Jimmy Swaggart, the famous Pentecostal preacher, passed away this Tuesday, July 1. The news was announced by his family through a statement posted on Swaggart’s official Facebook page. Here is everything we know about his death.
What did Jimmy Swaggart die of?
So far, the cause of death for the Pentecostal pastor has not been revealed. However, at the time of his passing, the televangelist was hospitalized at Baton Rouge General Medical Center, where he had been admitted for several weeks.
On June 15, Swaggart had suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was taken to the medical center for treatment. His family reported that the pastor’s health did not improve, and he later passed away.
ALSO READ What is Elon Musk’s nationality and why does Donald Trump want to deport him? Here’s what we know
How old was Jimmy Swaggart?
At the time of his death, the preacher was 90 years old.
What was Jimmy Swaggart’s net worth?
Jimmy Swaggart’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million. His fortune was built over decades of work as a televangelist, through which he gained national fame in the 1980s.
Who was Jimmy Swaggart?
Jimmy Swaggart was born on March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, into a deeply religious family. His father, Willie, was a violinist and Pentecostal preacher, and from a young age, Jimmy became involved in Southern gospel music and singing alongside him. He had a younger sister, Jeanette, and was the cousin of famous musicians Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley.
At age 17, in 1952, he married 15-year-old Frances Anderson. During the 1950s, they lived in very modest conditions while he preached across rural Louisiana. Without a home of their own, they stayed in church basements and modest motels. In 1955, Swaggart began evangelizing full-time, and by 1960, he launched his career as a gospel musician. He was ordained by the Assemblies of God in 1961 and soon after launched his radio ministry.
In 1971, he started his first television program, Camp Meeting Hour, and bought the WLUX radio station, from which he broadcast Christian messages. By 1975, his programming expanded to a weekly hour-long segment, and he later launched A Study in the Word along with televised Sunday services. In the 1980s, his programs aired on over 3,000 stations, reaching their peak popularity.
ALSO READ Where will there be 4th of July food deals?
Swaggart also founded his own college, Jimmy Swaggart Bible College, in 1984. Enrollment reached 1,500 students in 1987, but dropped sharply following a scandal in 1988, when he was caught with a prostitute. This came less than a year after he had publicly criticized other pastors for inappropriate behavior. Although he admitted his “moral failure” in a televised speech, his refusal to comply with a two-year suspension imposed by his church led to the loss of his ministerial credentials.
In 1991, he was caught again with a prostitute in California and, when facing his congregation, declared, “The Lord told me it’s none of your business.” These events irreparably damaged his public image and seriously weakened his ministry.
Beyond the sex scandals, Swaggart was also criticized for supporting the RENAMO guerrilla group during Mozambique’s civil war—a group accused of war crimes.
Despite everything, Frances never left him. Together they had one son, Donnie, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a preacher. His grandson, Gabriel, led the youth ministry and family Bible college. The family lived on a large estate in Baton Rouge, where Swaggart continued preaching through his SBN channel, while Frances hosted her own Christian program.
