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NEW ORLEANS (AP) Evangelist Marvin Gorman admit ted Wednesday that his television ministry was losing money even be fore reports of his sexual indiscre tions were made public in 1986. In a $90 million dollar defamation suit, Gorman has blamed rival evangelist Jimmy Swaggart and others for spreading false rumors ab out him to wreck the Gorman mini stry financially. But under questioning from Lee Butler, a lawyer for insurers of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, Gor man said his own ministry lost $575,000 in 1985. He also said the ministry’s accu mulated deficit by the end of that year was listed on accounting re cords as $266,000. But Gorman ack nowledged that a $313,000 loan to the Teen Challenge ministry was listed as an asset even though it was unlikely to be collected. ‘“‘The fact is, sir, in 1985, there was absolutely no prospect of “Teen Challenge’ paying that debt?’’ But ler asked. ‘Oh, certainly, that was true,”’ Gorman said. Gorman said he believed he was turning his financial troubles around the next year but acknowledged that the ministry lost $40,000 in the first five months of that year. It was in mid 1986 that he admitted to a single act of adultery with a woman he had been counseling. He was ousted from the Assemblies of God denom ination that year. Earlier in the morning, the judge in the case warned Swaggart lawyers to stop what he called repetitive and argumentative questioning. It was the second day in a row that Swag gart’s attorneys drew criticism from the judge. Attorney Wayne Lee grilled Gor man most of Tuesday on details of the minister’s sexual relations. State Judge Julian Bailes called a halt to the questioning shortly after Lee pressed Gorman as to why he had sex with Lynda Savage, a minis ter’s wife Gorman was counseling. Gorman repeated his testimony that he was tempted into intercourse when Savage began kissing him and “‘grabbed my crotch.”’ ““Didn’t you testify that Jane Tal bot grabbed you in the crotch?’’ Lee asked, referring to earlier testimony about another woman who allegedly tempted Gorman. “I did,’’ Gorman answered. “‘How many other women have grabbed your crotch?’’ asked Lee. ““Only two, other than my wife.”’ With the jury laughing, Bailes turned to Lee and, in a stern voice, said, ‘‘I think you have beat this horse to death. That is enough.’’ Bailes also rebuked Lee on four occasions for asking questions that would, by necessity, call on Gorman to give hearsay evidence. “‘I’ve asked you not to do that be fore,’’ Bailes said at one point. “‘Now, I’m telling you. Don’t do it again.’ It was Gorman’s second day on the witness stand. On Monday, he detailed what he said was his only sexual liaison with Savage, denying claims that he had confessed to other dalliances in a 1986 meeting of mi nisters at Swaggart’s home. In his lawsuit, Gorman accuses Swaggart and others of spreading false rumors about him to ruin his growing television ministry, which later went bankrupt. During Tuesday testimony, Gor man said the rumors of widespread sexual misconduct were bad enough, but the spreading of a story that the devil spoke in his voice during a 1986 exorcism was the worst thing that could happen to him. Lawyers for Gorman have ac cused the Rev. Tom Miller, a co defendant, of telling people that the devil spoke in Gorman’s voice dur ing an exorcism at an Assemblies of God church in New Orleans. The ceremony involved an unidentified woman and took place about two months after Gorman’s acknow ledged 1986 confession that he com mitted adultery with Savage. ‘*What else can be done to me? Now, I’m the devil,’’ Gorman said when asked by his attorney, Hunter Lundy, how he reacted to the reports. “*There was supposed to be a de mon talking (through the woman) in my voice, threatening to destroy all the churches in New Orleans.. ‘I heard they were calling for prayer meetings in the city to keep the demon from tearing up churches. When you’re accused of having an evil spirit, that’s the worst thing that can happen to a minister.”’
Newspaper Details
Orange Leader
Orange, Texas, US
Thu, Aug 15, 1991
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Teenchallenge E.
USA 09 Sep 2026
Other Publications Near Orange, Texas
Orange Leader
Orange Leader and Citizen Record Consolidated
