Jimmy Swaggart, a pioneering American televangelist and pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has died at the age of 90. He passed away weeks after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home on June 15.
Swaggart was widely recognized for his charismatic preaching style, gospel music talent, and his influential SonLife Broadcasting Network. Rising to prominence in the 1980s, he drew millions of viewers with his fiery sermons and raised over $100 million annually for his ministry at its peak.
A cousin of rock and roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis, Swaggart also made a mark in gospel music, earning a Grammy nomination in 1981 for his album Worship. Despite his success, his legacy was overshadowed by highly publicized scandals involving prostitution in the late 1980s, which led to his defrocking by the Assemblies of God.
Swaggart continued preaching and broadcasting in later years, maintaining a devoted following despite diminished public visibility. He is remembered as a complex figure whose powerful oratory and musical gifts left a lasting impact on American evangelicalism, even as personal failings shaped the latter part of his life.
His death marks the end of a significant chapter in televangelism, reflecting both the heights of religious broadcasting and the challenges of public ministry.
