The Nation : Swaggart Donations Fall; 100 Laid Off

Jimmy Swaggart’s admission of sin and allegations of sexual misconduct have caused a sharp drop in donations, forcing his ministry to lay off 100 of its 1,200 employees and halt construction of a dormitory and offices at the Jimmy Swaggart Bible College in Baton Rouge, La. Gus Weill, a spokesman for Swaggart, was unsure how far donations had dropped since the television evangelist’s tearful admission to followers on Feb. 21. The Jimmy Swaggart Ministries took in $141.6 million in 1986--$128.5 million as contributions and the rest from sales of Bibles, books, records and cassette tapes of sermons and songs by Swaggart, whose program reaches 150 countries.