Paulk died near midnight Saturday at the Atlanta Medical Center, a nursing supervisor confirmed to CNN. The bishop had been at the hospital for several days, she said.

Paulk's death came after an "extended and horrible battle with cancer," Paulk's nephew, Bishop Jim Swilley, wrote in a blog post.

Paulk founded the Chapel Hill Harvester Church in Decatur, a suburb of Atlanta. It quickly grew to become one of the first megachurches in the country. Paulk also had his own television show.

But his success as a preacher was overshadowed time and again by allegations of sexual impropriety.

One allegation ended in a civil suit that was settled out of court in 2003. The accuser said Paulk molested her when she was a child.