Pastor and Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, 90, has Passed Away

Pastor and Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart passed away this morning at the age of 90. The announcement was shared by his ministry Facbeook Page, who write:

Today, our hearts are heavy as we share 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.

For over seven decades, Brother Swaggart poured out his life preaching the gospel, singing songs of the faith, and pointing millions to the saving power of Jesus Christ and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. His voice echoed through nations, his music softened hearts, and his message never changed: Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

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.

Please continue to lift up Sister Frances, Donnie, Debbie, Gabriel, Jill, Jennifer, Clif, Matt, Joanna, Sam, Ryder, Abby, Lola, Harper, Navy, Harrison, Caroline and Mackenzie in your prayers.

The family would like to thank the staff, doctors and nurses at Baton Rouge General Medical Center for their incredible support and care given during this time.

Last month he suffered a heart attack in his family home and never regained consciousness.

Swaggart founded the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the late 1960s, where he remains the pastor today. A prolific author, he wrote more than 50 books and sold over 15 million gosple records worldwide.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Jimmy Swaggart became a household name through The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast, a globally broadcast program that blended preaching, gospel music, and calls to salvation. At its peak, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries reached an estimated 100 million viewers and he headlined major crusades worldwide, becoming one of the biggest names in the industry. He later launched the SonLife Broadcasting Network. (SBN)

His world imploded in February 1988 when photographs surfaced of him entering and exiting a New Orleans motel with Debra Murphree, a prostitute. Murphree later told reporters that Swaggart had paid her for sexual services. The fallout prompted a widely broadcast confession on February 21, 1988, where Swaggart tearfully acknowledged unspecified “moral failings” and sought forgiveness.

The Assemblies of God, his religious denomination, imposed a three-month suspension. However, after Swaggart rejected additional disciplinary measures and they felt he was unrepentant, they revoked his ministerial credentials.

Despite his now-infamous teary confession, three years later, in 1991, Swaggart was stopped by police in Indio, California with another prostitute in his vehicle. She alleged that Swaggart had propositioned her for sexual acts. This was the final straw, and led many to write him off altogether. Most of his church stood by him, however.

While he apologized for propositioning a prostitute in the first incident, in the second, he told his congregation that God instructed him to keep preaching and that to anyone asking about it: “The Lord told me it’s flat none of your business.”

Since then, although not as popular as he used to be, his ministry has continued unabated. He and his family continue to run all his ministry endeavors, with his wife hosting the television program, Frances and Friends, shown daily on SBN. Swaggart has continued to host the Bible study program, The Message of the Cross, with his son Donnie, a pastor, preaching at Family Worship Center.

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