Swaggart Is Target of Investigation

The Louisiana District Council of the Assemblies of God church is investigating the activities of television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, an official at the church’s national headquarters said Friday.

The members of the Executive Presbytery of the Assemblies of God met with Swaggart in a 10-hour special session Thursday at the national headquarters in Springfield, Mo., said Juleen Turnage, secretary of information for the Assemblies of God.

The meeting was “to discuss matters that could affect his (ministerial) credentials with the church,” Turnage said, reading from a release. She called the investigation a “critical situation.”

“These matters are under investigation by officials of the Louisiana District Council of the Assemblies of God,” Turnage said. “Jimmy Swaggart is fully cooperating with the investigation.”

Swaggart Unavailable

The Assemblies of God usually assigns such investigations to its district councils. It is being conducted according to the ecclesiastical procedures outlined in the constitution and bylaws of the General Council of the Assemblies of God.

At the Louisiana headquarters of Swaggart Ministries, a spokeswoman refused to comment on or even confirm the investigation. She said Swaggart was at the headquarters but was not available.

Swaggart, president of a television ministry worth an estimated $140 million a year, is based in Baton Rouge, La., and his programs are broadcast to many countries around the world.

Swaggart last spring was accused by disgraced PTL founder Jim Bakker, another TV evangelist ordained by the Assemblies of God, of trying to take over Bakker’s ministry as the PTL sex scandal unfolded. At that time, Swaggart pushed for the defrocking of Bakker by the Assemblies of God, which eventually occurred in May.