July 6, 2025 • 36 mins
Join us as we explore Jimmy Swaggart's life, from humble beginnings to wealth and star status, to scandalous collapse. His story is a cautionary tale to embrace humility and accountability in ministry.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Long for Truth podcast. I'm Robin Long.
Join my husband Dan and I as we explore the
roots of the early Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, and we
shine a light on false doctrines and false teachers in
the modern church. Let's get started.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I've always every single time that I have stood before
a congregation and a television camera, I have met and
faced the issues head on. I have never sidestepped, are
skirted unpleasantries.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I have tried to be like a man.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And to preach this gospel exactly as I have seen it,
without fear or reservation or compromised. I can do no
less this morning. I do not plan in any way
(01:08):
to whitewash my sin. I do not call it a mistake,
a mendacity. I call it sin. I would much rather,
if possible, and in my estimation, it would not be
possible to make it worse than less than it actually is.
(01:38):
I have no one but myself to blame. I do
not lay the fault or the blame or the charge
at anyone else's feet, for no one is to blame
but Jimmy Swaggert. I take the responsibility.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I take the blame. I take the fault, and.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
I looked on every direction north, south, east, and west.
As far over over the horizon that I could see,
it was nothing but fields of cotton. I saw in
the distance a couple of mechanical pickers. And then I
saw to my left, which was the east, the most
(02:29):
horrendous storm that was bawling up. The clouds were blacker
than I'd ever seen anything like that in my life.
The jagged forks of lightning were cutting across, and I
knew if this harvest was not gathered, it was going
to be destroyed. That storm, which I look back now
(02:53):
and I know it was the great tribulation that's coming
on this world. It will destroy if it's not gathered.
And then, for the first time, the Lord spoke.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
To me.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
In that vision and said, he said to me, I
have called others for localities around the world, but I
have called this ministry alone for the entirety of the world.
(03:32):
I want to say that again. I wouldn't say it
for a long time because I thought it sounds self serving,
but I felt the Lord told me, yes, say it.
He said, I have called particular ministries for localities in
certain parts of the world, but I have called this
(03:55):
ministry alone for the entarcty of the planet. Now, in
a sense, every believer is called for the entirety of
the world. But God has called this ministry to lead
the way. But he said, I have called this ministry
(04:17):
for the entirety of the world. He said, don't fail me,
for there is no one else to take your place.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Hi, everyone, welcome to Long for Truth. Jimmy Lee Swaggart's
story is one of astonishing highs and devastating lows. A
fiery Pentecostal preacher and talented gospel singer, he rose from
humble beginnings to become one of the most famous televangelists
in the world. By the nineteen eighties, millions tuned in
(04:54):
to watch him every week. Yet his career was marred
by high profile scandals that shook the faith of many
of his followers. Let's explore Swaggert's journey from his early
life and ministry, through his musical accomplishments in worldwide ministry,
to the scandals that led to his fall. Jimmy Swaggert
(05:20):
was born on March fifteenth, nineteen thirty five, in the
small town of Faraday, Louisiana. He was raised in a
poor but religious family. His father was a sharecropper turned
Pentecostal preacher in the local Assemblies of God church. Young
Jimmy was immersed in the world of revival meetings and
gospel music. In fact, two of his first cousins, Jerry
(05:42):
Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilly, would become music legends, and
the three boys shared a passion for music. They all
learned to play piano from an uncle, and sometimes they
snuck off to local juke joints to hear rhythm and blues.
Unlike his cousins, Jimmy felt a calling to menistry even
as a child. In this article, it states the way
(06:07):
evangelist Jimmy Swigert tells it. He was eight years old
and had just plunked down a quarter to see a
Saturday matinee when he was called by the Lord. He says,
a voice that gave him chill bumps and made his
hair tingle urged him not to go to the Johnny
mac Brown Western on that lazy afternoon in Faraday, Louisiana. Instead,
(06:29):
the voice told him to follow another path. Everything seemed
different after that day. In front of the Arcade Theater,
Swigert says I felt better inside, almost like taking a
bath continuously. At age seventeen, Swigert married his teenage sweetheart,
Francis Anderson, whom he had met in church. The young
(06:49):
couple went in nineteen fifty two, he was seventeen, she
was fifteen, and a year later they welcomed their son, Donnie.
In those early years, Swigert struggled to provide for his
family while following his call to preach. He often took
odd jobs working in oil fields to make ends meet,
but his heart was set on being an evangelist. According
(07:12):
to his autobiography, in the fifties, his family survived on
about thirty dollars a week, living in church basements small
motels as they went from town to town preaching the gospel.
A defining moment in Swegert's early career came when he
was offered a shot at musical stardom, a test of
where his true priorities lay. In the mid fifties, Sam Phillips,
(07:36):
the founder of Sun Records, the label that launched Elvis
Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, approached Swaggert with an enticing offer.
He wanted Jimmy to become Sun Records first gospel recording artists,
which promised a significant income and possible fame. At that time,
Swaggert's cousin, Jerry Lee, was earning an amazing twenty thousand
(07:59):
dollars a week as Sun's rock and roll star. Swegart
prayed for guidance and ultimately felt the Lord impress upon
his heart two simple words, trust me. Swigert turned down
the record deal, later explaining that he was called to
preach the gospel above all else. So now Swaggert poured
(08:19):
his energy into preaching and gospel music within the church.
He was ordained by the Assemblies of God in nineteen
sixty one. Through the sixties, he traveled non stop, holding
revival meetings across Louisiana and neighboring states. During this period,
he also began recording gospel albums to sell and distribute
(08:42):
it services. By nineteen sixty nine, Swaggert had gained enough
of a following to start a radio program called The
Camp Meeting Hour, which aired on more than seven hundred
US stations. Lively, gospel music and preaching were involved. Let's
listen to his message at a nineteen sixty eight Camp Meeting.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
But I am.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
Here to tell you that no matter what state that
society make it in, no matter what the government may do,
no matter what politicians may do, no matter what lawyers
may do, a congressman of representatives, a senator. So our
preachers are the mighty men.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
There is something a little far. There is something.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
You won't find it in a beer hall twisting your hips,
young lady, to the syncopated beta of modern acid rock music.
Speaker 6 (09:34):
You won't find a.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Young man with a popping appeal under your tongue, or
a needle in your veins, or in the backseat of
an automobile indulging in illicit sex. The infiness will still
be there after it's all over, the crying out for
release in fulfillmatter, and a thirst that's never slick nor satisfied.
But if you'll look through this facade of religion that
(09:57):
many profess but do not possess, if you will look
through the hypocrisy and the veneer of righteousness that tries
to hide a cesspool of filth and sin and wickedness,
if you're way through it all, you will still find
the Christ of Cowdry lives tonight, and he satisfies, he
feels the empty heart, He satisfies the sin beneted soul.
(10:21):
He cleanses the life that's been stained and wrecked by
the powers of Hell. I am come. He said that
you might have life, and that you might have it
more upon the leaf, young man and young lady. He
is the one to look too, and he can still
satisfy the thirst of a craving soul.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
In the nineteen seventies, Jimmy Swaggart expanded his outreach from
radio to the new frontier of television ministry. His show
included a sermon or footage from one of his crusades,
interspersed with gospel music performances. The timing was perfect. The
late seventies and early nineteen eighties were the golden age
(11:06):
of American televangelism, and by the mid eighties, Swaggert's television
ministry was a global phenomenal outreach.
Speaker 7 (11:13):
Partners and friends of the Jimmy swagger Ministries invite you
to join us for this next hour of praise and
worship with the evangelist Jimmy Swaggert as he boldly proclaims
the message of power and hope that Jesus Christ changes lives.
Speaker 8 (11:28):
Experience the uplifting spirit of anointed gospel music that will
fill your heart, and the dynamic preaching of God's Word
that will reveal to you, as it does to thousands
every week, the reality of new life in Jesus Christ
as never before. People around the world are being touched
through the weekly and daily television programs, which are translated
(11:49):
into numerous languages, worldwide crusades where thousands are being saved
through a well rounded children's outreach and the work of missionaries,
through the printing and distribution of literature, by training Christian
leaders in many countries, and by building churches to reach
more people with the truth. We pray that God touches
(12:11):
your heart with this message and brings you into a
closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
His weekly show reached an estimated two million US households
each week, making him one of the most popular televangelists
of the era. In addition, his broadcasts were eventually carried
in over one hundred and forty countries worldwide. Along with
this fame came a flood of donations from supporters. At
(12:36):
its peak in nineteen eighty six, Jimmy Swygert Ministries reportedly
took in as much as half a million dollars a day.
That year, the ministry made over one hundred and forty
million dollars. Swigert used the funds to build his religious empire,
including a Bible College founded in nineteen eighty four, a
(12:56):
ministry headquarters, family worship center complex in Baton Rouge, and
a vast television production operation. Regarding this amazing growth, Swagert
would often say, it's astonishing what the Lord has done.
Why was Jimmy Swaggert so popular with millions of viewers? Well,
a Jimmy Swagger crusade could feel like a concert, a
(13:18):
revival meeting, and an old fashioned camp meeting all at once.
Swegert was a classic old time Pentecostal revivalist with the
TV savvy of a modern broadcaster. People felt that Brother
Swagger truly believed what he was preaching with every fiber
of his being. By the mid eighties, Jimmy Swagger was
(13:40):
not just a preacher singer. He was a religious psicon,
especially among conservative and charismatic Christians. He had become a
household name. In nineteen eighty five, Time magazine described him
as the king of honky Tonk Heaven.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
This glory, glory since holly.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
My burdens down.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Let's move on and talk about the scandal years now.
Marvin Gorman was a Pentecostal preacher who led a large
Assembly of God church in nearby New Orleans. He developed
a global television and radio ministry. He started from about
(14:54):
five hundred congregants to a congregation of almost five thousand
every week, and Jimmy Swagger took notice. In nineteen eighty six,
Jimmy Swagger invited Gorman for a meeting and accused Marvin
Gorman of committing adultery. Let's look at a newspaper article
(15:17):
so we can talk about that. In the Idaho Statesman
on Sunday, February twenty eighth, nineteen eighty eight, it states
it was in the summer of eighty six that Swaggart
apparently picked up the scent of Gorman's alleged secret life,
and on July fifteenth of that year, summoned the tall,
silver haired preacher to his Baton Rouge domain. There, Gorman
(15:38):
was accused of numerous immoral acts over a number of
years with several women. According to Gorman's lawsuit, a New
Orleans Civil District judge threw out the defamation suit in September,
saying the fight was a religious dispute that didn't belong
in court, and appeal is set in March third before
the state's appeal Court. Why would a giant like swat
(16:00):
care about the indiscretions of Gorman. Marvin's ministry was blessed
and was growing too fast. Set a friend of Gorman
who knows both men, well, I know it doesn't sound logical,
but Jimmy was a little bit jealous. He was afraid
Marvin might get too big. Now, keep in mind nineteen
eighty six. Jim Baker was another huge televangelist at that time,
(16:26):
and he had Marvin Gorman on the PTL network. He
actually sided with Gorman during this dispute. Now, immediately after
Jimmy Swaggert accused Gorman, he sent off the paperwork to
the Assemblies of God administration, and Gorman lost everything immediately,
(16:50):
he was defrocked, he was removed, and he did eventually
sue Jimmy Swaggert for defamation and they settled for about
almost two million dollars out of court. Now, keeping in
mind that Jim Baker is now involved and is siding
with Gorman, the article continues in October nineteen eighty six,
(17:12):
to curtail what one EXPTL official called Swaggert's smart remarks,
Baker kicked Swaggert off his PTL network. Also removed from
PTL programming was Tennessee evangelist John Engenberg, who last year
joined Swaggert in instigating the church investigation of the sex
scandal that brought down Baker's empire. Swagger called Baker a
(17:37):
cancer on God's kingdom, sneering at pretty little boys with
their hair done and their nails done who call themselves preachers.
Swaggert's criticism of PTL escalated after he was taken off
the network. A former PTL official said, so, remember Gorman
had lost everything. He was very upset. He admitted to
(18:00):
having an extramarital affair years ago, but he said that
most of the claims were made up and made him
to look really bad. Another article states, the following district
officials delivered their verdict according to the lawsuit, reciting evidence
that Gorman had sinned adultery, illicit affairs, unscriptural lasciviousness, conduct
(18:24):
lascivious conduct with women who came to him for counseling.
We cannot minimize the loathsomeness of sin, or the horrendous
consequences of sin and the damage, hurt and pain it
can bring. Gorman claims that he was denied the chance
to review the evidence, and that women cited by the
church had no complaint against him. Among evidence, Gorman claimed
(18:48):
Swaggert and other officials used was the testimony from the
devil himself, who spoke during an exorcism. A New Orleans
minister was quoted in Gorman's suit as an example of
the shaky evidence that state denomination officials used against him.
I was conducting an exorcism at my church on a deaf,
(19:10):
mute young lady, the minister said, and during the service,
she went into sort of a fit of rage. And
when I cast the devil out of her, the devil
then spoke in a man's voice, and that man's voice
was Marvin Gorman. I have heard that voice many times,
and I was sure it was the voice of Marvin Gorman.
(19:35):
According to the minister, Satan threatened during the exorcism that
because the devil's messenger Gorman had been hurt, the devil
aimed to bring out an attack that would hurt area
churches moving forward a few months. As a side note,
(19:55):
in January of nineteen eighty seven, Oral Roberts ann bounced
to a television audience that unless he raised eight million
dollars by March, God would call him home. So the
world of televangelism at this point is becoming a train wreck.
March of nineteen eighty seven, a few months after Oral
(20:16):
Roberts makes his big announcement, Jim Baker resigns from PTL
after reports breakout of a sexual encounter with Jessica Hahn
in nineteen eighty He had paid her two hundred and
seventy nine thousand dollars in hush money, and this was
all part of a larger PTL financial scandal that would
(20:36):
ruin Jim Baker. Swagger presents himself as a morally upright man.
He condemns Baker's prosperity gospel. Swaggered is interviewed by CNN
and comments on Baker's and the other's falls.
Speaker 9 (20:53):
So it is imperitive that the minister of the Gospel
remain impeccable in his life and his life lifestyle. The
apostle Paul said to Timothy and the Titus, it is
imperative that not even the shadow or the hint of
scandal even be laid at the feet of the preacher.
Must less him have it within his heart always, that
(21:15):
sinator me. I most certainly have not. There's not a
human being in the world that hasn't sinned. The Bible
says all have sinned and comes sort of the glory
of God.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
There have been times I've had to.
Speaker 9 (21:25):
Repent and utter absolute brokenness before God, with tears streaming
down my cheeks, saying, Lord, I have not lived up
to what you have expected me to live up to.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
And but no, I have not had affairs. What's the
relation did or the reaction of other ministers to you
for coming forward? Titus?
Speaker 7 (21:45):
Is there anyone my site or you're going to be
as an outcast?
Speaker 9 (21:50):
Well, it's not really my business what happens to me.
It's my business to just do what God says do
the moment the minister of the gospel starts to wonder,
how will it affect my audience, How will it affect
my money?
Speaker 3 (22:01):
How will it affect my church? How will it.
Speaker 9 (22:03):
Affect my image? That preacher is no longer fit.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
To be used?
Speaker 9 (22:08):
He is there to say, Thus saith the Lord irrespective
if they cut his head off like they did John
the Baptist, or they put him in prison like they
did Jeremiah. It's his business to do exactly what God
says do.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Swaggert's reckoning was right around the corner. Marvin Gorman had
claimed that he would get revenge, and he did exactly
what he said. His brother and his brother in law
were asked by him to start following Swaggert around. They
had heard rumors that Swaggert frequently was seen on a
(22:43):
local prostitution strip, so they started following Swaggart. One of
those men, and I think it was Swaggert's brother in law,
was actually a police officer. That police officer was later
found to evactually had a relationship with the same prostitute
(23:04):
that Swaggert was found with. So they set up their
sting operation. They knew the woman that Swigert was seeing,
and they knew where her quote unquote office was, so
they were waiting, and one day, while she was doing
her business, men coming and going up pulls Jimmy Swaggert's vehicle.
(23:30):
The man immediately called Marvin Gorman, Swaggert is here. Gorman
jumped in his car to come down and catch Swaggert
in the act. Swigert went into the girl's room and
left almost immediately because he heard that he might be
(23:53):
being watched. At that point. When he got out, his
car had a flat tire because one of Gorman's men
had flattened the tire. So there he is trying to
fix his tire so he can get out of the
parking lot and up les Marvin Gorman. I Jimmy, Marvin says,
(24:14):
and at that point Swaggert knew the game was over.
He got in Gorman's car. They had a very long discussion.
Swigert admitted everything that he had had a problem for years.
He begged Gorman's forgiveness and begged Gorman to keep this
little story quiet so that he wouldn't lose everything. Of course,
(24:38):
Gorman did the same thing that Swaggart had done to him.
He denied swaggert forgiveness at that point and turned everything
over to the police. What followed came an unforgettable piece
of American cultural history. Rather than deny the situation, Swaggert
decided to publicly confess and apologize. On February twe t first,
(25:00):
nineteen eighty eight, he took to the pulpit at his
family worship center in Baton Rouge. With his wife Francis
by his side, he stood before some seven thousand congregants
millions of TV viewers and poured out his anguish.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
To my fellow television ministers and evangelists, you that are
already bearing an almost unbearable load.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
To continue to say and tell the.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Great story of Jesus Love, I have major load heavier,
and I have hurt you.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Please forgive me for sinning against you.
Speaker 10 (26:00):
And to the hundreds of millions that I have stood
before in over a hundred countries of the world, and
I've looked into the cameras, and so many of you,
with a heart of loneliness needing help, have reached out
(26:24):
to the minister of the Gospel.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
As a beacon of light.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
You that are nameless, most I will never be able
to see you except by faith.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
I have sinned against you. I beg you forgive me.
Speaker 11 (27:00):
And most of all, to my Lord and my said,
my Redeemer, the one whom.
Speaker 12 (27:15):
I sir, and I love and I worship. I bow
at his feet, who has saved me.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
And washed me and cleansed me.
Speaker 13 (27:37):
I have sinned against you, My Lord, and I would
ask that your precious.
Speaker 14 (27:46):
Blood would wash.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
And cleanse every stain.
Speaker 13 (27:58):
Until it is in the seas of God's forgetfulness, never
to be remembered against me anymore.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
In the aftermath of that February nineteen eighty eight confession,
the Assemblies of God leadership wait how to handle Swaggert's indiscretion. Initially,
the denomination gives Swaggart a one year suspension, intended to
allow time to counsel repentance restoration under church supervision that
Swaggert decided to return after two months.
Speaker 15 (28:37):
Swaggert stepped down from the pulpit supposedly for one year
when the sex scandal hit, but instead returned two months later.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
We believe that to stay out of the pulpit for
a year would totally destroy the television ministry and greatly
adversely impact the College.
Speaker 15 (28:58):
But neither Swaggert's can I should nor his fiery preaching
could restore him to past glory.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
His decision had serious consequences. In April of nineteen eighty eight,
the Assemblies of God officially defrocked Jimmy Swaggert, and he
became an independent evangelist overnight. For a time, his empire
appeared to weather the storm. He still had his core staff,
his baton rouged church, and many loyal viewers who were
(29:26):
moved by his repentance. Donations initially dropped, but they didn't
collapse immediately. However, the long term impact on the ministry
was severe. Numerous TV stations and Christian broadcasters that carried
Sweigert's program decided to drop it. The massive donor income
fell sharply. Jimmy Swegert Bible College saw its student enrollment
(29:51):
plummet after nineteen eighty eight, forcing cuts in programs and staff.
In short, the empire that had taken over twenty years
to build seemed to crumble in a matter of months.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
Now.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Despite the blow, Jimmy Schwager did not quit preaching stuff that's.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Come up on you and you saw me witnesses on
the me.
Speaker 14 (30:12):
And Jude in Samaria and on to the outmost parts
of the earth. Hallelujah, Glory, Glory, holding the cap.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Of a sand Dusa.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
Somebody said, what church you belonged to?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
I belonged to the Church.
Speaker 14 (30:49):
Of Old Bed. I belonged to the Church of Old
Bed because that's where the arc is.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
That's where the arc is you say who you are, Father.
Speaker 14 (30:59):
Father, Holy God?
Speaker 5 (31:00):
Step fa the holy ghol stuff, FA, the holy ghost stuff.
Do the follow up the nomination, follow the holy ghost stuff.
Don't follow a man.
Speaker 14 (31:08):
I'll see who's the holy ghost in him? Follow the
holy ghost who you said?
Speaker 3 (31:27):
I wish I could get there.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
You're already there.
Speaker 14 (31:30):
It's here.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
It's here, it's here, and it's where you are the
probers and he's everywhere.
Speaker 14 (31:37):
If you don't believe him, he is everywhere. Hallellujah to
the lad.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
For a while, it appeared he might slowly rebuild his
ministry's credibility, but then in nineteen ninety one, a second
scandal struck, one from which Swaggert's public image would never recover.
In October nineteen ninety one, Jimmy Swiggert was found in
the company of yet another prostitute, this time in California.
(32:11):
Swigert was driving through a town in California was pulled
over by a police officer for a traffic violation. He
was swerving. When he was pulled over. It was found
that he was in the company of a prostitute and
a great deal of pornographic material, which he was trying
to hide under the seat, thus causing him to swerve.
(32:32):
News of him caught with a prostitute again spread like wildfire.
For many who had given him a second chance, this
was the last straw. Perhaps the most startling aspect was
Swaggert's demeanor after his nineteen ninety one incident. Unlike the
contrite figure of nineteen eighty eight, the fifty six year
old Swaggert of nineteen ninety one seemed defiant and weary
(32:54):
of apologizing. The Sunday following the California incident, Swaggert addressed
his Baton Rouge congregation. Many expected another tearful confession. Instead,
Swaggert shocked observers by telling his flock, the Lord told me,
it's flat none of your business. This blunt statement, implying
(33:16):
that his personal failings were between him and God alone,
left his audience stunned. Even Swaggert's son, Donnie, was taken aback.
Donnie almost immediately announced that his father would He's temporarily
stepping down from the pulpit and seeking counseling and spiritual rehabilitation.
But the damage to Swigert's ministry was irreversible. In the
(33:40):
wake of the second scandal, virtually all remaining TV networks
and local stations that carried his programs canceled them. By
the end of nineteen ninety one, his days as a
nationally syndicated televangelist were effectively over. Where he once had
a congregation of millions via television, he was now left
with a much small direct audience in Baton Rouge. So
(34:04):
the twin scandals of nineteen eighty eight and nineteen ninety
one had a broad impact beyond just Swaggert's immediate ministry.
They contributed to a climate of skepticism towards televangelists in
general during the late eighties and her early nineties, because
there were a lot of other preachers that went through
the same thing right Jim Baker, Marvin Gormant, Peter Popoff,
(34:27):
a man named Larry Leah. All of their misconduct became public.
Editorial in The New York Times noted at the time
the swagger was gone from Swaggert's step. The mighty have fallen.
After nineteen ninety one, he largely retreated from the national spotlight.
While his son Donnie took over much of the administrative
(34:49):
leadership of Swaggert's ministries, Jimmy spent much of the time
out of the public. In nineteen ninety five he launched
sun Life Radio Network, a Christian radio outreach, and in
the early two thousand he created Sunlife Broadcasting Network, a
twenty four to seven Christian cable channel, and through SBN,
(35:11):
Swigert was back on television. He resumed preaching weekly at
the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, with services broadcast live,
OVERESBN radio, and online streaming. In essence, Swigert built his
own media outlet to continue his ministry independently without needing
outside networks approval, ANDESBN became something of a family ministry dynasty,
(35:38):
now spanning three generations, because, in addition to Jimmy, Donnie
was preaching on the network, Francis, his wife, was preaching
on the network, and his grandson was also preaching on
the network. On June fifteenth, twenty twenty five, Jimmy Swigert
suffered a heart attack at his home in Baton Rouge.
He was rushed to the hospital and placed an intensive care.
(36:01):
He died on July first, twenty twenty five. Jimmy Swaggert's
scandals remind us that no one is above reproach. It
would be easy to recite some verses here, Let him
who is without sin cast the first stone, pull the
log out of your own eye. Judge not lest you
be judged. But we also must remember that a minister
(36:23):
of the gospel who has no accountability is a man
destined for a fall. Thanks for watching.
Welcome to the Long for Truth podcast. I'm Robin Long.
Join my husband Dan and I as we explore the
roots of the early Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, and we
shine a light on false doctrines and false teachers in
the modern church. Let's get started.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I've always every single time that I have stood before
a congregation and a television camera, I have met and
faced the issues head on. I have never sidestepped, are
skirted unpleasantries.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I have tried to be like a man.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And to preach this gospel exactly as I have seen it,
without fear or reservation or compromised. I can do no
less this morning. I do not plan in any way
(01:08):
to whitewash my sin. I do not call it a mistake,
a mendacity. I call it sin. I would much rather,
if possible, and in my estimation, it would not be
possible to make it worse than less than it actually is.
(01:38):
I have no one but myself to blame. I do
not lay the fault or the blame or the charge
at anyone else's feet, for no one is to blame
but Jimmy Swaggert. I take the responsibility.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I take the blame. I take the fault, and.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
I looked on every direction north, south, east, and west.
As far over over the horizon that I could see,
it was nothing but fields of cotton. I saw in
the distance a couple of mechanical pickers. And then I
saw to my left, which was the east, the most
(02:29):
horrendous storm that was bawling up. The clouds were blacker
than I'd ever seen anything like that in my life.
The jagged forks of lightning were cutting across, and I
knew if this harvest was not gathered, it was going
to be destroyed. That storm, which I look back now
(02:53):
and I know it was the great tribulation that's coming
on this world. It will destroy if it's not gathered.
And then, for the first time, the Lord spoke.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
To me.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
In that vision and said, he said to me, I
have called others for localities around the world, but I
have called this ministry alone for the entirety of the world.
(03:32):
I want to say that again. I wouldn't say it
for a long time because I thought it sounds self serving,
but I felt the Lord told me, yes, say it.
He said, I have called particular ministries for localities in
certain parts of the world, but I have called this
(03:55):
ministry alone for the entarcty of the planet. Now, in
a sense, every believer is called for the entirety of
the world. But God has called this ministry to lead
the way. But he said, I have called this ministry
(04:17):
for the entirety of the world. He said, don't fail me,
for there is no one else to take your place.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Hi, everyone, welcome to Long for Truth. Jimmy Lee Swaggart's
story is one of astonishing highs and devastating lows. A
fiery Pentecostal preacher and talented gospel singer, he rose from
humble beginnings to become one of the most famous televangelists
in the world. By the nineteen eighties, millions tuned in
(04:54):
to watch him every week. Yet his career was marred
by high profile scandals that shook the faith of many
of his followers. Let's explore Swaggert's journey from his early
life and ministry, through his musical accomplishments in worldwide ministry,
to the scandals that led to his fall. Jimmy Swaggert
(05:20):
was born on March fifteenth, nineteen thirty five, in the
small town of Faraday, Louisiana. He was raised in a
poor but religious family. His father was a sharecropper turned
Pentecostal preacher in the local Assemblies of God church. Young
Jimmy was immersed in the world of revival meetings and
gospel music. In fact, two of his first cousins, Jerry
(05:42):
Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilly, would become music legends, and
the three boys shared a passion for music. They all
learned to play piano from an uncle, and sometimes they
snuck off to local juke joints to hear rhythm and blues.
Unlike his cousins, Jimmy felt a calling to menistry even
as a child. In this article, it states the way
(06:07):
evangelist Jimmy Swigert tells it. He was eight years old
and had just plunked down a quarter to see a
Saturday matinee when he was called by the Lord. He says,
a voice that gave him chill bumps and made his
hair tingle urged him not to go to the Johnny
mac Brown Western on that lazy afternoon in Faraday, Louisiana. Instead,
(06:29):
the voice told him to follow another path. Everything seemed
different after that day. In front of the Arcade Theater,
Swigert says I felt better inside, almost like taking a
bath continuously. At age seventeen, Swigert married his teenage sweetheart,
Francis Anderson, whom he had met in church. The young
(06:49):
couple went in nineteen fifty two, he was seventeen, she
was fifteen, and a year later they welcomed their son, Donnie.
In those early years, Swigert struggled to provide for his
family while following his call to preach. He often took
odd jobs working in oil fields to make ends meet,
but his heart was set on being an evangelist. According
(07:12):
to his autobiography, in the fifties, his family survived on
about thirty dollars a week, living in church basements small
motels as they went from town to town preaching the gospel.
A defining moment in Swegert's early career came when he
was offered a shot at musical stardom, a test of
where his true priorities lay. In the mid fifties, Sam Phillips,
(07:36):
the founder of Sun Records, the label that launched Elvis
Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, approached Swaggert with an enticing offer.
He wanted Jimmy to become Sun Records first gospel recording artists,
which promised a significant income and possible fame. At that time,
Swaggert's cousin, Jerry Lee, was earning an amazing twenty thousand
(07:59):
dollars a week as Sun's rock and roll star. Swegart
prayed for guidance and ultimately felt the Lord impress upon
his heart two simple words, trust me. Swigert turned down
the record deal, later explaining that he was called to
preach the gospel above all else. So now Swaggert poured
(08:19):
his energy into preaching and gospel music within the church.
He was ordained by the Assemblies of God in nineteen
sixty one. Through the sixties, he traveled non stop, holding
revival meetings across Louisiana and neighboring states. During this period,
he also began recording gospel albums to sell and distribute
(08:42):
it services. By nineteen sixty nine, Swaggert had gained enough
of a following to start a radio program called The
Camp Meeting Hour, which aired on more than seven hundred
US stations. Lively, gospel music and preaching were involved. Let's
listen to his message at a nineteen sixty eight Camp Meeting.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
But I am.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
Here to tell you that no matter what state that
society make it in, no matter what the government may do,
no matter what politicians may do, no matter what lawyers
may do, a congressman of representatives, a senator. So our
preachers are the mighty men.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
There is something a little far. There is something.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
You won't find it in a beer hall twisting your hips,
young lady, to the syncopated beta of modern acid rock music.
Speaker 6 (09:34):
You won't find a.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Young man with a popping appeal under your tongue, or
a needle in your veins, or in the backseat of
an automobile indulging in illicit sex. The infiness will still
be there after it's all over, the crying out for
release in fulfillmatter, and a thirst that's never slick nor satisfied.
But if you'll look through this facade of religion that
(09:57):
many profess but do not possess, if you will look
through the hypocrisy and the veneer of righteousness that tries
to hide a cesspool of filth and sin and wickedness,
if you're way through it all, you will still find
the Christ of Cowdry lives tonight, and he satisfies, he
feels the empty heart, He satisfies the sin beneted soul.
(10:21):
He cleanses the life that's been stained and wrecked by
the powers of Hell. I am come. He said that
you might have life, and that you might have it
more upon the leaf, young man and young lady. He
is the one to look too, and he can still
satisfy the thirst of a craving soul.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
In the nineteen seventies, Jimmy Swaggart expanded his outreach from
radio to the new frontier of television ministry. His show
included a sermon or footage from one of his crusades,
interspersed with gospel music performances. The timing was perfect. The
late seventies and early nineteen eighties were the golden age
(11:06):
of American televangelism, and by the mid eighties, Swaggert's television
ministry was a global phenomenal outreach.
Speaker 7 (11:13):
Partners and friends of the Jimmy swagger Ministries invite you
to join us for this next hour of praise and
worship with the evangelist Jimmy Swaggert as he boldly proclaims
the message of power and hope that Jesus Christ changes lives.
Speaker 8 (11:28):
Experience the uplifting spirit of anointed gospel music that will
fill your heart, and the dynamic preaching of God's Word
that will reveal to you, as it does to thousands
every week, the reality of new life in Jesus Christ
as never before. People around the world are being touched
through the weekly and daily television programs, which are translated
(11:49):
into numerous languages, worldwide crusades where thousands are being saved
through a well rounded children's outreach and the work of missionaries,
through the printing and distribution of literature, by training Christian
leaders in many countries, and by building churches to reach
more people with the truth. We pray that God touches
(12:11):
your heart with this message and brings you into a
closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
His weekly show reached an estimated two million US households
each week, making him one of the most popular televangelists
of the era. In addition, his broadcasts were eventually carried
in over one hundred and forty countries worldwide. Along with
this fame came a flood of donations from supporters. At
(12:36):
its peak in nineteen eighty six, Jimmy Swygert Ministries reportedly
took in as much as half a million dollars a day.
That year, the ministry made over one hundred and forty
million dollars. Swigert used the funds to build his religious empire,
including a Bible College founded in nineteen eighty four, a
(12:56):
ministry headquarters, family worship center complex in Baton Rouge, and
a vast television production operation. Regarding this amazing growth, Swagert
would often say, it's astonishing what the Lord has done.
Why was Jimmy Swaggert so popular with millions of viewers? Well,
a Jimmy Swagger crusade could feel like a concert, a
(13:18):
revival meeting, and an old fashioned camp meeting all at once.
Swegert was a classic old time Pentecostal revivalist with the
TV savvy of a modern broadcaster. People felt that Brother
Swagger truly believed what he was preaching with every fiber
of his being. By the mid eighties, Jimmy Swagger was
(13:40):
not just a preacher singer. He was a religious psicon,
especially among conservative and charismatic Christians. He had become a
household name. In nineteen eighty five, Time magazine described him
as the king of honky Tonk Heaven.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
This glory, glory since holly.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
My burdens down.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Let's move on and talk about the scandal years now.
Marvin Gorman was a Pentecostal preacher who led a large
Assembly of God church in nearby New Orleans. He developed
a global television and radio ministry. He started from about
(14:54):
five hundred congregants to a congregation of almost five thousand
every week, and Jimmy Swagger took notice. In nineteen eighty six,
Jimmy Swagger invited Gorman for a meeting and accused Marvin
Gorman of committing adultery. Let's look at a newspaper article
(15:17):
so we can talk about that. In the Idaho Statesman
on Sunday, February twenty eighth, nineteen eighty eight, it states
it was in the summer of eighty six that Swaggart
apparently picked up the scent of Gorman's alleged secret life,
and on July fifteenth of that year, summoned the tall,
silver haired preacher to his Baton Rouge domain. There, Gorman
(15:38):
was accused of numerous immoral acts over a number of
years with several women. According to Gorman's lawsuit, a New
Orleans Civil District judge threw out the defamation suit in September,
saying the fight was a religious dispute that didn't belong
in court, and appeal is set in March third before
the state's appeal Court. Why would a giant like swat
(16:00):
care about the indiscretions of Gorman. Marvin's ministry was blessed
and was growing too fast. Set a friend of Gorman
who knows both men, well, I know it doesn't sound logical,
but Jimmy was a little bit jealous. He was afraid
Marvin might get too big. Now, keep in mind nineteen
eighty six. Jim Baker was another huge televangelist at that time,
(16:26):
and he had Marvin Gorman on the PTL network. He
actually sided with Gorman during this dispute. Now, immediately after
Jimmy Swaggert accused Gorman, he sent off the paperwork to
the Assemblies of God administration, and Gorman lost everything immediately,
(16:50):
he was defrocked, he was removed, and he did eventually
sue Jimmy Swaggert for defamation and they settled for about
almost two million dollars out of court. Now, keeping in
mind that Jim Baker is now involved and is siding
with Gorman, the article continues in October nineteen eighty six,
(17:12):
to curtail what one EXPTL official called Swaggert's smart remarks,
Baker kicked Swaggert off his PTL network. Also removed from
PTL programming was Tennessee evangelist John Engenberg, who last year
joined Swaggert in instigating the church investigation of the sex
scandal that brought down Baker's empire. Swagger called Baker a
(17:37):
cancer on God's kingdom, sneering at pretty little boys with
their hair done and their nails done who call themselves preachers.
Swaggert's criticism of PTL escalated after he was taken off
the network. A former PTL official said, so, remember Gorman
had lost everything. He was very upset. He admitted to
(18:00):
having an extramarital affair years ago, but he said that
most of the claims were made up and made him
to look really bad. Another article states, the following district
officials delivered their verdict according to the lawsuit, reciting evidence
that Gorman had sinned adultery, illicit affairs, unscriptural lasciviousness, conduct
(18:24):
lascivious conduct with women who came to him for counseling.
We cannot minimize the loathsomeness of sin, or the horrendous
consequences of sin and the damage, hurt and pain it
can bring. Gorman claims that he was denied the chance
to review the evidence, and that women cited by the
church had no complaint against him. Among evidence, Gorman claimed
(18:48):
Swaggert and other officials used was the testimony from the
devil himself, who spoke during an exorcism. A New Orleans
minister was quoted in Gorman's suit as an example of
the shaky evidence that state denomination officials used against him.
I was conducting an exorcism at my church on a deaf,
(19:10):
mute young lady, the minister said, and during the service,
she went into sort of a fit of rage. And
when I cast the devil out of her, the devil
then spoke in a man's voice, and that man's voice
was Marvin Gorman. I have heard that voice many times,
and I was sure it was the voice of Marvin Gorman.
(19:35):
According to the minister, Satan threatened during the exorcism that
because the devil's messenger Gorman had been hurt, the devil
aimed to bring out an attack that would hurt area
churches moving forward a few months. As a side note,
(19:55):
in January of nineteen eighty seven, Oral Roberts ann bounced
to a television audience that unless he raised eight million
dollars by March, God would call him home. So the
world of televangelism at this point is becoming a train wreck.
March of nineteen eighty seven, a few months after Oral
(20:16):
Roberts makes his big announcement, Jim Baker resigns from PTL
after reports breakout of a sexual encounter with Jessica Hahn
in nineteen eighty He had paid her two hundred and
seventy nine thousand dollars in hush money, and this was
all part of a larger PTL financial scandal that would
(20:36):
ruin Jim Baker. Swagger presents himself as a morally upright man.
He condemns Baker's prosperity gospel. Swaggered is interviewed by CNN
and comments on Baker's and the other's falls.
Speaker 9 (20:53):
So it is imperitive that the minister of the Gospel
remain impeccable in his life and his life lifestyle. The
apostle Paul said to Timothy and the Titus, it is
imperative that not even the shadow or the hint of
scandal even be laid at the feet of the preacher.
Must less him have it within his heart always, that
(21:15):
sinator me. I most certainly have not. There's not a
human being in the world that hasn't sinned. The Bible
says all have sinned and comes sort of the glory
of God.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
There have been times I've had to.
Speaker 9 (21:25):
Repent and utter absolute brokenness before God, with tears streaming
down my cheeks, saying, Lord, I have not lived up
to what you have expected me to live up to.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
And but no, I have not had affairs. What's the
relation did or the reaction of other ministers to you
for coming forward? Titus?
Speaker 7 (21:45):
Is there anyone my site or you're going to be
as an outcast?
Speaker 9 (21:50):
Well, it's not really my business what happens to me.
It's my business to just do what God says do
the moment the minister of the gospel starts to wonder,
how will it affect my audience, How will it affect
my money?
Speaker 3 (22:01):
How will it affect my church? How will it.
Speaker 9 (22:03):
Affect my image? That preacher is no longer fit.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
To be used?
Speaker 9 (22:08):
He is there to say, Thus saith the Lord irrespective
if they cut his head off like they did John
the Baptist, or they put him in prison like they
did Jeremiah. It's his business to do exactly what God
says do.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Swaggert's reckoning was right around the corner. Marvin Gorman had
claimed that he would get revenge, and he did exactly
what he said. His brother and his brother in law
were asked by him to start following Swaggert around. They
had heard rumors that Swaggert frequently was seen on a
(22:43):
local prostitution strip, so they started following Swaggart. One of
those men, and I think it was Swaggert's brother in law,
was actually a police officer. That police officer was later
found to evactually had a relationship with the same prostitute
(23:04):
that Swaggert was found with. So they set up their
sting operation. They knew the woman that Swigert was seeing,
and they knew where her quote unquote office was, so
they were waiting, and one day, while she was doing
her business, men coming and going up pulls Jimmy Swaggert's vehicle.
(23:30):
The man immediately called Marvin Gorman, Swaggert is here. Gorman
jumped in his car to come down and catch Swaggert
in the act. Swigert went into the girl's room and
left almost immediately because he heard that he might be
(23:53):
being watched. At that point. When he got out, his
car had a flat tire because one of Gorman's men
had flattened the tire. So there he is trying to
fix his tire so he can get out of the
parking lot and up les Marvin Gorman. I Jimmy, Marvin says,
(24:14):
and at that point Swaggert knew the game was over.
He got in Gorman's car. They had a very long discussion.
Swigert admitted everything that he had had a problem for years.
He begged Gorman's forgiveness and begged Gorman to keep this
little story quiet so that he wouldn't lose everything. Of course,
(24:38):
Gorman did the same thing that Swaggart had done to him.
He denied swaggert forgiveness at that point and turned everything
over to the police. What followed came an unforgettable piece
of American cultural history. Rather than deny the situation, Swaggert
decided to publicly confess and apologize. On February twe t first,
(25:00):
nineteen eighty eight, he took to the pulpit at his
family worship center in Baton Rouge. With his wife Francis
by his side, he stood before some seven thousand congregants
millions of TV viewers and poured out his anguish.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
To my fellow television ministers and evangelists, you that are
already bearing an almost unbearable load.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
To continue to say and tell the.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Great story of Jesus Love, I have major load heavier,
and I have hurt you.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Please forgive me for sinning against you.
Speaker 10 (26:00):
And to the hundreds of millions that I have stood
before in over a hundred countries of the world, and
I've looked into the cameras, and so many of you,
with a heart of loneliness needing help, have reached out
(26:24):
to the minister of the Gospel.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
As a beacon of light.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
You that are nameless, most I will never be able
to see you except by faith.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
I have sinned against you. I beg you forgive me.
Speaker 11 (27:00):
And most of all, to my Lord and my said,
my Redeemer, the one whom.
Speaker 12 (27:15):
I sir, and I love and I worship. I bow
at his feet, who has saved me.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
And washed me and cleansed me.
Speaker 13 (27:37):
I have sinned against you, My Lord, and I would
ask that your precious.
Speaker 14 (27:46):
Blood would wash.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
And cleanse every stain.
Speaker 13 (27:58):
Until it is in the seas of God's forgetfulness, never
to be remembered against me anymore.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
In the aftermath of that February nineteen eighty eight confession,
the Assemblies of God leadership wait how to handle Swaggert's indiscretion. Initially,
the denomination gives Swaggart a one year suspension, intended to
allow time to counsel repentance restoration under church supervision that
Swaggert decided to return after two months.
Speaker 15 (28:37):
Swaggert stepped down from the pulpit supposedly for one year
when the sex scandal hit, but instead returned two months later.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
We believe that to stay out of the pulpit for
a year would totally destroy the television ministry and greatly
adversely impact the College.
Speaker 15 (28:58):
But neither Swaggert's can I should nor his fiery preaching
could restore him to past glory.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
His decision had serious consequences. In April of nineteen eighty eight,
the Assemblies of God officially defrocked Jimmy Swaggert, and he
became an independent evangelist overnight. For a time, his empire
appeared to weather the storm. He still had his core staff,
his baton rouged church, and many loyal viewers who were
(29:26):
moved by his repentance. Donations initially dropped, but they didn't
collapse immediately. However, the long term impact on the ministry
was severe. Numerous TV stations and Christian broadcasters that carried
Sweigert's program decided to drop it. The massive donor income
fell sharply. Jimmy Swegert Bible College saw its student enrollment
(29:51):
plummet after nineteen eighty eight, forcing cuts in programs and staff.
In short, the empire that had taken over twenty years
to build seemed to crumble in a matter of months.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
Now.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Despite the blow, Jimmy Schwager did not quit preaching stuff that's.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Come up on you and you saw me witnesses on
the me.
Speaker 14 (30:12):
And Jude in Samaria and on to the outmost parts
of the earth. Hallelujah, Glory, Glory, holding the cap.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Of a sand Dusa.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
Somebody said, what church you belonged to?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
I belonged to the Church.
Speaker 14 (30:49):
Of Old Bed. I belonged to the Church of Old
Bed because that's where the arc is.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
That's where the arc is you say who you are, Father.
Speaker 14 (30:59):
Father, Holy God?
Speaker 5 (31:00):
Step fa the holy ghol stuff, FA, the holy ghost stuff.
Do the follow up the nomination, follow the holy ghost stuff.
Don't follow a man.
Speaker 14 (31:08):
I'll see who's the holy ghost in him? Follow the
holy ghost who you said?
Speaker 3 (31:27):
I wish I could get there.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
You're already there.
Speaker 14 (31:30):
It's here.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
It's here, it's here, and it's where you are the
probers and he's everywhere.
Speaker 14 (31:37):
If you don't believe him, he is everywhere. Hallellujah to
the lad.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
For a while, it appeared he might slowly rebuild his
ministry's credibility, but then in nineteen ninety one, a second
scandal struck, one from which Swaggert's public image would never recover.
In October nineteen ninety one, Jimmy Swiggert was found in
the company of yet another prostitute, this time in California.
(32:11):
Swigert was driving through a town in California was pulled
over by a police officer for a traffic violation. He
was swerving. When he was pulled over. It was found
that he was in the company of a prostitute and
a great deal of pornographic material, which he was trying
to hide under the seat, thus causing him to swerve.
(32:32):
News of him caught with a prostitute again spread like wildfire.
For many who had given him a second chance, this
was the last straw. Perhaps the most startling aspect was
Swaggert's demeanor after his nineteen ninety one incident. Unlike the
contrite figure of nineteen eighty eight, the fifty six year
old Swaggert of nineteen ninety one seemed defiant and weary
(32:54):
of apologizing. The Sunday following the California incident, Swaggert addressed
his Baton Rouge congregation. Many expected another tearful confession. Instead,
Swaggert shocked observers by telling his flock, the Lord told me,
it's flat none of your business. This blunt statement, implying
(33:16):
that his personal failings were between him and God alone,
left his audience stunned. Even Swaggert's son, Donnie, was taken aback.
Donnie almost immediately announced that his father would He's temporarily
stepping down from the pulpit and seeking counseling and spiritual rehabilitation.
But the damage to Swigert's ministry was irreversible. In the
(33:40):
wake of the second scandal, virtually all remaining TV networks
and local stations that carried his programs canceled them. By
the end of nineteen ninety one, his days as a
nationally syndicated televangelist were effectively over. Where he once had
a congregation of millions via television, he was now left
with a much small direct audience in Baton Rouge. So
(34:04):
the twin scandals of nineteen eighty eight and nineteen ninety
one had a broad impact beyond just Swaggert's immediate ministry.
They contributed to a climate of skepticism towards televangelists in
general during the late eighties and her early nineties, because
there were a lot of other preachers that went through
the same thing right Jim Baker, Marvin Gormant, Peter Popoff,
(34:27):
a man named Larry Leah. All of their misconduct became public.
Editorial in The New York Times noted at the time
the swagger was gone from Swaggert's step. The mighty have fallen.
After nineteen ninety one, he largely retreated from the national spotlight.
While his son Donnie took over much of the administrative
(34:49):
leadership of Swaggert's ministries, Jimmy spent much of the time
out of the public. In nineteen ninety five he launched
sun Life Radio Network, a Christian radio outreach, and in
the early two thousand he created Sunlife Broadcasting Network, a
twenty four to seven Christian cable channel, and through SBN,
(35:11):
Swigert was back on television. He resumed preaching weekly at
the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, with services broadcast live,
OVERESBN radio, and online streaming. In essence, Swigert built his
own media outlet to continue his ministry independently without needing
outside networks approval, ANDESBN became something of a family ministry dynasty,
(35:38):
now spanning three generations, because, in addition to Jimmy, Donnie
was preaching on the network, Francis, his wife, was preaching
on the network, and his grandson was also preaching on
the network. On June fifteenth, twenty twenty five, Jimmy Swigert
suffered a heart attack at his home in Baton Rouge.
He was rushed to the hospital and placed an intensive care.
(36:01):
He died on July first, twenty twenty five. Jimmy Swaggert's
scandals remind us that no one is above reproach. It
would be easy to recite some verses here, Let him
who is without sin cast the first stone, pull the
log out of your own eye. Judge not lest you
be judged. But we also must remember that a minister
(36:23):
of the gospel who has no accountability is a man
destined for a fall. Thanks for watching.
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Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!