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Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, 90, America's longest-running televangelist, has died at the age of 90 after suffering cardiac arrest last month, his family announced in a post shared on his Facebook account Tuesday (July 1).
"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. Today was the day he has sung about for decades. 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," the post states. "For over seven decades, Brother Swaggart poured out his life preaching the gospel, singing songs of the faith, and pointing millions to the saving power of Jesus Christ and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. His voice echoed through nations, his music softened hearts, and his message never changed: Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
Swaggart, the founder of Family Worship Center and Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, which owns and operates the SonLife Broadcasting Network, is one of the country's most well-known televangelists, having initially began preaching on the radio in the early 1960s before shifting to television in 1975. The Louisiana native's successful TV career was rocked by a scandal in 1987 after he was photographed with a prostitute at a hotel and again in 1991 when he was detained with another prostitute in California.
Swaggart remained the pulpit at Jimmy Swaggart Ministries in his later years and had a worldwide audience on the internet in his later years, making rare public appearances, which included the memorial service for his cousin and rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis in 2022.