The family of famed televangelist Rev. Jimmy Swaggart has confirmed that the 90-year-old remains hospitalized in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest.
During a Sunday Father’s Day service, his son, Rev. Donnie Swaggart, addressed the congregation with a heartfelt plea: “We urgently ask you to pray for Brother Swaggart. He needs a miracle from heaven right now, this morning,” he said, adding, “We must have the Lord intervene in this situation.”
In a Facebook post shared on his father’s official page, Donnie Swaggart called his father “my rock and my hero,” writing that he hoped to attend the service personally to update worshippers on his father’s condition.
Rev. Jimmy Swaggart has been a towering figure in American televangelism for decades, recognized as the longest-broadcasting television preacher in U.S. history. Born in 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart launched his ministry in 1955 and currently serves as pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also leads Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, a global evangelical organization.
At the height of his career in the 1980s, Swaggart’s televised sermons reached more than 2 million households, making him the most-watched evangelist in the country. However, his legacy has also been marred by scandal.
In 1987, Swaggart became embroiled in controversy after being linked to a prostitute in a New Orleans motel. Though he never disclosed specific details, he famously gave a tearful public apology during a televised sermon, declaring, “I have sinned.” A few years later, he faced additional scrutiny after police stopped him in California with another suspected prostitute in his car.
Swaggart has also sparked outrage with past comments during worship broadcasts, including one instance where he joked about harming a gay man who looked at him romantically — a statement he later claimed was made in jest and not meant to offend.
Despite the controversies, Swaggart maintained a loyal following and continued preaching well into his later years.
As the ministry faces uncertainty over its founder’s health, the Swaggart family has asked for continued prayers and support from the faith community.
“Only a miracle can help him now,” Donnie Swaggart said. “And we are believing for one.”