Jimmy Swaggart

Infobox Celebrity
name = Jimmy Lee Swaggart


image_size = 200px
caption = Jimmy Swaggart as he appears on a poster at

the Delta Music Museum in his native Ferridaypuic|1=

birth_date = birth date and age|mf=yes|1935|3|15
birth_place = Ferriday, Louisiana, USA
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = preacher, televangelist
salary =
networth =
website = [http://www.jsm.org/ www.jsm.org]
footnotes =

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 of recording artists Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. The three share the same middle names -- though Gilley is actually "Leroy" -- and play the piano. All were born within a year of one another.

Early life and ministry

Jimmy Swaggart's parents, Sun and Minnie Belle, had been fundamentalist Baptists. His father was a deacon in their small fundamentalist church. They became Pentecostalists in 1943. Jimmy began to preach on street corners and led congregations in singing, aged nine. In 1952, aged seventeen, he married Frances Anderson. They have one son, Donnie, who has also become a minister. In 1958, Swaggart became a full-time travelling preacher and began developing a substantial revival-meeting following throughout the south. 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-themed radio stations. In 1961, after attending bible college, he was ordained with the Assemblies of God. By 1969, his radio program, “The Camp Meeting Hour,” was being aired over numerous radio stations throughout the American Bible Belt. He also founded a church called Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which was also under the Assemblies of God. He also began airing a weekly 30 minute telecast over various local television stations in that city. He also purchased a local AM radio station. In September 1985, in a broadcast sermon Swaggart said

In 1986, Swaggart debate with Ahmed Deedat, a well known Muslim scholar of the Bible on the topic "Is The Bible the Word of God" [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdDi-1CPmwE&feature=related YouTube - Bible God's Word? - Deedat vs Swaggart 1 of 23 ] ] which was witnessed by about 8,000 people. Henry Hock Guan Teh, a well-known Christian writer described the debate in his article "The Law of Evidence" [http://www.phc.edu/GlobalJournal/5-1/4_TheLawofEvidence.htm Legal Apologetics: Principles Of The Law Of Evidence As Applied In The Quest For The Veracity Of Religious Truth ] ] as:

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 still further 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 travelling around the southern region of the Unites 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 Family Worship Center or from a travelling 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 (1984). The college had been formerly named Jimmy Swaggart Bible College ("JSBC") located directly across the street from Familty Worship Center. The two college dorms housed male and female students sepertly. 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 spritually 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 health and wealth gospel while still accepting signs and wonders.

Controversies and criticisms

ex scandals

Exposed

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. Some said this was done out of fear that Gorman was taking away from Swaggart's audience and donations. 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 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 the Larry King Show, stating that Bakker was a "cancer in the body of Christ." 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.

elf

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. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=On this day: February 21, 1988 TV evangelist quits over sex scandal | date= | publisher= | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/21/newsid_2565000/2565197.stm | work =BBC World News | pages = | accessdate = 2007-01-25 | language = ] 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. The incident 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 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." [ cite web|url=http://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jswaggartapologysermon.html |title=Reverend Jimmy Swaggart: Apology Sermon |accessdate=2007-01-25 |last=Swaggart |first=Jimmy |work=americanrhetoric.com ] 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. [ [http://everything2.com/title/Jimmy%2520Swaggart Jimmy [e-mail] ] ]

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, Swaggart was found in the company of another prostitute, Rosemary Garcia, [cite news | title=Swaggart Plans to Step Down | date=October 15, 1991 | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DA1E3BF936A25753C1A967958260 | work =The New York Times | accessdate = 2007-01-25 ] 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." [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DA1E3BF936A25753C1A967958260 Swaggart Plans to Step Down - New York Times ] ] [ [http://www.ntskeptics.org/1991/1991november/november1991.htm The Newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics ] ] Rather than confessing to his congregation, Swaggart told his flock this time that "The Lord told me it's flat none of your business." [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,974120,00.html American Notes Scandals - TIME ] ] [ [http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/datelinedc/s_558619.html The arrogance of power - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/21/newsid_2565000/2565197.stm BBC ON THIS DAY | 21 | 1988: TV evangelist quits over sex scandal ] ] 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."

The Ozzy Osbourne Conflict

Prior to the prostitute controversy, Jimmy Swaggart was a fierce opponent to heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne, who released the infamous song "Suicide Solution" in 1980. Vehemently castigating Osbourne, Swaggart denounced Osbourne as a satanist who 'ordered' teenagers to accept Lucifer as their saviour and/or to commit suicide. Following Jimmy's latest dilemmas, Ozzy decided to retaliate. On October 22, 1988 Ozzy Osbourne released the album No Rest for the Wicked. The first song and single from the album is entitled "Miracle Man" (see the music video [http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hd6ISmCPHgg here] .) " The music video was shot in a cross between a church and a pig sty while Ozzy opens the video wearing a "Jimmy Swaggart" mask, mocking Swaggart's public plea for forgiveness. The lyrics hint to real anecdotes from the fiasco: Jimmy "got busted" "with his pants down" and after, he went "on TV cryin'" confessing to his sins. The song, which refers to Jimmy throughout as "Jimmy Sinner," ends with a repetition of the lyric, "Miracle Man got busted".

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 that helped convert Michael Sweet and Robert Sweet, two of the founding members of the band Stryper.cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.metalfortheking.kit.net/thocrm.htm | title = History of Christian Rock/Metal part 1 | format = | work = Rock for the King | publisher = Ope Publishing | accessdate = 2007-12-19|language=Portuguese] cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.metalfortheking.kit.net/thocrm02.htm | title = History of Christian Rock/Metal part 2| format = | work = Rock for the King | publisher = Ope Publishing | accessdate = 2007-12-19|language=Portuguese] Also criticized by Swaggart were Larry Norman (the "father of Christian rock"), Petra, Mylon LeFevre and other notable Christian rock and metal bands. [ [http://www.guidetopetra.com/tributes.html?ID=67 A Guide to Petra: Petra Retirement Tribute Page - post your thoughts on Petra's retirement announcement ] ]

In 1986, Swaggart called rock music "the new pornography." [ [http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zzcens97.htm Rap, Rock, and Censorship by Mathieu Deflem] ] That comment has been cited as the inspiration for the naming of the Canadian indie-rock band the New Pornographers, but frontman Carl Newman claims not to have heard the quote until after having named the band [ [http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=new_pornographers The New Pornographers | Trouser Press] ] .

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

A worldwide multi-million-dollar ministry, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries today mainly comprises "The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast", [ cite web|url=http://www.jsm.org/explore.cfm/tvprogramming/cablesatellites |title=Jimmy Swaggart Ministries - TV Programming |accessdate=2007-01-28 ] radio and television programs called "A Study in the Word", (SonLife Radio Network), [cite web|url=http://www.jsm.org/explore.cfm/sonliferadio/programminglog |title=Jimmy Swaggart Ministries - SonLife Radio|accessdate=2007-02-22 ] , and a website, JSM.org. Jimmy's wife, Frances (very much behind the scenes); and son, Donnie, control the ministry's preaching and leadership. Jimmy's grandson, Gabriel, is a preacher, and leads the Family Worship Center youth ministry, "Crossfire". Sonlife radio is heard in 22 states [cite web|url=http://www.jsm.org/explore.cfm/sonliferadio/stationlist|title=SonLife station list]

In popular culture

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 was played by actor Alec Baldwin in the 1989 Jerry Lee Lewis biopic "Great Balls of Fire!"

Swaggart, along with cousins Gilley and Lewis, is an inductee of the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame in Ferriday.

ee also

* Christian televangelist scandals

References

External links

* [http://www.who2.com/jimmyswaggart.html Jimmy Swaggart in Who2]
* [http://www.jsm.org Jimmy Swaggart Ministries]
*imdb name|0841438
* [http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jimmy_swaggart.html Jimmy Swaggart Quotes]
* [http://is.aswatalislam.net/DisplayFilesP.aspx?TitleID=2013&TitleName=Ahmed_Deedat Debate - "Is The Bible God's Word" - Ahmed Deedat Vs Jimmy Swaggart]