly of God church. That even more crouch on tbs and other religious programs.

people that rich off of using Jesus's name , that have all traits of satanic ritual , of sex , drugs and drunks and orgy. when bakker and his man friend raped the woman, and used his vulgarity as devil worshippers do.

crouch and more carry their evil on to bring about the anti christ

[cheeriosinabowl]

I don't see any tumbleweed !!

[GodMedia]

It's really interesting, after getting such a detailed look at the Heritage facility, just how much Bakker's current facility in Missouri - known as Morningside - resembles it. The interior of "Grace Street" at Morningside is identical in styling and coloring to Heritage right down to the brick planters and the design of the ceiling.

Having worked for Bakker for the last few months, I can tell you that he really wants Heritage back and that he is working very hard at bringing PTL back again.

[PTH4Fun]

What happened to the TV studios?

[CincinnatiGifts]

@PTH4Fun- Well, the building that housed the original studio still exists. I haven't been in the studio since '88, so I don't know really what the actual original TV show set looks like now. However, website for The Broadcast Group which now owns the facility has a picture of the studio as it exists now, I believe. Check it out.

[ThoughtTraveler]

Just comparing the interior of the Hotel with your 87/88 videos. The place looks DEAD! No life whatsoever. Even the elevators are down.

The wonderful antique style furnishings and the lobby pool made the HGH a great place to stay. The place now as the atmosphere of a Funeral Home.

What kind of Ministry does Morning Star Church have that they need an unused Hotel to have church in?

[jmc647]

I live right down the street from the hotel. I've been dying to go inside and walk around. Can you still stay in the hotel? I should just go in and walk around. Thanks for posting these cool videos.

[CincinnatiGifts]

I believe that the rooms are now being made available for use, but I am not certain if one must be a member of the church to use them. See what you can find out, then grab your camera, make some vids, then post them for us to see! :)

[markinshelbync]

Thanks for posting this video. Brings back a lot of good memories. I live near Charlotte and use to go to Heritage USA as a kid. Main St. looks the same to me, except we went during Christmas. It would be so crowded but everyone was so nice!

[CincinnatiGifts]

You're quite welcome! I have close to 60 Heritage USA / PTL-related vids on YouTube- some of them are personal home movies recorded back in the late 80's.

[maddogjts]

It amazes me that the commenters here seem to have forgotten one important fact. Jerry Falwell did not just waltz in and take over the place. Jim Bakker RESIGNED!! His Board RESIGNED!! Jim then ASKED Jerry Falwell to take over. He did his best to keep the place afloat, but the people who were insistent on Bakker coming back gave him so much grief that he RESIGNED. Did Jim Bakker then come back?? NO, he went to PRISON!! Heritage was a great place, but don't make Jerry the scapegoat.

[CincinnatiGifts]

Indeed he DID resign, with one stipulation: that he be re-instated after his brief resignation. Jerry Falwell agreed. Then, when the time came for Jim's return, Jerry reused to give it back to Jim. Why would Jerry lie?

Certainly there is enough blame to go around. Lets not paint Jerry as this thoughtful caring soul who tried his hardest to keep PTL afloat. It's obvious Jerry was seething with envy at Jim & Tammy's TV empire. If Jerry couldn't have it, he saw to it that no one else could either.

[maddogjts]

Do you have first hand knowledge of the so called 'stipulation'? No, I didnt think so. There was no stipulation. Jim and Jerry were both smart businessmen. If there was some sort of stipulation it would have been put in writing. Also what was Jims point in resigning and his entire board resigning if it was just for a 'brief' time? BTW Jerry HAD the empire after Jim resigned but he VOLUNTARILY walked away. If he was so 'seething' with envy why would he walk away?

[CincinnatiGifts]

First hand knowledge? Of course not. I was not privvy to the negotiations. Were YOU? Can you prove your claim that there was NO stipulation?

I've read numerous books on the affair, seen all the TV interviews... it's quite clear that there was a stipulation. Why on earth would Jim Bakker simply walk away from a massive TV empire that he & Tammy had spent 10 years developing? It makes no sense. Of course there was a stipulation for return. Only a fool would not have made such a provision.

[CincinnatiGifts]

If I had forced a $500,000,000 TV empire into bankruptcy, I'd have walked away, too, before people realized that I had just destroyed a place that they loved going to every year, and after having ensured that such a place would pretty much fall apart after having been put through the auction mill to be divvied up.

Of course Jerry walked away-- only after having first ensured that it would certainly collapse after having gone through bankruptcy.

[maddogjts]

Lets just say I have ties to both ministries. I do not need to read any books or see interviews for my information. The BOARD voted to declare Ch. 11 reorganization, to reorganize the DEBT that Jim Bakker left, and to try and keep the place open for future generations. No assets would be liquidated under their plan. You obviously have EMOTIONAL ties to Jim and Tammy and I can understand that. But dont let that blind you to the facts.

[CincinnatiGifts]

Anyone can say they "have ties to both ministries". I can also say I've been to the moon. Without proof, your claims have no more basis for truth than mine. Unless you can provide something a little more concrete, I'm going to have to stick by my beliefs.

You are free to stick by yours.

As far as emotional ties, I could say the same about you with respect to Falwell.

[StacyatLife]

I saw you 1987-88 videos and compared it with the 09 one. SAD SAD SAD

Fraudwell really had a lot to do with this....anyway...he is gone

[gregzintx]

lololol- oh i wanted you to get on the elevator- so cool !

Ok wasent this Jim, and Tammy's floor with their presidential suit ? This si the best history- your GOOD !

Greg

[CincinnatiGifts]

I actually do not know where their presidential suite was. I am guessing it was closer to the lobby area, on the 4th floor, above where the original registration desk was inside the lobby.

I had remembered from years past that there was a large area on that foor in that specific corner of the HGH that was not used as guest rooms, and appeared to be off-limits to most people.

[gregzintx]

Ok remember how foul well had their SUITE IN THE GRAND ON TOUR, IN THE NEWS, rambling about Tammy's 30ft closet, well it was not planed, it was a hallway that was not used, and later closed off, and Tammy faye then said IT COULD MAKE A CLOSET- I thought that was a good idea. it was just a hallway- F-WELL made it appear to be a planned thing to house her clothing- NOT TRUE- ANOTHER FOUL WELL LIE

GREG

[gregzintx]

oh this is so sad, NO SPARK, NO CHRISMA, Im glad I knew it in the days prior to FOUL WELL- I still say Tammy Faye's cancer was caused by this stress, humiliation brought on by lie's- foolish lies, hellish lies, and it took 23 years to kill her-

GOSH- WHO ARE THESE MORONS ? NO INSIDE FEELING AT ALL.

Greg

[JenLC262]

Wow I'm very surprised. My husband and I visited Charlotte last month but didn't have time to visit the grounds. I am 25 now and was very young and living in Charlotte when PTL crashed. Years later as a teenager I visited the waterpark, renamed Carolina Splash, which was taken over by a business. I watch past videos and see photos and wish that I could have experienced this wonderful Christian utopia. I appreciate your videos more than you will every know! God Bless.

[CincinnatiGifts]

I never knew that the waterpark had been operating for a time after PTL's fall, renamed as Carolina Splash. All I remember reading about the place was that the Grand Hotel had been taken over by Mariott.

The land formerly known as Heritage USA seems to have been owner by half a dozen different owners and partnerships since the bankruptcy which, of course, never should have happened.

It was obvious Jerry Falwell had an ax to grind, and he used it on Heritage USA. H USA was an awesome place.

[JenLC262]

Did anyone try and stop you? BTW, I'm loving these videos....I wanted to do this myself. Thanks!

[CincinnatiGifts]

No, not a single soul made any attempt to speak to me, to ask what I was doing, why I was doing it, or anything. As you can see in the videos, the grounds were fairly sparsely populated, probably 'cause it was a Friday when I visited. People who WERE there & saw me likely thought I was just a member of the ministry, and was staying on the grounds, although I made little effort to conceal myself, and was recording in places I likely shouldnt have been in the 1st place.

Were you there recently?

[mas11068]

I was told that the ornate wood on the exterior was always very costly to maintain, even back in PTL/Heritage USA days - keeping it scraped, painted, rotten wood replaced, etc. I'm sure that also played a part in their decision as well. I agree though that it was tragic that this piece of Americana was lost. Sure do wish they would have kept it and maybe used some of the new vinyl siding and ornamentation that has come into being in recent years.

[mas11068]

I would have to agree that what MorningStar did to the outside of Main Street USA was very disheartening. They are to be commended for salvaging the Heritage Grand Hotel and doing all that they've done, but it really was a disappointment that they chose not to restore Main Street's exterior. It was so unique. I believe the reasoning they gave was that it was not in keeping with the character of their ministry. A real shame.

[CincinnatiGifts]

Indeed, they DID salvage the former HGH, and no doubt that was a major undertaking. Maybe I was being too critical. Sadly, though, they had the opportuity to do so much more, and dropped the ball all over the place.

Why convert the lobby of the HGH into an auditorium, when just 1,500 feet away there was an indoor stage & auditorium with the capacity for 2x - 3x the amount of seating as available in the HGH lobby?

Makes no sense to me.

[CincinnatiGifts]

"not in keeping with the character of their ministry"? Sounds like complete bureaucratic nonsense to me. I mean, they did, after all, choose to maintain the same identical store frontage on the INSIDE of Main Street.