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| Jimmy Lee Swaggart |
| Born |
March 15, 1935 (1935-03-15) (age 74)
Ferriday, Louisiana, USA |
| Occupation |
preacher, televangelist, singer, musician, writer |
Website
www.jsm.org |
Jimmy Lee Swaggart (born March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana) is an independent non denominational Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism. In the 1980s Jimmy Swaggart's television programming was extremely popular. Transmitted to over 3,000 stations and innumerable cable systems each week, Swaggart's telecasts were seen by more than 8 million people in the United States and by more than 500 million people worldwide, making it the most widespread mass communication of the Gospel in history. Reverend Jimmy Swaggart first started his television ministry in 1974 and it continues today, over 33 years later, airing nationally and internationally to a potential viewing audience of over 80 millon. The weekly Jimmy Swaggart Telecast and A Study in the Word are seen nationwide and abroad on 78 channels in 104 countries and live over the Internet. His messages have been translated into 11 different languages
Jimmy Swaggart is married to Frances Swaggart and has one son, Donnie. He has three grandchildren, Jennifer, Gabriel and Matthew Swaggart, and has two great-grandchildren, Samantha and Ryder Swaggart.
Rev. Swaggart is the Pastor of an independent fundamentalist Pentecostal megachurch called Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and also the President of the SonLife Radio Network with 78 stations scattered across America and heard worldwide via the internet. Swaggart has recorded over 85 Gospel albums, with approximately 15 million recordings sold around the world. He is the author of the "Expositor's Study Bible" and has also authored 30 Bible Commentaries and 13 Study Guides.
Rev. Swaggart is the cousin of recording artists Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. Some sources stated he is also related to Elvis Presley but this has been found to be innacurate and the two are no relation.
Early life and ministry
Jimmy Swaggart was born on March 15, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana to Willie Leon and Minnie Belle (Herron) Swaggart. At the age of four, he lost an infant brother named Donnie who died of pneumonia. Swaggart and his parents family attended a small, 25-member Assemblies of God congregation in Ferriday. At the age of nine, Jimmy began to preach on street corners and led congregations in singing. On October 10, 1952, at only 17 years of age, he married Frances Anderson. Their son Donnie was born in 1954. Jimmy Swaggart worked several part-time odd jobs in order to survive in the 1950s. He also began singing southern gospel music at various Baptist and Pentecostal churches.
Swaggart and his young family lived in poverty during the 1950s as he preached throughout rural Louisiana. According to Swaggart's biography, they struggled to survive on thirty dollars a week, and often went to bed hungry. Being too poor to own a home, they lived in church basements, pastor's houses and small hotels. Sam Phillips, the record producer who discovered Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Charlie Rich, wanted Jimmy Swaggart to start a gospel line for Sun Records and to sign Swaggart as their first gospel artist. His cousin Jerry Lee Lewis, who had previously signed with Sun Records, was now reportedly making twenty thousand per week. Although the offer meant significant income for his struggling family, Swaggart turned him down stating that he was called to preach the gospel.[1]
In 1955, Swaggart began full-time evangelistic work, preaching from a flatbed trailer donated to him. He began developing a substantial revival-meeting following throughout the South. Jimmy Swaggart also began attending Bible college in 1957. He became a licensed minister in the Assemblies of God in 1959. In 1960, Swaggart began recording gospel music record albums while he was building up another audience via Christian radio stations. In 1961, after graduating Bible college, he was ordained by the Assemblies of God. In 1962, he began his radio ministry. By 1969, his radio program, “The Camp Meeting Hour,” was being aired over numerous radio stations throughout the American Bible Belt. In the late 1960s, he also founded a then-very small church called Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was district-affiliated with the Assemblies of God. He began airing a weekly 30 minute telecast over various local television stations in that city and also purchased a local AM radio station in Baton Rouge. That station was known as WLUX (now WPFC) and ran Christian features, preaching and teaching from various fundamentalist and Pentecostal denominations. The station played a blend of black gospel, southern gospel, and inspirational music. As Contemporary Christian music became more prevailent, the station avoided it. He sold his radio stations gradually in the 1980s and early 1990s. WLUX was sold in 1995 to another Christian broadcaster and is known as WPFC today. He then started Sonlife Radio on the noc-commercial area of the FM band. Unlike his previous stations, this would be commercial free and would not sell time to outside ministries. The preaching and teaching would all be produced in house. The music would also be inspirational and southern gospel.
His Family Worship Center grew from barely 40 members in 1970 to over 500 by 1975 and over 1000 by 1980. During the 1970s it grew from a tiny one room church to a huge modern state of the art building with new additions being built every couple years.
Ordination and a new focus
In the 1970s, his radio ministry grew and he purchased several more stations. By 1975, his television ministry had expanded to even more stations. It was at this time that Swaggart decided to use television as his primary preaching medium. He also began to preach to large audiences by traveling around the Southern region of the United States. In 1978, his weekly telecast was expanded to an hour. In 1980, he began a daily weekday telecast. His weekday telecast featured Bible study and some music. His weekend hour long telecast was either a sermon from the Family Worship Center or from a traveling crusade. In the early 1980s, he expanded his crusades nationwide, visiting major cities. By 1983, he had become the most popular television preacher in the United States. More than 250 television stations broadcast his program; “The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast” was regularly watched by two million households. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, at that time based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, grew from a small local congregation of 100 people in the 1970s at the Family Worship Center to more than four thousand members; it had a printing and mailing production plant, a television production facility, a recording studio, and later a Bible college (established in 1984). The college had been formerly named Jimmy Swaggart Bible College ("JSBC") located directly across the street from the Family Worship Center. The two college dorms housed male and female students separately. Today, the dorms are called Bluebonnet Towers. It has since been renamed as the World Evangelism Bible College & Seminary. The Seminary opened in the fall of 1983.
While the Assemblies of God is conservative, Jimmy Swaggart was by far one of their most conservative ministers. While the church endorsed (and still does) Contemporary Christian music, sharing fellowship with mainline branches of Christianity (even Catholicism to some extent), Christian Psychology, and attending publicly-shown motion pictures, Jimmy Swaggart shunned such practices. At one point he even said that his own sometimes turned against him. On more than a few occasions he even stated that there were some Assembly Of God Churches that he would never send anyone to. He was critical of Billy Graham because of his willingness to spiritually associate with Catholics. While Jimmy Swaggart has held great disdain for Roman Catholicism, he stops short of calling Catholicism a cult in line with Mormons, for example. Jimmy Swaggart records and plays Southern Gospel music. He also embraces Black Gospel and Inspirational music. Swaggart also is opposed to the prosperity gospel (also known as "the health-and-wealth gospel") while still accepting signs and wonders.
Music Ministry
The heartbeat of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries was, and still is, his many recorded albums, CD's and tapes. Jimmy made his first album "Some Golden Daybreak" primarily to have a record he could give people at his early revivals. Frances Swaggart began encouraging Jimmy to contact radio stations. As Jimmy Swaggart's songs began to be aired on radio, the public response was overwhelming. Disc Jockey Chuck Cossin is credited with playing the first Jimmy Swaggart recording on WMUZ in Detroit.
In 1974 Jimmy Swaggart was voted Favorite Gospel Music Artist for "Singing News". In 1977 "Record World" Magazine honored him as Male Vocalist of the Year. In that same year Jimmy was a Dove Award finalist in three categories: Male Vocalist of the Year, TV Program of the Year, and Instrumentalist of the Year. Again in 1978 Jimmy Swaggart became a Dove Finalist as Instrumentalist of the Year. And in 1980 a Dove Award finalist in four Categories: Children's Album of the Year for "Color Me a Story," Instrumentalist of the Year, Year's best Traditional Album for "Homeward Bound," and Best Gospel Album of the Year for "Worship," The Prestigious Grammy Awards nominated Jimmy's "Live from Nashville" for Best Album in 1976. And again in 1980, Jimmy's "Worship" album became a Grammy finalist.
In the Spring of 1958 Sam Phillips (the producer who discovered Elvis Presley) had sent for the small town piano-playing preacher to come to Nashville. He wanted to sign Jimmy as the first Gospel artist on the Sun Record Label. However, with a heart to minister the Gospel, the young Swaggart turned him down. Jimmy Swaggart has sold over 15 million albums during the lifetime of the ministry.
Television Ministry
In 1973 Jimmy began thinking about a television program which would include a fairly large music segment, a short sermon, and time for sharing with the viewers about current ministry projects. After two faltering attempts to tape the program in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, Jimmy Swaggart went to producers in Nashville with his proposal. They accepted and within weeks the Jimmy Swaggart Telecast was beaming into television markets country-wide. In 1979 the program was converted into an hour long program and the telecast was taken directly from Swaggart's area-wide crusades, using segments videotaped in services all over the world.
In 1981 Jimmy Swaggart began a daily television program entitled "A Study in the Word." This 30 minute program was designed meet individuals on a personal level on a daily basis. In the 1980s the program was aired on over 160 channels throughout the U.S., Canada and abroad. and is still seen today on over 78 stations in 104 countries. The main cable channels it aired was on CBN Cable (now ABC Family), TBN, and PTL (now Inspiration Network.
Swaggart's television and radio division, STARCOM (Swaggart Television and Radio Communications), was spearheaded and run by Shirley Cooke. Shirley and her daughter, Deborah Keller, were early followers and supporters of Swaggart's crusades and ministry.
World Evangelism Bible College
In the fall of 1984, WEBC opened its doors. The Bible College began as a means of preparing young men and women for in-depth ministry and is still considered a vital extension of Jimmy Swaggart's World Wide Ministry. WEBC offers three types of academic programs designed to meet a variety of needs: (1) Intensive short term programs, (2) Associative of Arts programs, and (3) the full four year Baccalaureate Degree.
Print
Swaggart is the 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 is the author of the "Expositor's Study Bible," 13 Study Guides and 30 Commentaries on the Bible.
Current ministry
A worldwide multi-million-dollar ministry, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries today mainly comprises The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast,[2] radio and television programs called A Study in the Word, (SonLife Radio Network),[3], and a website, JSM.org. Jimmy's wife, Frances has a radio program called "Frances and Friends" heard daily on the SonLife Radio Network.[4] Rev. Swaggart's son, Donnie, preaches at Family Worship Center and also preaches in churches across the US and abroad.[5] Jimmy's grandson, Gabriel, is a preacher, and leads the Family Worship Center youth ministry, Crossfire.[6] Sonlife radio is heard in 22 states[7]
Controversies and criticisms
In 1986, Swaggart exposed fellow Assemblies of God minister Marvin Gorman, who had been accused of having an affair with another pastor's wife, who was at the time undergoing counseling with Pastor Gorman. Gorman was based in New Orleans and was adding stations throughout the Southern region and was beginning to add stations on the West Coast and in the Northeast. Gorman was also in the planning stages for a weekday telecast. Once exposed, Gorman was defrocked from the Assemblies of God and his ministry all but ended.
The following year, Swaggart exposed fellow Assemblies Of God televangelist Jim Bakker's sexual indiscretions and appeared on Larry King Live, stating that Bakker was a "cancer in the body of Christ." Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Bakker, were at the height of the Praise the Lord Network. He and similarly-minded Baptist evangelist Jerry Falwell investigated Jim Bakker and eventually uncovered his indiscretions. In 1987, Jim Bakker's ministry was falling apart as a result. Heritage USA was bought by Morningstar Ministries in 2004 and a portion of the property has been refurbished.
As a retaliatory move, Marvin Gorman hired a private detective to follow Swaggart. The detective found Swaggart in a Louisiana motel on Airline Highway with a prostitute, Debra Murphree, and took pictures of the tryst.[8] Gorman presented Swaggart with the photos in a blackmail attempt to force Swaggart to come clean, but Swaggart refused. Gorman then presented the pictures to the presbytery leadership of the Assemblies of God, which 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."[9] On a New Orleans morning news show four days later, Murphree stated that while Swaggart was a regular customer, they had never engaged in sexual intercourse.[10]
The Louisiana Assemblies of God initially suspended Jimmy Swaggart from the ministry for three months. The national Assemblies of God soon extended it to their standard year-long suspension for scandalous sexual immorality. Against the ruling of the national governing body of the Assemblies of God, Swaggart returned to his television pulpit after only three months. 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. Jimmy Swaggart then decided that he would be an independent, non-denominational Pentecostal minister and Family Worship would become non-denominational. On October 11, 1991, Swaggart was found, for the second time, in the company of a prostitute, Rosemary Garcia,[11] when he was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol in Indio, California, for driving on the wrong side of the road. According to Garcia, Swaggart stopped to proposition her on the side of the road. When the patrolman asked Garcia 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."[12][13] Rather than confessing to his congregation, Swaggart told those at Family Worship Center that "The Lord told me it's flat none of your business."[14][15][16] 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."
Criticism of Christian rock and metal
Swaggart wrote a book criticizing the Christian rock and metal movements entitled Religious Rock n' Roll – A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing in 1987. The book criticized the scene for using heavy metal music to preach the gospel of Christianity, calling rock music the music of the devil. Ironically, it was Swaggart who helped convert Michael Sweet and Robert Sweet, two of the founding members of the band Stryper.[17][18] Also criticized by Swaggart were Larry Norman (the "father of Christian rock"), Petra, Mylon LeFevre, Steve Taylor and other notable Christian rock and metal bands.[19]
In 1986, Swaggart called rock music "the new pornography."[20]
In popular culture
- The Swaggart sex scandal was heavily satirized by musician Frank Zappa in a three-song medley referred to by band members as the "Texas Motel Medley", consisting of three songs by the Beatles with the lyrics changed to reflect the events. While the Texas Motel Medley itself was never released due to copyright concerns, several references to the incident can be heard on the live albums The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life and Broadway the Hard Way.
- On the American sitcom Married... with Children, Swaggart was parodied by Rev. Al Bundy, and his sham Church of NO MA'AM, when he was exposed to his misogynistic congregation that he had a loving relationship with his wife Peg Bundy. Al addresses the crowd with an "I have sinned against you".
- One of the most famous samples in industrial music is Swaggart thundering "No sex until marriage!", as heard on the Front 242 track "Welcome to Paradise" -- released, ironically, in 1988, the year his first sex scandal broke.
- Swaggart is referenced in The Tractors song "Baby Likes to Rock It".
- Swaggart is referenced in the Cinderella song "Shelter Me". In the video for the song, Swaggart is depicted bursting out of a closet surrounded by skeletons, and also sobbing behind a flaming pulpit.
- Ozzy Osbourne's song "Miracle Man", on the 1988 album No Rest For The Wicked, is about the Swaggart's 1988 prostitution scandal and the general hypocrisy, in Osbourne's eyes, of "televangelists". In the video for the song, Zakk Wylde wears a mask with the likeness of Swaggart and Ozzy cavorts with swine, his pants around his ankles, carrying around a large staff decorated with a dollar sign. Within the song, Jimmy Swaggart is referred as "our Jimmy Sinner" many times by Ozzy.
See also
References
External links
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PTL scandal |
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| PTL Ministry |
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