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CBS News
an hour ago
- General
- CBS News
John MacArthur, influential evangelical preacher, dies at 86
The Rev. John MacArthur, an influential and exacting evangelical preacher, died Monday at the age of 86. He led Grace Community Church in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sun Valley for more than five decades. The church announced his death on its website, praising his "56 years of faithful ministry." On Sunday, Tom Patton, one of the church's pastors, told the congregation MacArthur had been hospitalized with pneumonia. MacArthur made news during the coronavirus pandemic for flouting Los Angeles County's health orders by holding indoor services for hundreds of congregants and refusing to enforce masking and physical-distancing requirements. Well before then, his influence had spread far beyond Southern California, where he grew up and took the helm of his nondenominational congregation at age 29. His Grace to You broadcast ministry circulated his theologically conservative teachings while his many books, including the popular MacArthur Study Bible, were translated into dozens of languages. "His legacy as a pastor and teacher in the faith will continue to inspire many generations to come," said Jonathan Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University, where MacArthur had given the convocation address. Dressed in a suit and tie, he eschewed pop culture references and emotional appeals from the pulpit, even as they became mainstays of modern evangelicalism. His followers lauded him for his expository preaching, in which he walked them through Scripture line by line. He wanted his sermons to be timeless explanations of the Bible as he interpreted it. "He could get more out of a Bible verse than anyone I've ever known," evangelical leader Franklin Graham wrote on social media. He called MacArthur one of "America's great Bible teachers." He was "a lion of the pulpit," wrote the Rev. Al Mohler, a Southern Baptist leader, for the evangelical World magazine. "He was a preacher God used to make other preachers better preachers." MacArthur was unafraid to stir controversy for the sake of his beliefs, even deriding fellow evangelicals for what he saw as incorrect teachings and theology, including the growing charismatic wing of Christianity. He was an outspoken proponent of complementarianism – the belief that men and women have different roles and women should not be pastors. He publicly rebuked two influential evangelical women: the popular Bible teacher Beth Moore and the Rev. Paula White-Cain, a spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump. During a packed, indoor Sunday morning service at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, MacArthur told applauding congregants that they were not meeting to be rebellious, but because "our Lord has commanded us to come together and worship him." The county and the church traded lawsuits, with the latter arguing the COVID-19 mandates violated their constitutional right to religious freedom. In August 2021, the county's board of supervisors voted to pay Grace Community Church to settle the lawsuit — an outcome MacArthur hailed as a "monumental victory." The church has also weathered allegations related to its handling of abuse allegations and its treatment of women leaving abusive marriages. MacArthur hailed from a long line of pastors, including his father. As part of his ministry, he helped train future church leaders through the Master's University and the Master's Seminary, both in Southern California. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, and his four adult children, Matt, Marcy, Mark and Melinda, along with 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. The church statement described him as a "beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather" and asked for prayers on his family's behalf. MacArthur had suffered from health problems in recent years, including heart and lung procedures. "Even in recent years, though beset with health challenges, he persisted in teaching, leading, and investing in the ministries the Lord had entrusted to him," the church statement said. MacArthur spoke about his ill health in a video message to a church leadership conference earlier this year. "I realize I'm on the last lap," he said. "That takes on a new meaning when you know you're on the short end of the candle. I am all thanks and praise to God for everything he's allowed me to be a part of and everything he's accomplished by his Word in these years of ministry."
NBC News
3 hours ago
- General
- NBC News
Influential evangelical preacher John MacArthur dies at 86
The Rev. John MacArthur, an influential and exacting evangelical preacher, died Monday at the age of 86. He led Grace Community Church in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sun Valley for more than five decades. His ministry announced his death on social media. On Sunday, Tom Patton, one of the church's pastors, told the congregation MacArthur had been hospitalized with pneumonia. MacArthur made news during the coronavirus pandemic for flouting Los Angeles County's health orders by holding indoor services for hundreds of congregants and refusing to enforce masking and physical-distancing requirements. Well before then, his influence had spread far beyond Southern California, where he grew up and took the helm of his nondenominational congregation at age 29. His Grace to You broadcast ministry circulated his theologically conservative teachings while his many books, including the popular MacArthur Study Bible, were translated into dozens of languages. 'His legacy as a pastor and teacher in the faith will continue to inspire many generations to come,' said Jonathan Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University, where MacArthur had given the convocation address. Dressed in a suit and tie, he eschewed pop culture references and emotional appeals from the pulpit, even as they became mainstays of modern evangelicalism. His followers lauded him for his expository preaching, in which he walked them through Scripture line by line. He wanted his sermons to be timeless explanations of the Bible as he interpreted it. 'He could get more out of a Bible verse than anyone I've ever known,' evangelical leader Franklin Graham wrote on social media. He called MacArthur one of 'America's great Bible teachers.' He was 'a lion of the pulpit,' wrote the Rev. Al Mohler, a Southern Baptist leader, for the evangelical World magazine. 'He was a preacher God used to make other preachers better preachers.' MacArthur was unafraid to stir controversy for the sake of his beliefs, even deriding fellow evangelicals for what he saw as incorrect teachings and theology, including the growing charismatic wing of Christianity. He was an outspoken proponent of complementarianism — the belief that men and women have different roles and women should not be pastors. He publicly rebuked two influential evangelical women: the popular Bible teacher Beth Moore and the Rev. Paula White-Cain, a spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump. During a packed, indoor Sunday morning service at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, MacArthur told applauding congregants that they were not meeting to be rebellious, but because 'our Lord has commanded us to come together and worship him.' The county and the church traded lawsuits, with the latter arguing the COVID-19 mandates violated their constitutional right to religious freedom. In August 2021, the county's board of supervisors voted to pay $800,000 to Grace Community Church to settle the lawsuit — an outcome MacArthur hailed as a 'monumental victory.' The church has also weathered allegations related to its handling of abuse allegations and its treatment of women leaving abusive marriages. MacArthur hailed from a long line of pastors, including his father. As part of his ministry, he helped train future church leaders through the Master's University and the Master's Seminary, both in Southern California. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, and his four adult children, Matt, Marcy, Mark and Melinda, along with 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. MacArthur had suffered from health problems in recent years, including heart and lung procedures. He spoke about his ill health in a video message to a church leadership conference earlier this year. 'I realize I'm on the last lap,' he said. 'That takes on a new meaning when you know you're on the short end of the candle. I am all thanks and praise to God for everything he's allowed me to be a part of and everything he's accomplished by his Word in these years of ministry.'
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Influential evangelical preacher John MacArthur dies at 86
The Rev. John MacArthur, an influential and exacting evangelical preacher, died Monday at the age of 86. He led Grace Community Church in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sun Valley for more than five decades. His ministry announced his death on social media. On Sunday, Tom Patton, one of the church's pastors, told the congregation MacArthur had been hospitalized with pneumonia. MacArthur made news during the coronavirus pandemic for flouting Los Angeles County's health orders by holding indoor services for hundreds of congregants and refusing to enforce masking and physical-distancing requirements. Well before then, his influence had spread far beyond Southern California, where he grew up and took the helm of his nondenominational congregation at age 29. His Grace to You broadcast ministry circulated his theologically conservative teachings while his many books, including the popular MacArthur Study Bible, were translated into dozens of languages. Dressed in a suit and tie, he eschewed pop culture references and emotional appeals from the pulpit, even as they became mainstays of modern evangelicalism. His followers lauded him for his expository preaching, in which he walked them through Scripture line by line. He wanted his sermons to be timeless explanations of the Bible as he interpreted it. 'He could get more out of a Bible verse than anyone I've ever known,' evangelical leader Franklin Graham wrote on social media. He called MacArthur one of 'America's great Bible teachers.' He was 'a lion of the pulpit,' wrote the Rev. Al Mohler, a Southern Baptist leader, for the evangelical World magazine. 'He was a preacher God used to make other preachers better preachers.' MacArthur was unafraid to stir controversy for the sake of his beliefs, even deriding fellow evangelicals for what he saw as incorrect teachings and theology, including the growing charismatic wing of Christianity. He was an outspoken proponent of complementarianism – the belief that men and women have different roles and women should not be pastors. He publicly rebuked two influential evangelical women: the popular Bible teacher Beth Moore and the Rev. Paula White-Cain, a spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump. During a packed, indoor Sunday morning service at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, MacArthur told applauding congregants that they were not meeting to be rebellious, but because 'our Lord has commanded us to come together and worship him.' The county and the church traded lawsuits, with the latter arguing the COVID-19 mandates violated their constitutional right to religious freedom. In August 2021, the county's board of supervisors voted to pay $800,000 to Grace Community Church to settle the lawsuit — an outcome MacArthur hailed as a 'monumental victory.' The church has also weathered allegations related to its handling of abuse allegations and its treatment of women leaving abusive marriages. MacArthur hailed from a long line of pastors, including his father. As part of his ministry, he helped train future church leaders through the Master's University and the Master's Seminary, both in Southern California. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, and his four adult children, Matt, Marcy, Mark and Melinda, along with 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. MacArthur had suffered from health problems in recent years, including heart and lung procedures. He spoke about his ill health in a video message to a church leadership conference earlier this year. 'I realize I'm on the last lap,' he said. 'That takes on a new meaning when you know you're on the short end of the candle. I am all thanks and praise to God for everything he's allowed me to be a part of and everything he's accomplished by his Word in these years of ministry.' ___ Associated Press writer Deepa Bharath in Los Angeles contributed. ___
USA Today
5 hours ago
- General
- USA Today
What to know about John MacArthur, Grace Community Church pastor dead at 86
John MacArthur, the 86-year-old pastor of a Los Angeles megachurch, died after being hospitalized with pneumonia. Many are mourning the death of John MacArthur, a Southern California megachurch pastor known for his powerful preaching, prolific writing and willingness to wade into public controversies. MacArthur, 86, served as the spiritual leader of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles for decades and delivered thousands of sermons over the course of his career. He was known for his "careful study and verse-by-verse exposition of the Bible, with special attention devoted to the historical and grammatical background behind each passage," the church said. News of his death has sparked an outpouring of grief on social media. He is survived by his wife Patricia, their children, 15 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Here's what to know about John MacArthur: Where did John MacArthur preach? Since 1969, MacArthur has been pastor of Grace Community Church, located in the working-class community of Sun Valley, a neighborhood in Los Angeles County. How did John MacArthur die? MacArthur contracted pneumonia last week and was hospitalized, associate Pastor Tom Patton told the congregation at a July 13 service. On July 14, his church announced he had died. How did John MacArthur rise to fame? During the early days of MacArthur's leadership, the church said it doubled in size every two years. The 3,500-set auditorium was regularly packed for two morning worship services, according to the church, and thousands of members flocked to weekly fellowship groups and training programs. MacArthur reached an even wider audience by writing nearly 400 books and study guides. The "cornerstone resource of his ministry" was The MacArthur Study Bible, his church said. MacArthur also served as president of Grace to You, a nonprofit organization responsible for distributing his books as well as radio and television programs that air daily across the world. All 3,000 sermons delivered by MacArthur were made available on the Grace to You website. In the mid-1980s, MacArthur also became chancellor of The Master's University and Seminary, a four-year liberal arts Christian college in Santa Clarita, California, and founded The Master's Seminary, a graduate school that trained men in pastoral and missionary work. John MacArthur stirred controversy MacArthur, like some other preachers across the U.S., catapulted into the public spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic when he hosted large gatherings despite city policies to limit congregations to small numbers outside. The church filed a lawsuit, arguing the restrictions infringed on religious freedom, and later said it received an $800,000 settlement from the state and county. MacArthur also released a video on social media saying Master's University would not require anyone to be vaccinated. "Something else you'll never hear at the Master's University is social justice, critical race theory, white privilege, white guilt, racial identity," he said in a 2021 YouTube video. "We don't teach that, we don't advocate that, that's not biblical." In a 2020 podcast, MacArthur said that he spoke with President Donald Trump about why Christians could not vote Democratic, the New York Times reported. 'There's no way that a Christian could affirm the slaughter of babies, homosexual activity, homosexual marriage or any kind of gross immorality," he said, according to the outlet. Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and James Powel, USA TODAY
USA Today
5 hours ago
- Health
- USA Today
How did John MacArthur die? What we know about pastor's cause of death
John MacArthur, the longtime pastor of a megachurch in Southern California and founder of a syndicated media ministry, died July 14 after being hospitalized with pneumonia. "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," MacArthur's media ministry, Grace to You, wrote on social media. "This evening, his faith became sight." MacArthur, 86, was the pastor at Grace Community Church, a nondenominational congregation in Sun Valley, California, a post he held since 1969. Tom Patton, another pastor at Grace Community Church, said at a July 13 service that MacArthur had been hospitalized after contracting pneumonia. USA TODAY has reached out to Grace Community Church. John MacArthur cause of death: What we know MacArthur's cause of death has not been announced, though he had been hospitalized with pneumonia in his final days, Patton said. "This week pastor John contracted pneumonia," Patton said. "He was admitted into the hospital and may be in the presence of the Lord soon." A message on Grace Community Church's website noted the same about MacArthur's condition. "Last week, Pastor John unexpectedly contracted pneumonia, and the Lord took him home on Monday, July 14," the message said. A message on Grace to You's website said MacArthur died "after dealing with some significant health challenges dating back to early 2023." "Just as the details of John's death are new to you, they are new to us as well. We probably have many of the same thoughts and feelings that you do," Grace to You's website said. USA TODAY has reached out to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office for more information. Grace to You's website also said there are currently no details about services for MacArthur. Who was John MacArthur? About his pastoral career John MacArthur was a pastor and author known for leading Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and for his work with the media ministry Grace to You. He was also the longtime president and chancellor of The Master's University, a private Christian university in Santa Clarita, California, and founder of The Master's Seminary in Los Angeles. MacArthur became the pastor at Grace Community Church in 1969 after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary in California, according to his leadership bio. Throughout his career, he also wrote nearly 400 books. Like some other preachers across the U.S., MacArthur entered the public spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic when he hosted large gatherings despite local policies limiting congregations to small numbers outside. "At the center of Dr. MacArthur's ministry was an unwavering commitment to declare God's truth, and Pastor John preached the Word in season and out of season," Grace Community Church's website says. "Even in recent years, though beset with health challenges, he persisted in teaching, leading, and investing in the ministries the Lord had entrusted to him." In addition to his wife of 61 years, Patricia, MacArthur is survived by four children, fifteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Contributing: James Powel and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
