BATON ROUGE, La. — Na wah! Na so we dey hear say Jimmy Swaggart, di popular preacher wey don dey bring God matter come television since di 1970s, don finally bow out from dis earth. E don waka go meet him Savior after two weeks wey him dey hospital. Dis man, wey dey shine like star for Christian television, don reach 90 years before him say enough don be enough.
Dem announce di news for him Facebook page wey show say people dem dey cry and dey remember di many good work wey di man do, even though plenty people fit recall di sharp bend wey him career take when scandal show face for di gospel movement. As dem talk, ‘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.’
Swaggart fall sick on June 15 due to cardiac arrest, and him family don thank di hospital, Baton Rouge General Medical Center, for di care dem give during di tensed time (how many pastors fit survive like dis?).
The televangelist don dey famous since 1975 when him come up with dis radio and television things wey make am shine like star. But no be so e go be na when dem catch am for 1988 with one prosti, wey spoil im reputation finish. Dat moment e find di way to apologize wey wey no really clarify wetin happen, but everybody sabi say e don mess up no be small.
At di time, e beg di congregation say ‘I have sinned against you’ but e no really go into di matter of di arrangement wey no too pure (chisos!). Dis man wey start as son of preacher for Louisiana maybe no know say e career go sabi for scandal too, but life no be smell of jollof rice; sometimes e be like mud.
After di scandal wey gree break him, Swaggart try to hold di ministry together, but e no really reach di kind glory wey e dey chop before, even though e dey carry go dey preach for long after dat wahala.
For di last decades of im life, e continue dey work on im ministry, dey do radio shows and dey play gospel music wey many still dey listen till today. E believe say dem don build Jimmy Swaggart Ministries into multi-million dollar empire, but all na wash in di name of di Lord, wey you fit call messiah mismanagement.
Swaggart don see all sorts, at one time police catch am for California with another ‘friend of the night’ while e dey drive wrong side of di road. Dem even catch am dey hide pornographic magazines (who no go suspect?), but na di same man wey dey preach holiness for di congregation. Na so life take be, sha.
We go miss di man wey don change plenty lives with im fiery sermons and di catchy tunes wey dey commot for di family worship center wey e don build. But one thing wey no go change na di legacy wey e don leave behind – for good, and for bad. I just dey wonder wetin go happen to di ministry without im guidance. Make we all just dey watch di space.
