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Jimmy Swaggart, the fiery televangelist who preached to millions before a stunning public downfall shook his ministry, has died. He was 90.
Swaggart’s death was announced Tuesday, July 2, on his public Facebook page. No cause was given, though the Louisiana-born preacher had been in poor health and hospitalized.
The post quoted 2 Timothy 4:7–8 and said, "Brother Swaggart has finished his earthly race and entered into the presence of His Savior, Jesus Christ."
At the height of his power, Swaggart led a multimillion-dollar ministry, founded the SonLife Broadcasting Network, sold over 15 million gospel albums, and drew global crowds to his revival crusades.
His sermons were broadcast on hundreds of stations. He was nominated for a Grammy. He founded a Bible college. He even turned down an offer from Sam Phillips at Sun Records, saying he was called to preach, not profit.
But in 1988, Swaggart’s empire came crashing down when he was caught with a prostitute in a New Orleans motel.
“I have sinned against you,” he told his parishioners in a tearful televised apology that became a cultural touchstone.
He was defrocked by the Assemblies of God and later implicated in a second prostitution scandal in 1991. Yet Swaggart returned to the pulpit, rebuilt a following, and remained pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge until his death.
Swaggart was born on March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. He was the cousin of Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. He began preaching in the 1950s and rose from rural poverty to international prominence. In his later years, he was largely defined by his unyielding devotion to Pentecostal doctrine and his refusal to leave the stage.
He is survived by his wife, Frances, their son Donnie, and a large extended family. The family thanked Baton Rouge General Medical Center for their care.
Funeral details have not yet been announced.
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