Jimmy Swaggart

==Career==
===Ordination and early career===
Preaching from a flatbed trailer donated to him, Swaggart began full-time evangelistic work in 1955. He began developing a revival-meeting following throughout the American South.  In 1960, he began recording gospel music record albums and transmitting on Christian radio stations. In 1961, Swaggart was ordained by the Assemblies of God; a year later he began his radio ministry. In the late 1960s, Swaggart founded what was then a small church named the Family Worship Center in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]]; the church eventually became district-affiliated with the Assemblies of God.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

In 1971, Swaggart began transmitting a weekly 30-minute telecast over various local television stations in Baton Rouge and also purchased a local AM radio station, WLUX (now [[WPFC (AM)|WPFC]]). The station broadcast Christian feature stories, preaching and teaching to various [[Christian fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] and Pentecostal denominations and playing [[Traditional black gospel|black gospel]], [[Southern gospel]], and inspirational music. Swaggart sold many of his radio stations gradually throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

===Shifting to television===
By 1975, the television ministry had expanded to more stations around the United States, and he began to use television as his primary preaching forum. In 1978, the weekly telecast was increased to an hour.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

In 1980, Swaggart began a daily weekday telecast featuring Bible study and music, and the weekend, hour-long telecast included a service from either Family Worship Center (Swaggart's church) or an on-location crusade in a major city. In the early 1980s, the broadcasts expanded to major cities nationwide. By 1983, more than 250 television stations broadcast the telecast.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

===Promotion of RENAMO===
Throughout the 1980s, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries was one of many American Evangelical leaders who promoted the South African-backed Mozambican National Resistance, aka [[RENAMO]], which was accused of committing systematic [[war crime]]s during [[Mozambican Civil War|Mozambique's 15-year-long civil war]]. In addition to moral support and publicity, Swaggart Ministries was repeatedly accused of providing funding and material support to the group. In September 1985, government forces supported by Zimbabwe captured RENAMO's main headquarters inside Mozambique, Casa Banana. Among the materials left behind by retreating rebels were piles of Swaggart's 1982 publication, "How to Receive The Baptism in the Holy Spirit", translated into Portuguese.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Conflict with Renamo, 1976-1992 «August 1990» Dossier MZ-0020: 126. Rightwing Christian Group Denies Renamo Connection |url=https://www.mozambiquehistory.net/90_08.php |website=Mozambique History Net}}</ref> During the 1988 trial of Australian missionary Ian Grey, who coordinated much of the private support to RENAMO, it was claimed by the defendant that Swaggart Ministries worked through Shekinah Ministries to provide support to RENAMO. That year, extensive media coverage of Swaggart and his businesses in the wake of a sex scandal largely excluded these allegations.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Diamond |first1=Sara |title=Spiritual Warfare The Politics of the Christian Right |date=1990 |isbn=978-0-921689-64-5 |page=199 |publisher=Black Rose Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VRDo9R_FbdUC&dq=Jimmy+Swaggart+renamo&pg=PA199}}</ref> In 1991, Covert Action Magazine and the government of Zimbabwe both accused Swaggart ministries of continuing to fund RENAMO.<ref>{{cite book |title=Political Developments and Prospects for Peace in Mozambique and Review of the Electorial &#91;sic&#93; Process in Angola Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session, October 8, 1992 · Volume 4 |date=1993 |publisher=USGPO |page=109 |isbn=9780160411410 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=11ijXTSYczYC&q=swaggart}}</ref>

===Prostitution scandals===
In 1988, Swaggart was accused of patronizing a prostitute. He was suspended and ultimately [[defrocked]] by the Assemblies of God. Three years later, Swaggart was implicated in another scandal involving prostitution. As a result, Swaggart's ministry became non-affiliated, nondenominational, and significantly smaller than it was in the ministry's pre-scandal years.<ref name="books.google">{{cite book|last=Djupe|first=Paul A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=frt7RDOT1PUC&pg=PA430 |title=Encyclopedia of American religion and politics|author2=Olson, Laura R. |publisher=Checkmark Books|year=2008|isbn=978-0-8160-7555-3|page=430|access-date=March 13, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Kaufman">{{Cite news|title=The Fall of Jimmy Swaggart |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20098413,00.html|date=March 7, 1988 |first=Joanne|last=Kaufman|work=People|access-date=October 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jimmy-Swaggart|title=Jimmy Swaggart {{!}} Biography, Ministries, & Scandals|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-02-23}}</ref>

Swaggart's sex scandals received national media attention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/02/25/jimmy-swaggart-and-the-snare-of-sin/d07127d2-c412-4738-98d9-3b186d1b92f9/|title=Jimmy Swaggart and the Snare of Sin|newspaper=Washington Post|date=February 25, 1988}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/22/us/swaggart-says-he-has-sinned-will-step-down.html|title=Swaggart Says He Has Sinned; Will Step Down |website=The New York Times|date=February 22, 1988}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-10-12-mn-202-story.html|title=Woman Riding in Swaggart Car Says She's a Prostitute|date=October 12, 1991|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/03/us/scandals-emptied-pews-of-electronic-churches.html|title=Scandals Emptied Pews Of Electronic Churches |website=The New York Times|date=March 3, 1991}}</ref>

====1988 prostitution scandal====
Swaggart's first prostitution scandal occurred in retaliation for an incident in 1986 when he accused fellow Assemblies of God minister Marvin Gorman of having several affairs. Gorman was defrocked from the Assemblies of God, and his ministry was all but ended.<ref>{{cite news|last=Andrews|first=Travis M.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/01/09/the-rev-marvin-gorman-who-prompted-jimmy-swaggarts-downfall-in-the-80s-dies-at-83/|title=The Rev. Marvin Gorman, who prompted Jimmy Swaggart's downfall in the '80s, dies at 83|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 9, 2017|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref> Gorman filed a successful lawsuit against Swaggart for defamation and conspiracy to ruin his reputation; he was awarded damages amounting to $10 million in 1991.<ref>{{cite news|last=Marcus|first=Frances Frank|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/13/us/swaggart-found-liable-for-defaming-minister.html|title=Swaggart Found Liable For Defaming Minister|work=The New York Times|date=September 13, 1991|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref> Following an appeal, the parties settled the matter for $1.75 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-12-26-9912260101-story.html|title=A Fair, Sympathetic Account of the Rise and Fall of Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart|work=Chicago Tribune|date=December 26, 1999|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref>

As a retaliatory measure, Gorman hired his son Randy and son-in-law Garland Bilbo to watch the [[Travel Inn]] on [[Airline Highway]] in [[Metairie, Louisiana|Metairie]], a [[suburb]] of [[New Orleans]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Seaman|first=Ann Rowe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=unT6moT0EE4C&pg=PA331|title=Swaggart: The Unauthorized Biography of an American Evangelist|location=New York City|publisher=Continuum|year=1999 |page=331|isbn=978-1-4411-3645-9 }}</ref> At the Travel Inn, the two men photographed Swaggart outside Room Seven with Debra Murphree,<ref name="Kaufman" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Applebome|first=Peter|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/25/us/scandal-spurs-interest-in-swaggart-finances.html|title=Scandal Spurs Interest in Swaggart Finances|work=The New York Times|date=February 25, 1988|access-date=May 27, 2014}}</ref> a local prostitute. Gorman arrived at the Travel Inn a short while later and confronted Swaggart.<ref name="WaPo19880225">{{cite news|last=Harris|first=Art|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/02/25/jimmy-swaggart-and-the-snare-of-sin/d07127d2-c412-4738-98d9-3b186d1b92f9/|title=Jimmy Swaggart and the Snare of Sin|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 25, 1988|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref>

According to ''Swaggart: The Unauthorized Biography of an American Evangelist'', Gorman secured a promise from Swaggart that he would publicly apologize to Gorman and start the process of Gorman's reinstatement to the Assemblies of God. Gorman offered to remain silent if Swaggart would state publicly that he lied about Gorman's affairs. Gorman waited almost a year, then hand-delivered a note to Swaggart informing him his time was up; Swaggart did not respond. On February 16, 1988, Gorman contacted James Hamil, one of the 13-man Executive Presbytery of the Assemblies of God, to expose Swaggart's assignation with the prostitute.<ref>Seaman, p.337</ref> The presbytery leadership of the Assemblies of God suspended Swaggart from broadcasting his television program for three months.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}

According to the [[Associated Press]], Murphree failed a [[polygraph test]] administered by a [[New York City Police Department]] polygraph expert.<ref>Associated Press. ''[[Ocala Star-Banner]]'', February 27, 1988.{{full citation needed|date=January 2014}}</ref> The test administrator concluded that Murphree had failed to tell the truth on all key questions concerning her statement. The test was administered after Murphree offered to sell the story to the ''[[National Enquirer]]'' for $100,000. Murphree failed questions about whether she was paid or promised money to "set up" Swaggart, and whether she made up the story to make money from it.<ref>''[[Toronto Star]]'', February 27, 1988.{{full citation needed|date=January 2014}}</ref> In place of Murphree's interview, ''Enquirer'' editor Levy published an accounting of Swaggart's family where they allegedly expressed their fears over Swaggart's health.<ref>{{cite magazine|title= Swaggart Family: We're Terrified Jimmy's Caught AIDS|last=Levy|first=Paul F.|magazine=National Enquirer|date=March 15, 1988}}</ref> Murphree, who blamed her failed polygraph on "cocaine use" the day before the test was given, went on to have her interview published by ''[[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite news|work=Associated Press News|url=https://apnews.com/article/069802454f73a0bb291bcb65649a325b|title=Prostitute Says Swaggart Had Sex With Her|date=26 May 1988}}</ref>

[[File:JimmySwaggart1988.jpeg|thumb|right|This image of Swaggart brought to tears while delivering his "I have sinned" speech has become a symbolic illustration of the televangelist scandals of the late 1980s.]]
On February 21, 1988, without giving any details regarding his transgressions, Swaggart delivered what came to be known as his "I have sinned" speech on live television. He spoke tearfully to his family, congregation, TV audience, and ended his speech with a prayer: "I have sinned against You, my Lord, and I would ask that Your Precious Blood ... would wash and cleanse every stain until it is in the seas of God's forgetfulness never to be remembered against me anymore."<ref name="Kaufman" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Swaggart |first=Jimmy |title=Reverend Jimmy Swaggart: Apology Sermon |url=https://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jswaggartapologysermon.html |access-date=January 25, 2007 |work=americanrhetoric.}}</ref>

The national presbytery of the Assemblies of God extended Swaggart's suspension to their standard two-year suspension for sexual immorality. His return to the pulpit coincided with the end of the three-month suspension originally ordered by the denomination. Believing that Swaggart was not genuinely repentant in submitting to their authority, the hierarchy of the Assemblies of God [[defrocked]] him, removing his credentials and ministerial license.<ref>{{cite news|last=King|first=Peter H.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-09-mn-803-story.html|title=Swaggart Rejects Terms of Penance, Is Defrocked|work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 9, 1988|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref>

Swaggart then became an independent and non-denominational Pentecostal minister, establishing Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, based at the Family Worship Center in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]], and the Sonlife Broadcasting Network (SBN) which can be seen in the United States and other countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsm.org/family-worship-center.html|title=Family Worship Center – Jimmy Swaggart Ministries – Baton Rouge|first=JSM Web|last=Dept.|access-date=April 15, 2017}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}}

====1991 prostitution scandal====
On October 11, 1991, Swaggart was found in the company of a prostitute for a second time. He was pulled over by a police officer in [[Indio, California]], for driving on the wrong side of the road. With him in the vehicle was a woman named Rosemary Garcia. According to Garcia, Swaggart had stopped to propose sex to her on the side of the road. She later told reporters: "He asked me for sex. I mean, that's why he stopped me. That's what I do. I'm a prostitute."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/04eb9b770c0dee7f630ecbd30dc0255e|title=Prostitute Says Swaggart Picked Her Up For Sex|work=Associated Press|date=October 12, 1991|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref> This time, rather than confessing his sins to his congregation, Swaggart told those at Family Worship Center, "The Lord told me it's flat none of your business."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19911017&slug=1311458|title=Swaggart: God Says 'It's None Of Your Business'|work=Seattle Times|agency=Associated Press|date=October 17, 1991|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219033627/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19911017&slug=1311458|archive-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref> Swaggart's son Donnie then announced to the audience that his father would be temporarily stepping down as head of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries for "a time of healing and counseling".<ref name=stepdown>{{cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DA1E3BF936A25753C1A967958260 |title=Swaggart Plans to Step Down|work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press|date=October 15, 1991|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref>

===Later career===
{{As of|2007}}, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries mainly comprised Family Worship Center, ''The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsm.org/explore.cfm/tvprogramming/cablesatellites |title=Jimmy Swaggart Ministries&nbsp;– TV Programming |access-date=January 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123133753/http://www.jsm.org/explore.cfm/tvprogramming/cablesatellites |archive-date=January 23, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}} radio and television programs called ''A Study in the Word'', ''SonLife Radio Network'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsm.org/explore.cfm/sonliferadio/programminglog |title=Jimmy Swaggart Ministries&nbsp;– SonLife Radio |access-date=February 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202204930/http://www.jsm.org/explore.cfm/sonliferadio/programminglog |archive-date=February 2, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}} a website, and a 24/7 cable and satellite television network, SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN).{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
[[File:Rev. Jimmy Swaggart 02.jpg|thumb|Swaggart in 2011]]
Swaggart's wife Frances hosts a television program, ''Frances and Friends'', shown daily on SBN.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frances & Friends |url=https://www.francesandfriends.com/ |access-date=February 22, 2022 |website=Francesandfriends.}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}} Swaggart also hosts a daily Bible study program on SBN, ''The Message of the Cross''.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} His son, Donnie Swaggart, preaches at Family Worship Center and also preaches in churches across America and abroad.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Donnie Swaggart - Evangelist |url=https://donnieswaggart.org/ |access-date=February 22, 2022 |website=Donnieswaggart.}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}} Donnie's son, Gabriel Swaggart, has served as the ministry's [[youth pastor]] who leads ''Crossfire,'' Family Worship Center's youth ministry.<ref>{{cite web |title=CrossFire |url=http://www.crossfireyouthministry.org |website=Crossfireyouthministry.}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2023}} SBN also delivers live broadcasts of all of its weekly services at Family Worship Center, as well as live broadcasts of all of its [[camp meeting]]s.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
[[File:Donnie Swaggart.jpg|thumb|Swaggart's son, Donnie, preaching in Florida in 2018]]

As of 2023, Swaggart remains senior pastor of Family Worship Center.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JSM Ministers - Family Worship Center |url=https://www.jsm.org/jsm-ministers |website=jsm.}}</ref>