Jimmy Swaggart, the fiery Louisiana preacher whose sermons and gospel music once reached into living rooms around the world, has passed away at the age of 90. His death marks the end of a long, complex, and deeply human journey—a life shaped by revival tents, piano keys, second chances, and unwavering belief in redemption.
Held in Baton Rouge, the funeral was both grand and intimate—attended by family, ministry partners, and thousands of followers who had been touched by his message over the decades. But what left many in tears wasn’t the guest list—it was the music.
As the organ softly began “There Is a River,” many wept openly. Others lifted their hands, not in mourning, but in worship—a tribute not just to the man, but to the faith he preached in every sermon, every song, every faltering step forward.
“He was never perfect,” said his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis in a recorded message played during the service. “But he believed in a perfect God. And he never stopped pointing people toward Him.”
Swaggart’s life was filled with towering highs and devastating lows. From packing stadiums in the 1980s to walking through public scandal and spiritual restoration, he remained, until his final days, a man unshaken in his calling.
“Dad preached grace because he needed it too,” said Donnie Swaggart during the eulogy. “He knew what it meant to fall—and to be picked up again by the hands of mercy.”
Now, the man whose voice once echoed across the airwaves has gone silent. But the echo remains—in every hymn, every altar call, every soul that found light through his ministry.
Jimmy Swaggart is gone… but the message lives on.