Ordination and early career

Preaching from a flatbed trailer donated to him, Swaggart began full-time evangelistic work in 1955. He began developing a revival-meeting following throughout the American South. In 1960, he began recording gospel music record albums and transmitting on Christian radio stations. In 1961, Swaggart was ordained by the Assemblies of God; a year later he began his radio ministry. In the late 1960s, Swaggart founded what was then a small church named the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the church eventually became district-affiliated with the Assemblies of God.^{[citation needed]}

In 1971, Swaggart began transmitting a weekly 30-minute telecast over various local television stations in Baton Rouge and also purchased a local AM radio station, WLUX (now WPFC). The station broadcast Christian feature stories, preaching and teaching to various fundamentalist and Pentecostal denominations and playing black gospel, Southern gospel, and inspirational music. Swaggart sold many of his radio stations gradually throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.^{[citation needed]}

Shifting to television

By 1975, the television ministry had expanded to more stations around the United States, and he began to use television as his primary preaching forum. In 1978, the weekly telecast was increased to an hour.^{[citation needed]}

In 1980, Swaggart began a daily weekday telecast featuring Bible study and music, and the weekend, hour-long telecast included a service from either Family Worship Center (Swaggart's church) or an on-location crusade in a major city. In the early 1980s, the broadcasts expanded to major cities nationwide. By 1983, more than 250 television stations broadcast the telecast.^{[citation needed]}

Promotion of RENAMO

Throughout the 1980s, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries was one of many American Evangelical leaders who promoted the South African-backed Mozambican National Resistance, aka RENAMO, which was accused of committing systematic war crimes during Mozambique's 15-year-long civil war. In addition to moral support and publicity, Swaggart Ministries was repeatedly accused of providing funding and material support to the group. In September 1985, government forces supported by Zimbabwe captured RENAMO's main headquarters inside Mozambique, Casa Banana. Among the materials left behind by retreating rebels were piles of Swaggart's 1982 publication, "How to Receive The Baptism in the Holy Spirit", translated into Portuguese.^[7] During the 1988 trial of Australian missionary Ian Grey, who coordinated much of the private support to RENAMO, it was claimed by the defendant that Swaggart Ministries worked through Shekinah Ministries to provide support to RENAMO. That year, extensive media coverage of Swaggart and his businesses in the wake of a sex scandal largely excluded these allegations.^[8] In 1991, Covert Action Magazine and the government of Zimbabwe both accused Swaggart ministries of continuing to fund RENAMO.^[9]

Prostitution scandals

In 1988, Swaggart was accused of patronizing a prostitute. He was suspended and ultimately defrocked by the Assemblies of God. Three years later, Swaggart was implicated in another scandal involving prostitution. As a result, Swaggart's ministry became non-affiliated, nondenominational, and significantly smaller than it was in the ministry's pre-scandal years.^[10][11][12]

Swaggart's sex scandals received national media attention.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Later career

As of 2007^[update], Jimmy Swaggart Ministries mainly comprised Family Worship Center, The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast,^{[34][better source needed]} radio and television programs called A Study in the Word, SonLife Radio Network,^{[35][better source needed]} a website, and a 24/7 cable and satellite television network, SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN).^{[citation needed]}

Swaggart's wife Frances hosts a television program, Frances and Friends, shown daily on SBN.^{[36][better source needed]} Swaggart also hosts a daily Bible study program on SBN, The Message of the Cross.^{[citation needed]} His son, Donnie Swaggart, preaches at Family Worship Center and also preaches in churches across America and abroad.^{[37][better source needed]} Donnie's son, Gabriel Swaggart, has served as the ministry's youth pastor who leads Crossfire, Family Worship Center's youth ministry.^{[38][better source needed]} SBN also delivers live broadcasts of all of its weekly services at Family Worship Center, as well as live broadcasts of all of its camp meetings.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2023, Swaggart remains senior pastor of Family Worship Center.^[39]

Radio

Swaggart started SonLife Radio on the noncommercial FM band. Unlike his previous stations, SonLife was commercial-free and it did not sell time to outside ministries; the preaching and teaching were all produced in-house. The music which it played was primarily Southern Gospel. SonLife Radio is also streamed on the Internet.^{[40][better source needed]}

Translators

Television

In 1973, Swaggart proposed to television producers in Nashville, Tennessee a television program including a fairly large music segment, a short sermon, and time for talking about current ministry projects. They accepted, and within weeks the Jimmy Swaggart Telecast was being broadcast around the United States.^{[citation needed]}

In 1981, Swaggart launched a daily television program titled A Study in the Word. From the beginning, the primary cable channels which the program was aired on were CBN Cable (now Freeform), TBN, and the old PTL Network (now the Inspiration Network).^{[citation needed]}

In 1988, Swaggart lost some of his broadcast and merchandise rights following his first prostitution scandal.^[22][42]

In 1991, Swaggart's career as a standard televangelist came to an end after more local TV stations cancelled their contracts with him following his second prostitution scandal.^[43][44][45]

Jimmy Swaggart Bible College

In autumn 1984, Swaggart opened Jimmy Swaggart Bible College (JSBC). The college originally provided education and communication degrees.^{[citation needed]}

JSBC enrollment dropped drastically in 1988 when students left as a result of Swaggart's scandal, followed by accreditation issues.^[46]

In 1991, JSBC was renamed the World Evangelism Bible College and enrollment dropped to 370 students. The college shut down programs in music, physical education, secretarial science, and communications that October and disbanded its basketball team. In November "the college laid off three Bible professors and an English professor, effective at the end of the fall semester".^[47]

Print

Swaggart has written about 50 Christian books offered through his ministry.^[48] He is the author of the Expositor's Study Bible,^[49] 13 study guides and 38 commentaries on the Bible. The ministry also publishes a monthly magazine, The Evangelist.^{[citation needed]}

Swaggart published Religious Rock n Roll: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, in 1985.^[50]

Music

In 1980, Swaggart received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Gospel Performance, Traditional for his album Worship.^[51]