By Joke Kujenya
JIMMY SWAGGART, the fiery Pentecostal preacher whose voice once echoed through packed stadiums and into millions of American and global homes, has died at the age of 90.
His passing was confirmed by SonLife Broadcasting Network, the media arm of his global ministry, in a statement released Tuesday.
He died following a cardiac arrest, according to his son, Donnie Swaggart.
Swaggart had been hospitalised in mid-June after collapsing at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Widely known for his impassioned gospel music, fervent preaching style and spectacular fall from grace, Swaggart remained a towering figure in evangelical circles for over six decades.
His career spanned pulpit to scandal and back again, leaving a complex legacy in American fiery faith life.
Born on 15 March 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart launched his ministry in 1955.
His deep Southern roots and musical heritage ran in the family as is cousin was rock ’n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis.
Swaggart released his first gospel album, Some Golden Daybreak, in the late 1950s and ultimately sold more than 17 million recordings.
His national breakthrough came via the airwaves.
After launching a radio programme, The Camp Meeting Hour, in 1969, he moved into television four years later with The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast.
By the early 1980s, his booming voice and piano-led hymns made him a household name.
At its peak, his ministry raised more than $100 million annually and his Family Worship Center Church in Baton Rouge drew thousands of worshippers.
But his ascendancy faltered in 1988 when he was photographed outside a motel with a sex worker.
He confessed to “sinning” during a tearful sermon that aired live, stating: “I have sinned against you… I beg you to forgive me.”
The Assemblies of God, his ordaining denomination, suspended and eventually defrocked him.
Three years later, he was again implicated in another scandal involving a prostitute in California.
Swaggart responded to critics by telling his congregation: “The Lord told me it’s flat none of your business.”
The impact on his ministry was severe. Annual revenues plummeted from $150 million in the mid-1980s to $11 million by the 1990s.
Attendance at his services dwindled, and the once-prominent televangelist faded from national prominence.
However, Swaggart never left the pulpit.
He resumed preaching within months and continued until the end of his life, often leading services well into his late 80s.
Swaggart’s rhetoric often sparked outrage beyond his personal controversies.
He denounced Roman Catholicism as a “false religion,” claimed Jewish suffering stemmed from “rejection of Christ,” and in 2004, declared he would “kill” a gay man if approached romantically—remarks he later apologised for.
Despite the scandals, he maintained a loyal following and continued to broadcast his services globally through the SonLife Broadcasting Network, launched in 2010.
He authored over 100 books, including The Expositor’s Study Bible, which reportedly sold over four million copies. His ministry also published The Evangelist magazine for five decades.
Earlier this year, Swaggart made a final public appearance at a church camp meeting where he joined the gospel band.
Sitting at his grand piano, his voice still clear, he sang, “If you’re longing for a friend, loving and true, then turn to Jesus, He waits for you.”
His final social media post quoted was 2 Timothy 4:7-8, a passage he had often referenced: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” It concluded with the assurance that Swaggart had entered “the portals of glory.”
Until his last breath on Tuesday, Papa Jimmy Swaggart remained a man both revered and reviled given his life of Christ testament to faith, frailty and the enduring power of God’s redemption.
