Additional Coverage:
- America’s longest-running TV evangelist, Jimmy Swaggart, in critical condition after cardiac episode (foxnews.com)
Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Remains Hospitalized in Critical Condition
The family of renowned televangelist Jimmy Swaggart has announced that he remains in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest. During a Father’s Day service, Swaggart’s son, Donnie Swaggart, requested prayers from the congregation, stating that only a “miracle” could save his father’s life.
On his father’s Facebook page, Donnie Swaggart posted, “On this Father’s Day, we urgently ask you to pray for Brother Swaggart. He needs a miracle from heaven right now, this morning.” He added in a separate post, calling his father his “rock and hero,” and emphasizing the need for “the Lord’s healing power today.”
Jimmy Swaggart, born March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, began his ministry in 1955. He is the pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and founder of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.
According to his ministry’s website, Swaggart has preached the gospel on television longer than any other American evangelist. He reached the height of his popularity in the mid-1980s, broadcasting his services to over two million households.
Swaggart’s career has been marked by controversy, including a 1987 scandal involving a prostitute and a later incident where he was stopped by police with a suspected prostitute in his car. He also faced criticism for comments made during a televised service about gay men, which he later claimed were a joke.