Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, one of the first to televise his ministry, has died. He was 90 years old.
Pioneering televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, one of the first preachers to bring his ministry to a massive television audience, has died in Louisiana after being hospitalized for two weeks, a family representative said on Tuesday.
He was 90.
'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,' according to a statement posted on his Facebook page.
'He met his beloved Savior and entered the portals of glory. At the same time, we rejoice knowing that we will see him again one day.'
Swaggart was hospitalized following cardiac arrest, according to his family.
He was born in Louisiana on March 15, 1935, to Willie Swaggart, a sharecropper and preacher, and Minnie Bell. In 1952, Swaggart married Frances Anderson, and they had a son. Swaggart spent the 1950s traveling in Louisiana as an impoverished preacher, living in church basements and cheap motels on $30 a week.
He was also a cousin of the musician Jerry Lee Lewis.
It wasn't until the 1970s that Swaggart made the full-time transition to televised ministry. By 1983, Swaggart's telecast appeared on over 250 stations nationwide.
In 1988, Swaggart was accused of soliciting prostitutes, which led to his 'I Have Sinned' speech. He was defrocked by the Assemblies of God and carried on a much smaller ministry.
Swaggart went on to start SonLife Radio, which broadcasts on several stations across the country.
The post continues:
He sold over 20 million records in his lifetime and donated all of the royalties back to the ministry … No doubt, one of the greatest preachers in history … He leaves an incredibly rich legacy. Well done!
His son Donnie and grandson Gabriel have continued Swaggart's ministry by becoming preachers.
Swaggart is survived by his wife, Frances, son Donnie, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and loved ones.