Televangelist and preacher Jimmy Swaggart passed away the morning of Tuesday, July 1, at age 90 after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 15. Swaggart’s son, Donnie, who has been posting regular updates about his father’s health on social media, announced the news of Swaggart’s death in the middle of a Bible-thon Tuesday morning.
“About an hour-and-a-half ago, Dad went home to be with the Lord,” said Donnie in a video posted at 9 a.m. CT. “He went peacefully, with family. Needless to say, our hearts are broken, but at the same time, we know where he is. We know he’s in heaven, we know he’s with the Lord. We know that his race is run.”
RELATED: Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart in Critical Condition After Suffering Cardiac Arrest
Jimmy Swaggart Passes Away Surrounded by Family
Jimmy Swaggart was born in Ferriday, Louisiana, in 1935 and came to trust in Jesus at the age of eight. He married his wife, Frances, in 1952. According to his website, Swaggart’s first radio program aired in 1969 before spreading to hundreds of U.S. stations within five years.
Swaggart is arguably best-known for being one of the most famous American televangelists, first appearing on TV in 1973 and exploding across people’s screens in the 1970s and 1980s.
The televangelist faced controversy after he was caught soliciting a prostitute in 1988. As a result, he was defrocked by the Assemblies of God and subsequently functioned as an independent Pentecostal preacher. He was caught once more with a prostitute in 1991. Nevertheless, Swaggart’s ministry survived.
Swaggart was the founder and senior pastor of Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a church he led alongside his son, Donnie, and his grandson, Gabriel. Swaggart was also the founder of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and Jimmy Swaggart Bible College.
“I just told our staff as I called them together in the main administration building and shared the news with them, and I made this statement,” said Donnie in his Tuesday morning update. “You know, I have no doubt in heaven that those that have gone on before, that got saved through the ministry of my Dad, have no doubt he’s meeting a lot of them in glory.”
Donnie said that he and his son, Gabriel, were at the hospital that morning. Donnie was anticipating interrupting the Bible-thon, a fundraiser to send Bibles throughout the world, with the news of Swaggart’s death, and he told Gabriel he was going to cancel the event. But Frances Swaggart overheard and told Donnie, “Absolutely not.”
She said, “This is your dad’s vision. This is what God called him to do. I just want you to tell the people to honor him and his life and his ministry by helping make this the best Bible-thon we’ve ever had.”
Donnie told viewers he made a promise to his father “just a few minutes ago,” telling him, “Dad, I give you my word that Gabriel and I will continue the work just as the vision God gave you showed you.”
“We will not stop distributing Bibles,” said Donnie. “We will not stop sharing the gospel. We will not stop proclaiming the message of Christ and him crucified.”
