Swaggart’s Home Council OKs 1-Year Ban

The Assemblies of God state council that wanted Jimmy Swaggart barred from preaching for three months said Friday that it will go along with the one-year suspension demanded by the church’s national leaders.

Despite the ruling, a spokesman for Swaggart said the TV evangelist will return to the pulpit May 22.

If he returns, he risks dismissal from the denomination, officials have said.

The church’s General Presbytery, meeting at its national headquarters Tuesday in Springfield, Mo., had banned Swaggart from the pulpit for at least a year for “moral failure” that reportedly included hiring a prostitute to pose nude for him.

Agree for Sake of Unity

After a six-hour meeting Friday, Cecil Janway, the church’s Louisiana district superintendent, announced that the state council will accept the national leadership’s recommendation for the sake of unity.

“Easter is coming. And the same Christ that has forgiven Jimmy Swaggart’s sins will forgive every person who calls upon him,” Janway said. “So, although we do not agree with the decision of the General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God relative to Jimmy Swaggart, we will yield to those leaders.

“We will not attempt to hinder them from carrying out their decision. Nor will we cause division within our Assemblies of God fellowship.”

Asked if the council was encouraging Swaggart to accept the national sanctions, Janway said, “I think it could be interpreted that way.”

Tearfully Confesses

Swaggart on Feb. 21 tearfully confessed to unspecified sins and stepped down from the pulpit. News reports have said he hired a prostitute to pose nude.

On Wednesday, Swaggart announced through his attorney that he would return to the pulpit May 22--the end of the three-month suspension originally recommended by the state council--in defiance of the national leadership.

“What was said at the Wednesday press conference still holds,” Swaggart spokesman Gus Weill said Friday. “Reverend Swaggart is still planning to return to the pulpit May 22 and we’re still examining the rights to appeal.”

However, Juleen Turnage, a spokeswoman at the Assemblies of God national headquarters, said church bylaws do not allow ministers to appeal rehabilitation decisions.

Turnage said Swaggart will be given time to respond to the General Presbytery’s penalty.

Move to Dismiss

“If they haven’t heard from him in a few days, a reasonable period of time, they’ll assume he is rejecting their offer. In that case, they would move immediately to dismiss him,” Turnage said.

On Thursday, the Rev. Ansley Orfila of Slidell, one of 19 members of the Louisiana council, said Swaggart probably will leave the denomination rather than accept a yearlong preaching ban.

Assemblies General Supt. G. Raymond Carlson said Swaggart probably will be expelled from the denomination if he ignores the national penalty.