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EspañolJIMMY SWAGGART
(Redirected from Jimmy Lee Swaggart)
'Jimmy Lee Swaggart' (born March 15, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana) is a Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism who reached the height of his popularity in the 1980s. Swaggart is first cousin to recording artists Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. The sons of three sisters, all of them share the same middle name and play the piano.
Jimmy Swaggart's parents, Sun and Minnie Belle, became Pentecostal evangelists in 1943 while Jimmy began to preach on street corners and lead congregations in singing at age nine. In 1952, at age seventeen, he married Frances Anderson. They have one son, Donnie, who has also become a minister.
In 1958, Swaggart became a full-time traveling preacher and began developing a substantial revival-meeting following throughout the south. In 1960, Swaggart began recording gospel music record albums where he was building another audience via Christian-themed radio stations. By 1969, his radio program, “The Camp Meeting Hour,” was being aired over numerous radio stations throughout the American Bible Belt.
During the 1970s, Swaggart was ordained by and established a ministry under the Assemblies of God. It was at this time that Swaggart decided to use television as his primary preaching medium, and by 1980, he had become the most popular television preacher in the United States. Upwards of 200 television stations broadcast his program; “The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast” was regularly watched by two-million households. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, at this time headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, grew to include a local congregation of more than four-thousand members, a printing and mailing production plant, a television production facility, a recording studio, and later a Bible college.
In 1986, Swaggart exposed fellow Assemblies of God minister Marvin Gorman, who was having an affair with one of his parishioners. The following year, Swaggart then exposed Jim Bakker's sexual indiscretions and soon after appeared on the Larry King Show stating that Bakker was a "cancer in the body of Christ." As a retaliatory move, Marvin Gorman hired a private-detective to follow Swaggart. During his investigation, the detective found Swaggart in a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana motel on Airline Highway with prostitute Debra Murphree and took pictures as proof of the tryst.[1] Gorman presented Swaggart with the photos in a blackmail attempt, but Swaggart refused to pay. Gorman then presented the pictures to the presbytery leadership of the Assemblies of God, who decided that Swaggart should be suspended from broadcasting his television program for three months.
On February 21, 1988, without giving the details of his transgressions, Swaggart tearfully spoke to his family, congregation, and audience, saying, "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 forgiveness."[2] Four days later on a New Orleans morning news show, Murphree stated that while Swaggart was a regular customer, they had never engaged in intercourse.
Against the ruling of the governing body of the Assemblies of God, Swaggart returned to his television pulpit long before his three-month suspension expired. He stated, "If I do not return to the pulpit this weekend, millions of people will go to hell." Believing that Swaggart was not genuinely repentant in not submitting to their authority, the Assemblies of God immediately defrocked Swaggart, removing his credentials and ministerial license.
On October 11, 1991, he was found in the company of another prostitute, Rosemary Garcia.[3] The pair was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol in Indio, California, for driving down the wrong side of the street. According to Garcia, Swaggart stopped to proposition her on the side of the road. When Garcia was asked by the patrolman why she was with Swaggart, she replied, "He asked me for sex. I mean, that's why he stopped me. That's what I do. I'm a prostitute." This time, rather than tearfully confessing to his congregation, Swaggart told his flock that "The Lord told me it's flat none of your business." His son Donnie then announced to the stunned audience that his father would be temporarily stepping down as head of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries for "a time of healing and counseling."
Following the scandals, Swaggart's ministry had been reduced by 85% as of 1995. While his ministry's annual revenue shrunk, his annual salary was still over $350,000 at that time.
During a sermon at his church, Baton Rouge' Family Worship Center, in September of 2004, Swaggart threatened to kill homosexuals, saying: "...I'm trying to find the correct name for it...this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. ...I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died."[4] His remarks received laughter and applause from the congregation in attendance.
Swaggart is the on-record author of several Christian works offered through his ministry, as well as an autobiography ''To Cross a River'' and a personal account of the 1988 scandal ''The Cup Which My Father Hath Given Me: A Biblical Revelation of Personal Spiritual Warfare''. He has also sold over 15 million Gospel albums.
Once a world-wide multi-million-dollar ministry, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries today is mainly ''The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast'',[5] a radio program called ''A Study in the Word'', SonLife Radio Network.[6], and a website. Swaggart and his son Donnie control the ministry's preaching and leadership, and grandson Gabriel Swaggart now also preaches and leads the Family Worship Center youth ministry.
★ Christian televangelist scandals
★ No Rest for the Wicked (Ozzy Osbourne album).
1. On this day: 21st February 1998 TV evangelist quits over sex scandal
2. Reverend Jimmy Swaggart: Apology Sermon
3. Swaggart Plans to Step Down
4. Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart Threatens To Kill Gays Jan Prout
5. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries - TV Programming
6. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries - SonLife Radio
★ Jimmy Swaggart in Who2
★ Jimmy Swaggart Ministries
★
★ Jimmy Swaggart Quotes
★ Debate - "Is The Bible God's Word" - Ahmed Deedat Vs Jimmy Swaggart
'Jimmy Lee Swaggart' (born March 15, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana) is a Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism who reached the height of his popularity in the 1980s. Swaggart is first cousin to recording artists Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. The sons of three sisters, all of them share the same middle name and play the piano.
| Contents |
| Early life and early ministry |
| Ordination and a new focus |
| Controversy and criticism |
| Sex scandals |
| Remarks on gay marriage |
| Print and recorded media |
| Current ministry |
| See also |
| References |
| External links |
Early life and early ministry
Jimmy Swaggart's parents, Sun and Minnie Belle, became Pentecostal evangelists in 1943 while Jimmy began to preach on street corners and lead congregations in singing at age nine. In 1952, at age seventeen, he married Frances Anderson. They have one son, Donnie, who has also become a minister.
In 1958, Swaggart became a full-time traveling preacher and began developing a substantial revival-meeting following throughout the south. In 1960, Swaggart began recording gospel music record albums where he was building another audience via Christian-themed radio stations. By 1969, his radio program, “The Camp Meeting Hour,” was being aired over numerous radio stations throughout the American Bible Belt.
Ordination and a new focus
During the 1970s, Swaggart was ordained by and established a ministry under the Assemblies of God. It was at this time that Swaggart decided to use television as his primary preaching medium, and by 1980, he had become the most popular television preacher in the United States. Upwards of 200 television stations broadcast his program; “The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast” was regularly watched by two-million households. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, at this time headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, grew to include a local congregation of more than four-thousand members, a printing and mailing production plant, a television production facility, a recording studio, and later a Bible college.
Controversy and criticism
Sex scandals
In 1986, Swaggart exposed fellow Assemblies of God minister Marvin Gorman, who was having an affair with one of his parishioners. The following year, Swaggart then exposed Jim Bakker's sexual indiscretions and soon after appeared on the Larry King Show stating that Bakker was a "cancer in the body of Christ." As a retaliatory move, Marvin Gorman hired a private-detective to follow Swaggart. During his investigation, the detective found Swaggart in a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana motel on Airline Highway with prostitute Debra Murphree and took pictures as proof of the tryst.[1] Gorman presented Swaggart with the photos in a blackmail attempt, but Swaggart refused to pay. Gorman then presented the pictures to the presbytery leadership of the Assemblies of God, who decided that Swaggart should be suspended from broadcasting his television program for three months.
On February 21, 1988, without giving the details of his transgressions, Swaggart tearfully spoke to his family, congregation, and audience, saying, "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 forgiveness."[2] Four days later on a New Orleans morning news show, Murphree stated that while Swaggart was a regular customer, they had never engaged in intercourse.
Against the ruling of the governing body of the Assemblies of God, Swaggart returned to his television pulpit long before his three-month suspension expired. He stated, "If I do not return to the pulpit this weekend, millions of people will go to hell." Believing that Swaggart was not genuinely repentant in not submitting to their authority, the Assemblies of God immediately defrocked Swaggart, removing his credentials and ministerial license.
On October 11, 1991, he was found in the company of another prostitute, Rosemary Garcia.[3] The pair was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol in Indio, California, for driving down the wrong side of the street. According to Garcia, Swaggart stopped to proposition her on the side of the road. When Garcia was asked by the patrolman why she was with Swaggart, she replied, "He asked me for sex. I mean, that's why he stopped me. That's what I do. I'm a prostitute." This time, rather than tearfully confessing to his congregation, Swaggart told his flock that "The Lord told me it's flat none of your business." His son Donnie then announced to the stunned audience that his father would be temporarily stepping down as head of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries for "a time of healing and counseling."
Following the scandals, Swaggart's ministry had been reduced by 85% as of 1995. While his ministry's annual revenue shrunk, his annual salary was still over $350,000 at that time.
Remarks on gay marriage
During a sermon at his church, Baton Rouge' Family Worship Center, in September of 2004, Swaggart threatened to kill homosexuals, saying: "...I'm trying to find the correct name for it...this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. ...I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died."[4] His remarks received laughter and applause from the congregation in attendance.
Print and recorded media
Swaggart is the on-record author of several Christian works offered through his ministry, as well as an autobiography ''To Cross a River'' and a personal account of the 1988 scandal ''The Cup Which My Father Hath Given Me: A Biblical Revelation of Personal Spiritual Warfare''. He has also sold over 15 million Gospel albums.
Current ministry
Once a world-wide multi-million-dollar ministry, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries today is mainly ''The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast'',[5] a radio program called ''A Study in the Word'', SonLife Radio Network.[6], and a website. Swaggart and his son Donnie control the ministry's preaching and leadership, and grandson Gabriel Swaggart now also preaches and leads the Family Worship Center youth ministry.
See also
★ Christian televangelist scandals
★ No Rest for the Wicked (Ozzy Osbourne album).
References
1. On this day: 21st February 1998 TV evangelist quits over sex scandal
2. Reverend Jimmy Swaggart: Apology Sermon
3. Swaggart Plans to Step Down
4. Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart Threatens To Kill Gays Jan Prout
5. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries - TV Programming
6. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries - SonLife Radio
External links
★ Jimmy Swaggart in Who2
★ Jimmy Swaggart Ministries
★
★ Jimmy Swaggart Quotes
★ Debate - "Is The Bible God's Word" - Ahmed Deedat Vs Jimmy Swaggart
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