Jimmy Swaggart, televangelist who apologized for sex scandal, dies at age 90

Jimmy Swaggart, 1 of the country's best-known televangelists who apologized aft helium was caught successful a enactment scandal, has died, his ministry's SonLife Broadcasting Network announced successful a connection shared with CBS News. He was 90.

Swaggart died Tuesday morning, the connection said. News of his decease was also posted to his authoritative Facebook page.

"Today, our hearts are dense arsenic we stock that Brother Swaggart has finished his earthly contention and entered into the beingness of His Savior, Jesus Christ," the Facebook station said. "Today was the time helium has sung astir for decades. He met his beloved Savior and entered the portals of glory. At the aforesaid time, we rejoice knowing that we volition spot him again 1 day."

Last month, Swaggart was hospitalized aft going into cardiac apprehension astatine his location successful Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to his son, Donnie Swaggart.

The laminitis of his eponymous ministry, Jimmy Swaggart began preaching connected the vigor successful the aboriginal 1960s. He founded the Family Worship Center successful Baton Rouge, wherever his household continues to preach, and his ministry besides runs the SonLife Broadcasting Network, which broadcasts the Family Worship Center's services.

Jimmy Swaggart developed a ample pursuing with his televised sermons successful the 1980s. He made nationalist headlines successful 1988 erstwhile helium was photographed extracurricular a New Orleans-area edifice with a enactment worker. He tearfully admitted to sinning, delivering an apology to his congregation during a unrecorded tv broadcast, though helium did not specify that helium had solicited a prostitute.

"I person sinned against you," Swaggart said successful an affectional code to his followers. "I beg you to forgive me."

The incidental led to him being defrocked by the Assemblies of God, though helium continued to preach.

TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart preaches astatine Flora Blanca Stadium, March 1, 1987. Cindy Karp/Getty Images

Three years later, helium was again found with a prostitute, this clip during a postulation halt successful Indio, California. He told his congregation that God said to him, "You archer them that Thursday greeting you'll beryllium making tv programs," adding: "The Lord told maine it's level nary of your business."

The controversies surrounding Swaggart weren't constricted to those encounters. He said that Roman Catholicism was "not the Christian way" and a "false religion," and helium besides said the crushed wherefore Jewish radical suffered for millennia was "because of their rejection of Christ."

"If you don't similar what I say, speech to my boss," helium erstwhile said to congregants astatine the Family Worship Center.

In 2004, Swaggart said helium would crook to unit if a cheery antheral looked astatine him romantically. 

"And I'm going to beryllium blunt and plain: If 1 ever looks astatine maine similar that, I'm going to termination him and archer God helium died," Swaggart told laughing congregants. He apologized aboriginal for the remark.

Jimmy Swaggart has besides recorded gospel euphony and is the relative of the precocious stone 'n' rotation fable Jerry Lee Lewis. Swaggart spoke astatine Lewis' funeral successful 2022, and 1 of Lewis' last records was a gospel medium helium recorded with Swaggart that was released conscionable a fewer months earlier Lewis' death.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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