The Swaggarts have accepted gifts from loyal members of his video flock that include a diamond-studded gold Rolex watch, fine clothes and a mink coat. Swaggart and his wife, Frances, drive matching late-model Lincoln Town Cars and fly to appearances around the country in a private Gulfstream jet aircraft that once was owned by the Rockefeller family. The highly polished parquet living room floor is partly covered with an Oriental carpet, and off the master bedroom is a step-up Jacuzzi with faucets in the shape of golden swans. However, his Ministries are still operating in several radio stations that operate under the name Sonlife Radio.His two-story, high-columned “parsonage,” as it is called by ministry officials, sits behind a tall fence to assure privacy and is situated on 20 landscaped acres, including a swimming pool. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Swaggart sold many of his radio stations gradually. The station broadcast Christian feature stories, preaching and teaching to various fundamentalist and Pentecostal denominations, and playing music. In addition, he purchased a local AM radio station, WPFC. In the late 1960s, Swaggart started conducting a weekly 30-minute telecast over various local television stations in Baton Rouge.
Fortunately, the church eventually became district-affiliated with the Assemblies of God. In the late 1960s, he founded a small church named the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 1961, Assemblies of God ordained Swaggart and a year later he began his radio ministry. Subsequently, he began recording gospel music record albums and transmitting on Christian radio stations in 1960. Swaggart developed a revival-meeting following throughout the American South. Moreover, in 1955 he began full-time evangelistic work. Swaggart was preaching from a flatbed trailer donated to him. He also has a grandson Gabriel Swaggart who hosts the weekly Sonlife Broadcasting Network show Generation of the Cross.
Due to poverty, they could not own a home, therefore they lived in church basements, pastors’ homes, and small motels. Moreover, Swaggart preached throughout rural Louisiana, struggling to survive on US$30 a week. Additionally, he worked several part-time odd jobs to support his young family and also began singing Southern Gospel music at various churches. According to Swaggart’s autobiography, they lived in poverty during the 1950s. Together, they have a son named Donnie Swaggart. The couple met in church while he was playing music with his father.
Swaggart married his wife Frances Anderson Swaggart in 1952 at the age of 17 whereas his wife was 15 years old. He also had a sister, Jeanette Ensminger who died in 1999. Moreover, Swaggart іѕ thе nерhеw оf Аrіllа Ѕwаggаrt as well as thе соuѕіn оf Місkеу Gіllеу (rock’n’roll pioneer) аnd Јеrrу Lее Lеwіѕ (country music star).