February 2, 1987 - Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Admitted to Scandal

[Pete]

​

On this day, February 2, 1987, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart admitted to paying prostitutes, leading to one of the biggest scandals in televangelism history. Swaggart, who had built a massive evangelical empire through television broadcasts, was caught in a moral and financial controversy that rocked the religious world.

Following the revelations, Swaggart delivered an emotional, tear-filled confession on live television, begging his followers for forgiveness with the now-infamous words:
"I have sinned against you, my Lord."

Despite his public repentance, the scandal severely damaged his reputation. In 1988, he was defrocked by the Assemblies of God, and his once-thriving ministry suffered a major decline. However, he later continued preaching independently and remains active in religious broadcasting today.

Fun fact: Before his own downfall, Jimmy Swaggart had publicly criticized fellow televangelists Jim Bakker and Marvin Gorman for their own sex scandals—both of whom later exposed Swaggart’s hypocrisy.

Trivia question: Which televangelist’s scandal did Jimmy Swaggart famously criticize before his own was exposed?