Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90: A Televangelist’s Rise, Fall, and Final Days in the Pulpit

Jimmy Swaggart, once a towering figure in American televangelism and gospel music, passed away at the age of 90. A preacher who drew millions with his fiery sermons, Swaggart’s legacy is as much about spiritual spectacle as it is about personal scandal. His death was announced Tuesday on his official Facebook page. No cause was given, though he had been in poor health for years.

From Ferriday to Fame: The Making of a Preacher

Born into poverty in Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart grew up surrounded by music and religious fervor. He was cousins with Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley, but chose gospel over rock and country. By 23, he had fully committed to preaching, playing piano, and holding revival meetings under the Assemblies of God.

He expanded his ministry into radio, launched a print magazine, and eventually became one of America’s most recognized televangelists by the 1980s — drawing crowds that spoke in tongues and viewers that donated millions. Full biographical overview

The Fall: Scandal, Surveillance, and a Public Breakdown

In 1988, Swaggart’s career crumbled after he was photographed with a New Orleans prostitute, Debra Murphree, in a scandal that shocked the religious community. Though he didn’t admit specifics, his tearful televised apology included the now-infamous line:

“I have sinned against you. I beg you to forgive me.”

Later, it emerged the photos were arranged by rival preacher Marvin Gorman, whom Swaggart had earlier accused of misconduct. A court later ordered Swaggart to pay Gorman $1.8 million in a defamation settlement. More on the scandal’s fallout

Just three years later, he was detained in California with another prostitute, sparking more controversy and late-night TV mockery. His image never fully recovered.

A Legacy in Gospel, Even in Isolation

Despite the disgrace, Swaggart never left the pulpit. His Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge remained his base, and he continued broadcasting sermons through radio, TV, and later online platforms. His SonLife Broadcasting Network still reaches audiences in over 100 countries. Ministry website

He often appeared alongside his son, Donnie Swaggart, who took a leading role in the ministry’s operations. In his final years, Swaggart avoided public controversies, except for a brief backlash in 2004 after making violent remarks about gay men — which he later apologized for.

Final Appearances and a Family Farewell

Swaggart made few public outings in recent decades, but notably performed “Amazing Grace” at the 2005 funeral of Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, and spoke at Jerry Lee Lewis’s memorial in 2022.

In a farewell message posted to social media, Donnie Swaggart described his father as:

“A good and faithful servant… A man who lived his life for the cause of Christ.”

Swaggart’s decades-long journey — from revival tents to multi-million-dollar ministries, from moral collapse to modest restoration — leaves behind a complex legacy that shaped American televangelism as we know it.

Bottom Line
Jimmy Swaggart was a preacher of extremes: magnetic and controversial, powerful and flawed. His ministry reached millions, and while scandal dimmed his spotlight, he never stopped preaching. In death, he remains a symbol of both the heights and the hypocrisies of America’s religious empire.