Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart dies at 90

Jimmy Swaggart, one of America’s most well-known televangelists and a prominent figure in Pentecostal broadcasting for more than seven decades, has died at the age of 90.

“Today, our hearts are heavy,” Jimmy Swaggart Ministries wrote in a statement posted online on Friday. “He was not just a preacher—he was a worshiper, a warrior, and a witness to the grace and mercy of God.”

The statement also praised Swaggart’s lifelong devotion to his message of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” and thanked the staff at Baton Rouge General Medical Center for the care he received in his final days.

Swaggart rose to national prominence in the 1970s and 1980s as one of the leading voices of American televangelism. Through his sermons, gospel music, and the reach of his Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Swaggart’s televised services were broadcast to millions of viewers across the United States.

He was known for his fiery preaching style, emotional altar calls, and gospel singing, with many of his songs becoming staples in Pentecostal churches.

President Donald Trump called Swaggart an “incredible Man of Faith” and “our Nation’s longest serving Televangelist,” in a post shared Friday. “He inspired millions with his Great Love of God and Country. Our hearts and prayers are with his wonderful wife Frances, his son Donnie, and their entire family. Jimmy will be deeply missed!”

Born in Ferriday, Louisiana, in 1935, Swaggart was a cousin of rock ‘n’ roll pioneers Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. He began preaching in small rural churches in the 1950s and gradually expanded his ministry through gospel recordings and radio programs before becoming a leading figure in Christian television.

In 1988, he was temporarily defrocked by the Assemblies of God following a prostitution scandal that made national headlines. Swaggart publicly confessed to “sinning” in a tearful televised sermon, famously telling his congregation, “I have sinned against you, my Lord.”

Though he returned to preaching soon after, a second scandal in 1991 involving another prostitute further damaged his credibility and standing within the Pentecostal movement.

Swaggart rebuilt his ministry as an independent operation and continued broadcasting through the SonLife Broadcasting Network, where he remained active into his later years.

Swaggart is survived by his wife Frances, to whom he was married for more than 70 years, and their son Donnie Swaggart, who is also a minister and frequent speaker at Family Worship Center.