Jimmy Swaggart, the popular Pentecostal preacher and televangelist who garnered national headlines for his extramarital affairs, has died at the age of 90 following a cardiac arrest.
Swaggart's official Facebook page announced Tuesday morning that "Brother Swaggart has finished his earthly race and entered into the presence of His Savior, Jesus Christ."
"Today was the day he has sung about for decades. He met his beloved Savior and entered the portals of glory. At the same time, we rejoice knowing that we will see him again one day," stated the page.
"He was not just a preacher — he was a worshiper, a warrior, and a witness to the grace and mercy of God. He was a man whose faith was steadfast and always entered whatever door the Lord opened. And the Lord honored that faith."
Jimmy Lee Swaggart was born on March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. Around the age of 8, he reportedly had a deep religious experience in which he felt called by God to preach.
At age 17, Swaggart married 15-year-old Frances Anderson in 1952, with the couple having a son, Donnie. In 1961, Swaggart was ordained in the Assemblies of God, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States.
Swaggart was the cousin of famed rock ’n’ roll performer Jerry Lee Lewis and had his own successful music career, releasing multiple albums over the decades and reportedly selling over 17 million recordings.
Swaggart’s ministry work also included radio programming, beginning in 1969 with the “The Campmeeting Hour” program, and print media with the magazine The Evangelist, which was first published in 1970.
In 1973, Swaggart took to the medium of television, starting with a 30-minute program titled “The Jimmy Swaggart Evangelistic Association Presents Jimmy Swaggart.” During this time, Swaggart also set about airing live recordings of his church services and broadcasting his programming in other languages.
During the 1980s, Swaggart launched several evangelism crusades in the U.S. and abroad, with the largest one reportedly taking place in October 1987 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a conservative estimate of around 125,000 in attendance.
In 1988, Swaggart garnered national headlines when he was found to be involved with a prostitute in New Orleans.
In response to the news, Swaggart delivered his famous tearful “I have sinned” confession before his congregation.
“I have no one but myself to blame. I do not lay the fault or the blame of the charge at anyone else's feet. For no one is to blame but Jimmy Swaggart. I take the responsibility. I take the blame. I take the fault,” he said.
“To my fellow television ministers and evangelists, you that are already bearing an almost unbearable load, to continue to say and tell the great story of Jesus' love, I have made your load heavier and I have hurt you. Please forgive me for sinning against you.”
While the Assemblies of God defrocked Swaggart in response to the scandal, he continued to serve as an independent Pentecostal pastor.
In 1991, Swaggart was again caught with a prostitute in California after being given three traffic tickets for not wearing a seat belt, driving on the wrong side of the road, and operating an unregistered vehicle, The Associated Press reported at the time.
A few years after the scandals, Swaggart launched SonLife Radio Network in 1995, which would spread to dozens of stations in the U.S. and abroad and then launched SonLife Broadcasting Network, which began airing content in April 2010.
In November 2022, Swaggart and his son, Donnie, conducted the funeral service for his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis, with the older Swaggart speaking emotionally about his late relative.
Swaggart told those gathered that Lewis was “one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived” and that “I know my cousin is with the Lord in the portals of glory,” as quoted by the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“How do you know he was saved? How do you know? He always had a heart for God, always. Even in his lowest times, he had a heart for God,” added Swaggart.
On June 15, a Sunday, Swaggart was found unconscious by his son and grandson at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to the family, while the televangelist remained unconscious, paramedics were able to revive a heartbeat.
The following day, the ministry reported that there had been “no change in his condition” and asked supporters to “continue to lift him up in prayer and believe God for a miracle — but above all, we trust in the Lord’s perfect will.”
