Jimmy Swaggart, once a widely known televangelist who built a massive following and a multimillion-dollar ministry before his reputation was shattered by scandals involving prostitutes, has passed away. His death was announced Tuesday on his public Facebook page. At 90 years old, he had been in poor health, though no cause of death was immediately given.
From poverty and oil fields to a household name
Swaggart grew up in Louisiana, the son of a preacher, surrounded by a family rich in musical talent. He excelled at piano and gospel music alongside cousins who found fame in different genres, including rock-and-roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis and country singer Mickey Gilley.
Raised in Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart said he first felt a divine calling at age 8, describing a physical sensation that left a lasting impression. Before dedicating himself fully to ministry at age 23, he worked in oil fields and preached part-time.
He launched a radio program, published a magazine, and eventually moved into television preaching, known for his outspoken views. Swaggart openly criticized Roman Catholicism and made controversial statements about Jewish people, which stirred both attention and controversy.
His energetic sermons at his Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge attracted millions of viewers, with congregants often responding with emotional displays such as speaking in tongues. By the late 1980s, Swaggart’s ministry was estimated to generate $142 million annually, and his broadcasting complex in Baton Rouge remains a significant site.
The scandals that led to Swaggart’s ruin
Swaggart’s fall began in the late 1980s amid a wave of scandals involving prominent televangelists. In 1987, his ministry’s finances suffered due to a scandal involving fellow televangelist Jim Bakker.
In 1988, Swaggart was photographed with Debra Murphree, a known prostitute, at a New Orleans hotel. Although Murphree claimed they did not have sexual relations, she alleged Swaggart paid her to pose nude, later appearing in Penthouse magazine. The photos reportedly surfaced due to a vendetta by Marvin Gorman, a rival preacher whom Swaggart had publicly accused of sexual misconduct. Swaggart later paid Gorman $1.8 million to settle a related lawsuit.
Troubles continued in 1991 when Swaggart was stopped by police in California with another prostitute, Rosemary Garcia. Swaggart faced charges related to traffic violations during the incident, which was also marked by attempts to hide pornographic magazines in his vehicle.
The scandals made Swaggart a subject of late-night television satire, including impersonations by Phil Hartman on “Saturday Night Live.”
Out of the public eye but still in the pulpit
Though largely absent from mainstream media in his later years, Swaggart continued preaching at Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, often alongside his son Donnie. His radio station broadcast services and gospel music across 21 states, with his ministry maintaining a global online presence.
In a social media message, Donnie Swaggart described his father as “a good and faithful servant” who lived devotedly for his faith.
In 2004, Jimmy Swaggart sparked controversy with a joke about violence against gay men during a sermon, for which he later apologized.
Swaggart rarely appeared publicly outside of his church, with notable exceptions including singing “Amazing Grace” at the 2005 funeral of Louisiana’s Secretary of State Fox McKeithen and sharing memories at the 2022 memorial for cousin Jerry Lee Lewis. That same year, the two cousins released a gospel album titled “The Boys From Ferriday.”
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