Baton Rouge, LA — Renowned Pentecostal televangelist and gospel singer Jimmy Swaggart, whose rise to global prominence and dramatic fall from grace marked one of the most public scandals in American religious history, has died at the age of 90.
Swaggart passed away days after being hospitalized following a cardiac arrest on June 15. The announcement came via a statement posted on social media by Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.
“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,” the ministry wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post. “Today was the day he has sung about for decades.”
Swaggart, who was born on March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, began preaching in the 1950s and built a powerful evangelical empire from humble Pentecostal roots. A cousin of rock and roll legends Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley, Swaggart’s talent as a gospel pianist and preacher made him a household name during the golden era of televised evangelism.
By the early 1980s, the Jimmy Swaggart Telecast aired in more than 100 countries, and his ministry was reportedly generating over $100 million annually. Swaggart’s impassioned sermons and fiery calls to repentance drew massive stadium crowds, while his broadcasts reached millions of homes each week. He also authored more than 100 religious books and sold over 17 million gospel recordings.
However, his public ministry came under intense scrutiny in 1988, when an investigation by the Assemblies of God, the denomination that had ordained him, uncovered evidence of sexual misconduct. In a tearful televised confession, Swaggart famously declared to his congregation and viewers:
“I have sinned against you.”
The fallout was swift and damaging. Despite his tearful apology to his wife Frances and his congregation, Swaggart was later defrocked by the Assemblies of God. A second scandal in 1991, when Swaggart was again found in the company of a woman alleged to be a prostitute, led to further damage to his reputation and ministry. His once-massive television audience dwindled, and ministry revenues plummeted from $150 million annually to just $11 million in the 1990s.
Despite the setbacks, Swaggart never left the pulpit. Operating independently of any denomination, he continued preaching through Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, founded the SonLife Radio Network in 1995, and later launched the SonLife Broadcasting Network in 2010. His church, Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, remained his spiritual base, where he preached well into his late 80s.
Earlier this year, Swaggart appeared at a church camp meeting, joining the gospel band at the piano and singing with clarity and conviction:
“If you’re longing for a friend, loving and true, then turn to Jesus — He waits for you.”
Swaggart’s legacy is complex: he was both a gifted communicator who brought Pentecostal Christianity to an international stage and a controversial figure whose personal failings became national spectacle. Yet, to his devoted followers, he remained a man of faith who acknowledged his sins, asked for forgiveness, and continued to serve God in the face of adversity.
Beyond broadcasting, Swaggart’s literary works included the popular Expositor’s Study Bible, reportedly selling over 4 million copies. He also published The Evangelist magazine for more than five decades and was slated to be inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame this fall.
Swaggart is survived by his wife Frances, his son Donnie Swaggart, and several grandchildren who continue to be active in the ministry. His son Donnie announced the news of his father’s hospitalization to congregants at Family Worship Center shortly after the cardiac event earlier this month.
As tributes pour in from across the nation, Jimmy Swaggart is being remembered as a man who changed the landscape of modern evangelism — a preacher, musician, and author whose influence spanned generations, even as he faced the public consequences of personal failings.
Funeral and memorial service details will be announced by the Swaggart family in the coming days.