"They feel this is a regrettable conclusion to a lifetime partnership they forged with Harry Helmsley," he said.

Postal Service investigators are looking at whether Mr. Bakker intended to defraud when he solicited "lifetime partnerships" by mail.

"A lifetime partnership," Mr. Barneby says of the friend he terms "a polymath person: a botanist, linguist, philologist, poet and artist."

Fraudulent lifetime partnerships kept PTL going.

I remember that time well, because while my friends were altering their existence for a lifetime partnership, I was preparing for what I thought would be a life alone.

In its latest audit, the I.R.S. has apparently questioned whether PTL should be taxed on money raised through its "lifetime partnership" program.

The Strahorns fused their interests and skills into a lifetime partnership, and Dell always referred to Edmund as "Pard."

The two were not legally married but believed in lifetime partnership.

They say they want to keep the promises made to the believers who paid from $1,000 to $10,000 to purchase lifetime partnerships.

Mr. Bakker promoted the packages on a religous television program as "lifetime partnerships."