A message posted on his official Facebook page read:

“Today, our hearts are heavy as we share that Brother Swaggart has finished his earthly race and entered into the presence of His Savior, Jesus Christ. He met his beloved Savior and entered the portals of glory. At the same time, we rejoice knowing that we will see him again one day.”

From dirt roads to TV screens

Born on March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, Jimmy Lee Swaggart began preaching in his teens and married Frances Anderson when he was just 17 and she was 15. The couple lived in deep poverty, preaching wherever they could.

Barely scraping by on just $30 a week — roughly $340 in today’s money — the Swaggarts were unable to afford a home of their own, they often found shelter wherever they could, staying in church