Jimmy Swaggart is a well-known and a bit controversial personality in the United States of America. Jimmy has many talents, mostly known for being a Pentecostal televangelist, gospel music recording artist, pianist, and Christian author in America.
According to the latest statistics regarding Jimmy Swaggart’s Net Worth, he has a whopping net worth of $15 million.
With an audience both in the U.S. and abroad, his television ministry, known as Camp Meeting Hour, began in 1971. In addition to being broadcast nationally, Jimmy Swaggart’s weekly Telecast and A Study in the Word can be heard on 78 channels around the globe and on the Internet.
If you want to learn more about Jimmy Swaggart, keep reading the article to have deep and inside information regarding Jimmy’s childhood, family life, professional life, and the controversy he went through. Let’s have a look at his early life first.
Who is Jimmy Swaggart?
Swaggart was born in Ferriday, Louisiana, on March 15, 1935. Currently, he is 87 years of age. He is the son of sharecropper William Herron and Minnie Bell Herron, daughter of fiddle player Willie Leon Swaggart.
He spent his childhood with a sister whose name was Jeanette Ensminger.
He is a cousin of the music star Mickey Gilley and rockabilly pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis.
Quick Facts About Jimmy Swaggart
Full name | Jimmy Swaggart |
Date of birth | March 15, 1935 |
Nick Name | Swaggart, Jimmy |
Place of birth | Ferriday, Louisiana, United States |
Spouse | Frances Swaggart |
Children | Donnie Swaggart |
Profession | Pentecostal televangelist, gospel music recording artist, pianist, and author |
Parents | Minnie Belle Swaggart, Willie Leon Swaggart |
Siblings | Donnie Swaggart, Jeannette Swaggart Ensminger |
Nationality | American |
Awards | Dove Award finalist – Male Vocalist of the Year/TV Program of the Year/Instrumentalist of the Year/Year’s best Traditional Album |
Shows | Dove Award finalist – Male Vocalist of the Year/TV Program of the Year/Instrumentalist of the Year/Year’s best Traditional Album |
Books | The Expositor Study Bible, The Message of the Corse, Paul the Apostle, Great Women of the Bible Old Testament, The New Jureselum |
Ethnicity | White |
Religion | Christianity |
Weight | 76 kg |
Height | 5 feet 5 inches |
Shoe Size | 7 USD |
Eye Colour | Brown |
Hair Colour | Wight |
Net worth | $15 Million |
Jimmy Swaggart’s Personal Life & Family
Jimmy Swaggaert’s wife’s name is Frances Anderson. They married at the very young ages of 17 and 15 years, respectively, in 1952. They met by chance in a church where he used to play music alongside his father.
They were also blessed with a son whom they named Donnie. Swaggart and his family suffered a lot in terms of finance during the period of 1950s. A $30-per-week income had left him struggling to survive, he revealed in his autobiography. At that time, he was preaching in rural Louisiana.
Jimmy Swaggart’s Professional Life
Since childhood, Jimmy used to go to church with his father to play music. Particularly he used to play Southern Gospel music.
At church, he also deeply learned Bible. As a result, he began broadcasting his sermons on the radio for 30 minutes a week. In 1971 Swaggart’s TV ministry was initiated.
This allowed him to broadcast his show to 104 other countries on 78 different channels. Additionally, he covered Chuck Girard’s CCM song “Sometimes Alleluia” to use as the theme for his weekly and flagship show.
Over the course of the 1980s and early 1990s, Swaggart gradually sold many of his radio stations. Sonlife Radio is one of the radio stations owned by Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.
But due to a controversy over him being involved in a sexual relationship with a prostitute, his professional life suffered a lot. In reaction to this, he was expelled not only from the Assembly of God but also temporarily withdrawn from Swaggart’s TV ministry.
Jimmy Swaggart’s Networth 2023
According to the latest statistics, he has a net worth of $15 million. Swaggart Television Ministries, the organization he headed, earned him a great deal of money. The preaching he does has also generated some income for him.
Jimmy Swaggart’s House
Swaggart’s permanent residence has been located near Baton Rouge since 2012. This sprawling estate is located on twenty acres and features three residences, a gazebo, and a pond. In terms of square footage, it measures 9,337 square feet. A gold swan in the eight-foot-long tub spouts water into a four-column Jacuzzi.
Prostitute Scandal
One of the major events of Jimmy Swaggart’s life that put him in a bad light was the prostitute scandal. This happened in 1988 when it was revealed that Swaggart had been involved in a sexual relationship with a prostitute. By the time this news hit, the Assemblies of God had suspended and defrocked him.
In 1991, after three years had passed since this incident, he was again involved in a new prostitution scandal. These scandals greatly influenced his professional career in a bad manner.
In the years prior to the scandal, the Swaggart ministry was denominational and affiliated. It has now become nondenominational, nonaffiliated, and significantly smaller.
Jimmy Swaggart’s Awards and Achievements
In 1974, Swaggart was selected by readers of a magazine for the first time. In 1977, he was also hailed as Male Vocalist of the Year by Record World magazine. Swаggart was a Dove Award winner in three categories: Best Video Program, Best Instrumental Performance, and Best Written Text.
He repeatedly became the finalist for the Dove award in different categories in 1978 and 1980. These categories included:
- Іnѕtrumеntаlіѕt оf thе Yеаr
- Yеаr’ѕ bеѕt Тrаdіtіоnаl Аlbum fоr Ноmеwаrd Воund
- Сhіldrеn’ѕ Аlbum оf thе Yеаr fоr Соlоr Ме а Ѕtоrу
- Веѕt Gоѕреl Аlbum оf thе Yеаr fоr Wоrѕhір
Jimmy Swaggart’s Books
Jimmy Swaggart has written many books in his life. He is referred to as a famous Christian author. Having a profound knowledge of the Bible and used to work at the church from a very young age. Some of the books written by him are:
- The Expositor Study Bible
- The Message of the Corse
- Paul, the Apostle
- Great Women of the Bible Old Testament
- The New Jureselum
Jimmy Swaggart’s Movies
Jimmy Swaggart is also a director and writer of movies. His famous work in the movies includes
- Francies and Friends 1992
- The Swaggart Seduction 2014
- Jimmy Swaggart 1997
Best Financial Freedom Lessons By Jimmy Swaggart
- The act of giving is spiritual in nature
- Developing donors is not sinful
- Integrity is the key to earning more money
- People are attracted to broke pastors
Interesting Facts Related to Jimmy Swaggart
Here are some interesting facts relating to Jimmy Swaggart’s life that you might not be aware of:
- Jimmy Swaggart has never gone to school for his studies. But he used to go to church to learn Bible.He has profound knowledge of the Bible.
- Jimmy Got married at the very young age of 18 Years. While his wife was 15 years at that time.
- As a preacher, Jimmy Swaggard was a member of the Assembly of God. But, later, when the prostitute scandal came out, he was expelled.
- Jimmy and his wife and son have spent some early days of their life in poverty. Jimmy used to be employed at a church where he only made $30 a week. It was never enough to cover even the family’s most basic needs.
- Due to Jimmy’s continuous involvement in a prostitution controversy, his own son fired him from Swaggart’s television ministry.
Final Words
There is no doubt that Jimmy Swaggart is a self-made man. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He has lived his life in harsh circumstances and worked hard to earn a name for himself.
The popularity of his show made him one of the most popular preachers of all time, aired in more than 104 countries.
This show has a lot of interest among those who watch it. But the prostitute controversies tainted his reputation a lot.
Due to this controversy, he suffered a lot as many of his followers became doubtful about him and his teachings. He also lost his job as a result.
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