• Jimmy Swaggart, famed Pentecostal televangelist and preacher, has died at the age of 90
• “We rejoice knowing that we will see him again one day,” his family said in a statement announcing Swaggart’s death on July 1
• Swaggart, who was suspended from his ministry after a 1988 sex scandal, died just weeks after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Louisiana home on June 15

Jimmy Swaggart, the famed Pentecostal televangelist and preacher, has died. He was 90.

His family announced his death in a statement on Tuesday, July 1, on his Facebook page.

“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,” his family wrote. “Today was the day he has sung about for decades. He met his beloved Savior and entered the portals of glory. At the same time, we rejoice knowing that we will see him again one day.”

Weeks before his death, Swaggart went into cardiac arrest at his Baton Rouge, La. home on June 15, according to WWLTV.

PEOPLE previously reported that Swaggart was in critical condition following the medical episode. 

Jimmy Swaggart. Jimmy Swaggart/Facebook

A statement previously posted to his official Facebook page on June 17 shared that there had been “no change” in his condition. 

“We continue to trust the Lord and give Him time to work, knowing that His ways are perfect,” the statement read in part. “We do ask that you keep Sister Swaggart in your prayers—these past two days have been especially difficult for her. Please also pray for the entire Swaggart family during this time. The family is grateful for your prayers, your support, and the love you’ve shown.”

Jimmy Swaggart. Cynthia Johnson/Getty

Speaking during a prayer service on June 15, Swaggart’s son Donnie, who now runs his ministry, shared the news of his cardiac arrest and said, “Without a miracle, his time will be short,” WWLTV reported.

Jimmy shares Donnie with his wife Frances Swaggart, whom he married over 70 years ago.

According to the Jimmy Swaggart Ministries website, the pair wed on Oct. 10, 1952, when Jimmy was just 17 years old. 

Frances and Jimmy Swaggart in Baton Rouge in 1989. Bill Haber/AP

“Other than my Salvation, she is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me, and I think the greatest thing that’s ever happened to the Work of God,” the website reads. “Throughout all of these years, we’ve seen some great days, and we’ve seen some hard days; however, not one single time have I ever seen her lose Faith. And if a person will not lose their Faith, there is very little they cannot do.”

Swaggart is also survived by three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Jimmy Swaggart speaking while holding a copy of the Bible. Thomas S. England/Getty 

Born in Ferriday, Louisiana, on March 15, 1935, Jimmy launched a full-time ministry in 1955, according to his website. Three years later, he released his first album, Some Golden Daybreak, and he went on to sell over 17 million records before founding the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge in 1971. 

His television career began in 1973 with the production of a weekly program titled The Jimmy Swaggart Evangelistic Association Presents Jimmy Swaggart, also known as the Jimmy Swaggart telecast, and he went on to build the empire known as Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, which also consists of the SonLife Broadcasting Network, which he launched in 2010.

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According to the website, Jimmy has “preached the gospel of Jesus Christ on television longer than any other American evangelist in history.”

His ministry was rocked by a 1988 scandal when he was caught on camera with a New Orleans sex worker as the two entered a motel. 

“Yes, he got knocked down, yes, we had a rather large bump in the road,” Jimmy Swaggart Ministries spokesperson Megan Kelly told WWLTV on June 16. “But he has come back and the comeback story has been far greater than anything else. The lives saved. The lives that have been touched through his ministry are endless.”

Kelly added that Jimmy’s health had been in decline for several years before his death.