On October 11, 1991, Swaggart was found in the company of a prostitute for a second time. In July 1988 the college dormitories were re-branded and listed as apartments. The estimate was based on the number of students who had registered and the inquiries from potential students. Enrollment in August 1988 was projected to be about 400 students, compared to 1,451 students last year in 1987. In 1988 the enrollment at the Bible college was projected to drop 72% that year but the school was planning to proceed with plans to open a theological seminary. JSBC enrollment dropped drastically in 1988 when students left as a result of Swaggart's scandal with Debra Murphree, followed by accreditation issues.
In 1991, Swaggart's career as standard televangelist came to an end after more local TV stations cancelled their contracts with him following a second prostitution scandal. In 1988, Swaggart lost some of his broadcast and merchandise rights following his first prostitution scandal. The scandals inspired the Ozzy Osbourne song "Miracle Man" on Osbourne's 1988 album No Rest for the Wicked, and a reference in the Iron Maiden song "Holy Smoke", a hit single outside the USA, from the 1990 album No Prayer for the Dying.ĭuring his 1988 concerts, Bruce Hornsby would begin his song "Defenders of the Flag" from Scenes from the Southside with a tongue-in-cheek dedication to Swaggart. He spoke tearfully to his family, congregation, TV audience, and finally said "I have sinned against You, my Lord, and I would ask that Your Precious Blood would wash and cleanse every stain until it is in the seas of God's forgetfulness." On February 21, 1988, without giving any details regarding his transgressions, Swaggart gave his "I have sinned" speech. The presbytery leadership of the Assemblies of God decided that Swaggart should be suspended from broadcasting his television program for three months. One of the men shown leaving Room 7 was Swaggart. This was done to establish that the room was being used for prostitution. He was shown photos of several men coming in and going out of Room 7 at the Travel Inn Motel in New Orleans. Carlson summoned Hamill and Gorman to fly to Assemblies of God headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, and arranged for an emergency meeting of the presbyters. Raymond Carlson, the Assemblies Superintendent. On February 16, 1988, Gorman contacted James Hamil, one of the 13-man Executive Presbytery of the Assemblies of God, who called G. Gorman waited almost a year, then hand-delivered a note to Swaggart informing him his time was up Swaggart did not respond. Gorman offered to remain silent if Swaggart would state publicly that he lied about Gorman's affairs. As a result, Swaggart's ministry became nonaffiliated, nondenominational, and significantly smaller than it was in the ministry's pre-scandal years.Īccording to Swaggart: The Unauthorized Biography of an American Evangelist, by Ann Rowe Seaman, Gorman secured a promise from Swaggart that he would publicly apologize to Gorman and start the process of Gorman's reinstatement to the Assemblies of God. Three years later Swaggart was implicated in another scandal involving a prostitute. In 1988, Swaggart was implicated in a sex scandal involving a prostitute initially resulting in his suspension, and ultimately defrocking, by the Assemblies of God.