Louisiana televangelist Jimmy Swaggart is in intensive care after going into cardiac arrest, according to his family.
His son, Donnie Swaggart, said his 90-year-old father went into cardiac arrest around 8 am on Sunday and has "never regained consciousness."
The younger Swaggart said that paramedics dispatched to the home were able to find a heartbeat before the preacher was rushed for treatment at a nearby hospital.
He told his congregation at the Family Worship Center during a special service on Sunday how he found his father unresponsive in his mother’s house.
“This morning at a little after eight, Gabe and I rushed into Mother’s house. Dad had gone into cardiac arrest. He never regained consciousness. We both took turns giving him chest compressions until EMT could get there and they were, I’ve never seen so many people arrive at one time and I want to thank them,” he said.
“But they were able to get a heartbeat back. Right now he is in ICU and without a miracle, without a miracle, his time will be short.”
He said despite his father’s condition, he and his family are still holding onto hope for his recovery.
“But we believe God,” the younger Swaggart said. “We’re not giving up. We’ve already told the doctors we don’t want to hear anything from them. We will make decisions in our own time. But we’re going to give the Lord an opportunity to work.”
Swaggart is the founder of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and started the Jimmy Swaggart Bible College.
He also works as the senior pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge.
Swaggart is perhaps best known for his "crusades" in the 1980s. His ministry trips took him into South and Central America at a time when the U.S. government was funding guerilla movements to undermine socialist governments in the region.
In addition to his television appearances and in-person ministry, Swaggart is also the author of approximately 50 Christian books and has earned a Grammy nomination for his music.
He is one of the most well-known televangelists next to figures like Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, and Oral Roberts. He started his television ministry in 1975, and by 1983 had more than 250 television stations carrying his program.
In the late 80's and early 90's Swaggart's world was rocked by a pair of prostitution scandals that saw him stripped of clerical authority in the Assemblies of God denomination and later forced him to become non-denominational. The scandals drove away a sizable portion of his fanbase.
From that point on, most of Swaggart's energies have been focused on the ministry at the Family Worship Center and his various broadcasting ministries.
Leader of Trump’s Faith Office says she ‘submits’ to husband in ‘God’s order’
Activist pastor who has criticized Trump arrested while praying inside Capitol
US missionary kidnapped during church service rescued after shoot-out in South Africa
Judge denies Mahmoud Khalil’s release from ICE jail
What’s left for the Supreme Court to decide? 21 cases, including state bans on transgender care
CVS probed for sending text messages to customers lobbying against proposed bill
