Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart was rushed to the hospital and went into cardiac arrest, leaving fans worried about his status. According to his son and fellow minister Donnie Swaggart, "he never regained consciousness," and remains in critical condition. "Without a miracle, his time is short," Donnie told their congregation. "We're going to give the Lord an opportunity to work. We will not retreat. We will not quit."
During a recent service, Donnie offered a heartfelt prayer amid the uncertainty, saying, "I love you in spite of my father being in the hospital. I love you in spite of the tears that I've shed. I love you in spite of the pressure I feel on my shoulder." He continued, "We are believing God but also placed it into His hands. No questions. No complaints. As for God, His way is perfect."
Swaggart went into cardiac arrest on June 15. According to Donnie, the evangelist "never regained consciousness. We both took turns giving him chest compressions until EMT could get there and they were, I've never seen so many people arrive at one time and I want to thank them."
Donnie continued, saying, "This morning at a little after 8 [a.m.], Gabe and I rushed into Mother's house. Dad had gone into cardiac arrest. He never regained consciousness. We both took turns giving him chest compressions until EMT could get there and they were, I've never seen so many."
Yes, Donnie said the paramedics "were able to get a heartbeat back [in Jimmy]."
"Right now he is in ICU and without a miracle, without a miracle, his time will be short," the preacher added. "But we believe God. We're not giving up. We've already told the doctors we don't want to hear anything from them. We will make decisions in our own time. But we're going to give the Lord an opportunity to work."
Jimmy Swaggart Ministries followed up with a statement on June 16, saying that Jimmy "remains in the ICU, where he is under close medical care."
An official update was announced via Facebook on June 18. The statement read, "At this time, there has been no change in Brother Swaggart's condition. We continue to trust the Lord and give Him time to work, knowing that His ways are perfect."