- Roe Messner is a building expert who was married to Tammy Faye Messner between 1993 to 2007
- Messner and Tammy fell in love at a point where they were all experiencing divorce. While Roe was previously married to Ruth Ann, Tammy used to be James Orsen Bakker’s wife
- Both Roe Messner and his late wife have battled cancer. His wife died of the condition in 2007 but he has been assured by his doctors that he will survive it
Roe Messner, a building contractor known to have built over 2000 churches in the United States of America married Tammy Faye Bakker, a former American evangelist, singer, author, talk show host, and on-air personality who was reckoned with The PTL Club – a televangelist program she pioneered with her ex-husband Jim Bakker in the year 1974.
Messner 89, who used to work for Jim Bakker and Tammy as a building contractor is also the author of a book titled Church Growth by Design, a book on church buildings that was published in 2003.
The building expert and his late wife’s marriage lasted for over a decade but they along the line faced numerous worrisome challenges. These include battling cancer, bankruptcy, and fraud charges.
Roe Messner and Tammy Faye Messner Were Married for Years 14 Years
The couple who got married in the year 1993 enjoyed their union for a period of 14 years until Faye’s life was cut short in 2007.
Something more interesting about their marriage is that the partners were both freshly divorced when they decided to tie the knot. Messner had just divorced his first wife Ruth Ann in 1993. Moreso, Tammy divorced Bakker at about the same time.
He Married Three Times in His Lifetime
Tammy Faye is not the first woman the American building contractor has taken to the altar. His first marriage was with Ruth Ann. The couple went separate ways in 1993 when their relationship went south.
After the death of his second wife in 2007, Messner again married Carol Messner the same year Tammy died. The 89 years old’s marriage with Carol again lasted 14 years just as in the case of Tammy. His third wife, unfortunately, died in 2001.
Similarly, Roe’s late wife Tamara Faye before getting involved with Messner was together with Jim Bakker for 31 years. Jim was her co televangelist on the program PTL Club. He was also the founder of Heritage USA, a now-defunct Christian theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Jim was convicted of fraud and other sex-related offenses in 1989. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison on 24 conspiracy counts relating to fraud. However, he was granted parole after spending 5 years behind bars. He returned to televangelism in 2003 with The Jim Baker Show with his second wife Lori Beth Graham whom he married in 1998.
Roe Messner was Also Convicted of Fraud
All Tammy Faye’s husbands have had to spend some time behind bars for the same reasons. For Messner, he was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for bankruptcy and fraud charges. He served his 3 years time between 1996 to 1999.
Roe Messner Became Popular After Constructing Heritage USA in 1978
While Bakker was still married to Tammy Faye, he contracted Messner to build the auditorium for Heritage U.S.A. Though it’s not yet certain, Bakker might have met with Fayer while undertaking the Heritage project.
Furthermore, the payoff of Roe from his work after completing the Jerusalem Amphitheater owned by Tammy and her ex-husband made the authorities to be inquisitive about Jim’s finances. This ultimately prompted his charges for fraud. Messner was said to have testified for Bakker’s defense at his fraud trial.
The builder is also alleged to be the person that paid $265,000 to Jessica Hahn in order to conceal a sexual assault against Tammy’s ex-husband.
SEE ALSO: Pam Hupp: All There Is To Know About Her Crimes, Murder, And Sentencing
Messner is Reported to be one of the Biggest Church Builders in the U.S
Apart from the Heritage auditorium project, Messner undertook several mega church projects numbering about 2000. In 2007, Messner told Larry King that he has built more than 1,784 Churches in 47 states. Some of his notable projects include but are not limited to the following;
- Calvary Temple – 1958 – Denver, Colorado
- Pleasant Valley Methodist – 1960 – Wichita, Kansas
- Oak Cliff Assembly of God – 1963 – Dallas, Texas
- Evangelical United Brethren – 1967 – Marion, Kansas
- World Harvest Church – 1983 – Columbus, Ohio
- Dream City Church – 1984 – Phoenix, Arizona
- Rockford First Assembly of God – 1984 – Rockford, Illinois
- Capitol Christian Center – 1984 – Sacramento, California
- Hillside Christian Center – 1986 – Napa, California
- Carpenter’s Home Church – 1986 – Lakeland, Florida
- Church on the Rock 1986 – Rockwall, Texas
- Bethel Church – Los Angeles, California
- Calvary Church (Charlotte) – 1988 – Charlotte, North Carolina
- Bellevue Baptist Church – 1989 – Memphis, Tennessee
- Cathedral of the Holy Spirit – 1989 – Decatur, Georgia
- The Gate Church – 1990 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Deliverance Church – 1990 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Central Community Church – 1990 – Wichita, Kansas
- Point Harbor Community Church – 2003 – Chesapeake, Virginia
- Redemption 2003 – Greenville, South Carolina
His Wife Died Of Colon Cancer
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Roe Messner’s late wife battled cancer of the colon before giving up the ghost. The malignancy which spread to her lungs for some years was the reason for her death.
She died on the 20th of July 2007 and was last seen granting an interview on CNN with Larry King a day before she had her last breath. From the interview, Faye was quoting Romans 8:28 where the bible says ‘And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.’
When asked about her destination after death. The former OAP said she was absolutely sure that she will make heaven after she has passed on. She died the following day and was laid to rest close to Messner’s mother in Waldron.
Similarly, Messner was previously diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, medical experts have assured him that the condition will not claim his life.
Messner’s Late Wife’s Life Story Was Documented in Movies and Documentaries
Following the death of Roe Messner’s wife, several artworks have been released to immortalize the late televangelist. Notable among them is Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021). Jessica Chastain won the Oscars with her portrayal of the late OAP.
Furthermore, Faye’s ex-husband Bakker wrote Tammy, a biography that told the story of Tammy Faye’s life and legacies. Moreso, a documentary titled The Eyes of Tammy Faye was released in 2000, and RuPaul was said to be the narrator of the work.
RuPaul happens to be a 64-year-old drag queen, model, and musician known for hosting and producing RuPaul’s Drag Race – a reality competition series.
