- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand Pentecostal televangelist who once commanded the attention of millions of worshipers across the globe, died at the age of 90 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 1. Once a household name synonymous with televised revivalism, Swaggart's career soared during the 1980s, only to dramatically unravel under the weight of multiple prostitution scandals.
His death, confirmed by his family and publicist Megan Kelly, followed complications from cardiac arrest he suffered on June 15. “Today, our hearts are heavy as we share that Brother Swaggart has finished his earthly race and entered into the presence of His Saviour,” read a statement on his official Facebook page. No official cause of death has been disclosed.
Rise Of Televangelist Empire
Born in Ferriday, Louisiana, Jimmy Swaggart built a religious empire that combined fire-and-brimstone preaching with mass media. By the mid-1980s, his broadcasts reached over 100 countries and drew in more than $140 million annually. His ministry also produced bestselling gospel albums, Bible study guides, and even souvenir replicas of religious relics.
At the heart of his ministry was the Family Worship Centre in Baton Rouge, which could seat 7,000 congregants. His sermons, filled with passionate rhetoric, calls to repentance, and warnings about sin, drew massive audiences and contributed to the rise of Pentecostal televangelism.
Fall From Grace
Swaggart’s charismatic preaching style often included fierce condemnation of sexual immorality, an irony not lost when he himself was implicated in scandals involving sex workers.
In 1988, his downfall began when he was photographed with a prostitute in New Orleans. A year later, he was caught again, this time by California police, reportedly driving on the wrong side of the road with a sex worker in the car.
The 1988 scandal resulted in a now-infamous televised confession where a tearful Swaggart admitted, “I have sinned against you.” Despite pleading for forgiveness, the Assemblies of God demanded a two-year rehabilitation and preaching hiatus. Swaggart refused, resigned from the denomination, and claimed he needed to separate to save his ministry.
Jimmy Swaggart Prominent televangelist Jimmy Swaggart speaks during his famous "I have sinned" confession in 1988 (Image credits: X)
In 1988, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart delivered a tearful televised confession after being exposed for soliciting a prostitute in New Orleans. His emotional apology, famously stating "I have sinned," led to suspension by the Assemblies of God and marked a pivotal moment in American religious broadcasting. Despite the scandal, Swaggart retained control of his ministry, though it was later restructured under his family's leadership. His troubles continued in 1991 when he was again caught with a prostitute, further tarnishing his image and casting a long shadow over his once-powerful evangelical career.
Further controversy emerged when Debra Murphree, the sex worker involved in the original scandal, alleged in interviews that Swaggart had paid her to pose nude. In 1991, after the second scandal, Swaggart cryptically told his congregation, “The Lord told me it's flat none of your business,” refusing to acknowledge the details publicly.
Final Years
Though his audience significantly declined after the scandals, Swaggart continued to preach, often restructuring his ministry with family members at the helm. He never relinquished control of his religious empire. Information about his funeral arrangements has not yet been released.
