Free Republic

Like many Gen X Christians in the 1980s, I was not only captured by the explosion of Christian television and radio ministries, but I also had my personal favorites who really deepened my understanding of the Bible. One of those was televangelist Jimmy Swaggart. Much like Aimee Semple McPherson of the Foursquare Gospel movement, Swaggart was instrumental in putting the Assemblies of God and Pentecostalism on the map, making the gospel and a relationship with Jesus a dynamic pursuit rather than a rote obligation. Swaggart was a media pioneer. In 1969, he launched "The Camp Meeting Hour." Because of a...

Swaggart, one of the most well-known televangelists in the world, was rushed to a hospital on June 15 after going into cardiac arrest at his Baton Rouge home. A native of Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart founded Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and the Jimmy Swaggart Bible College, located on a vast campus off of Bluebonnet Boulevard in Baton Rouge. He was the senior pastor of Family Worship Center, located on the same campus.

Jimmy Swaggart’s family provided a heartfelt and emotional update on the televangelist during a Wednesday night service. As the Christian Post reported, Swaggart’s son, Donnie, shared during the service that the family is currently “in the process of making some very difficult and hard decisions.” Donnie Swaggart also mentioned that more family members are coming into town right now. “We have called all of the family to come into town, the grandkids that haven’t been here, and Joanna and Cliff for a family meeting on Friday,” Donnie said, calling this heartbreaking medical situation “a tough time.” As the Post noted,...

During the Sunday morning service at Family Worship Center, Pastor Donnie Swaggart addresses the Donald Trump assassination attempt.

The theory: a cargo ship with a "dirty bomb" was just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. The notion came to life during a live YouTube broadcast Wednesday evening. During the broadcast, conspiracy theorist George Webb initially claimed a "source" had told him that there was "a dirty bomb planned for a major city." Based on the information from the "source," Webb said he believed Memphis might be the target. The Coast Guard said in a further statement provided to CNN that the source of the threat had been detained by authorities for further questioning. The statement did not mention Webb's...

The consternation and controversy over gay marriage intensified Monday as the Minnesota Senate twice turned back attempts to force a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as only the union of one man and one woman. The votes, both on procedural motions, came the day before a rally that is expected to bring thousands of amendment supporters to the Capitol. And the votes were only hours after Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Russell Anderson strongly denied there was any truth to disputed comments Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson made about the court's position on the 1997 law...

When televangelist Jimmy Swaggart said he would kill a homosexual who looked at him romantically, he violated the ethics code of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, an industry panel has ruled. Swaggart made the remarks during a discussion of same-sex marriage on a Sept. 12 broadcast that was carried by the Toronto station Omni 1. "I'm going to be blunt and plain: If one ever looks at me like that, I'm going to kill him and tell God he died," Swaggart said. Swaggart also said that politicians who are undecided on the issue of same-sex marriage "all oughta have to...

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A gay rights group is asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the tax-exempt status of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries following the preacher's recent remark that he would "kill" any gay man who looked at him. The Capital City Alliance suggested that Swaggart's remarks disqualify his businesses from continuing to enjoy no-tax privileges. "Swaggart Businesses/Ministries should not continue to enjoy the benefits of 'tax-free living' when his organizations use millions of tax-free dollars to travel around and degrade taxpaying Americans," said Joe Traigle, the group's co-chairman. In a broadcast this month, Swaggart was discussing his opposition...

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart apologized Wednesday for saying in a televised worship service that he would kill any gay man who looked at him romantically. A complaint was filed with a Canadian broadcasting group, and Swaggart said his Baton Rouge-based Jimmy Swaggart Ministries has received complaints from gay groups over the remarks made on the Sept. 12 telecast. In the broadcast, Swaggart was discussing his opposition to gay marriage when he said "I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry." "And I'm going to be blunt and plain: If one ever looks...