Jimmy Swaggart : Ask Biography

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Jimmy Lee Swaggart (born March 15, 1935) is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast. According to the official website for Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, his 1980s telecast was transmitted to over 3,000 stations and cable systems each week.

Swaggart's television ministry, which began in 1975, continues (as of May 2011) airing nationally and internationally. The weekly Jimmy Swaggart Telecast and A Study in the Word programs are seen nationwide and abroad on 78 channels in 104 countries as well as live over the Internet.

In February 1988, Swaggart stirred controversy after a private investigation found he had solicited a prostitute for sex. Initially, Swaggart denied the accusations; but, as a media investigation proceeded, he acknowledged that some allegations were true. He later apologized for the acts in a televised broadcast.