John MacArthur, the pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, passed away on Monday at the age of 86 after fighting pneumonia.
A post on Monday night from the X account of “Grace to You,” MacArthur’s media ministry, shared the sad but joyful news: “Our hearts are heavy, yet rejoicing, as we share the news that our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has entered into the presence of the Savior. This evening, his faith became sight. He faithfully endured until his race was run.”
This announcement followed a message from associate pastor Tom Patton to church members during a Sunday service on July 13, where he said MacArthur had been hospitalized with the illness, according to Caldron Pool.
“This week, Pastor John contracted pneumonia,” Patton said during the service. “He was admitted into the hospital and may be in the presence of the Lord soon.”
MacArthur started his role at Grace Community Church after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary in 1969, according to the church’s website. During his leadership, the church grew tremendously. The two morning worship services filled the 3,500-seat auditorium to full capacity, and thousands of members joined different training programs and fellowship groups.
In 1985, MacArthur became president of The Master’s University, a four-year Christian college in Santa Clarita. The next year, he founded The Master’s Seminary, a graduate school that prepares men for full-time pastor jobs and missionary work, according to Grace Community Church.
He also served as president and main teacher for Grace to You, a nonprofit group that creates and shares his audio recordings, books, and the “Grace to You” TV and radio programs.
MacArthur wrote nearly 400 books and study resources, including *The Gospel According to Jesus* and *Our Sufficiency in Christ*, and his work has been translated into more than two dozen languages, according to the church’s website.
The pastor made national headlines in 2020 when a California judge ruled that the church could keep holding in-person services, even though Gov. Gavin Newsom had set statewide rules to limit gatherings because of the coronavirus.
MacArthur had dealt with health problems for years, including a sudden illness while preaching at a 2023 service. After that, he had several surgeries for atrial fibrillation and other conditions.
But his health kept getting worse. Patton told church members that the pastor’s recovery from “three surgeries in the second half of 2024” was “slower than expected,” and there were “occasional setbacks affecting his heart, lungs and kidneys.”
Earlier this year, MacArthur was in the hospital for a “second procedure” on his lungs, the report said.
MacArthur is survived by his wife, Patricia, four children, and fifteen grandchildren.
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Author: Publius
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