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Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
John MacArthur, firebrand preacher and culture warrior, dies at 86
Advertisement His church's growth defied conventional wisdom about 'seeker-sensitivity,' a model that emphasized appealing to non-churchgoers. Rev. MacArthur rejected a more accessible evangelical preaching style that favored ostensibly real-life anecdotes and practical applications. His dogged emphasis on expository preaching -- narrowly focused on the meaning and historical context of a particular piece of Scripture -- influenced thousands of conservative Protestant pastors who studied at the seminary he led, or simply listened to his sermons on the radio or online. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Evangelicalism is a pulpit-driven movement, and John has driven the most influential pulpit in evangelical Christianity for more than a half a century,' R. Albert Mohler Jr., the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville, Ky., said in an interview this year. In recent years, Rev. MacArthur increasingly waded into political and cultural skirmishes. He denounced critical race theory and became a leading Christian critic of 'wokeness.' After his church closed for several months at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, it defied state public health orders and began holding indoor in-person services. The church later received an $800,000 settlement from the state and Los Angeles County, after suing on the grounds that the restrictions impinged on religious freedom. Advertisement In August 2020, Rev. MacArthur told an interviewer for a podcast associated with Liberty University that President Trump had called him to thank him for 'taking a stand' on church closures. The two men discussed why 'Christians could not vote Democratic,' MacArthur said. 'There's no way that a Christian could affirm the slaughter of babies, homosexual activity, homosexual marriage, or any kind of gross immorality.' Rev. MacArthur didn't just clash with secular authorities and liberal politicians. More often, he took on perceived enemies within Christianity. He preached on the errors of Roman Catholicism and published multiple books on the dangers of charismatic theology and the prosperity gospel -- strains of Protestantism that emphasize miraculous healing and promises of wealth, and that flourished over the course of his lifetime. He attacked popular evangelical figures including the Bible teacher Beth Moore and various pastors, including televangelists Robert Schuller and Joel Osteen, always citing specific Bible verses in his critiques. His interest in threats to Christianity from within was evident early on: He wrote his graduate thesis on Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus in the Gospels' account. Rev. MacArthur's preaching style was deceptively simple. He would speak for about 45 minutes, walking his congregation line by line through a single Bible passage. He also produced a popular study Bible and a 33-volume set of New Testament commentaries, among many other books. Advertisement His critics said that he misled listeners by insisting that even the thorniest passages in the New Testament had a single clear, true meaning. To his supporters, this was exactly the point. Unlike liberal pastors and academics, Rev. MacArthur believed that 'there's a historical, grammatical, literal sense to the text that can be derived through study,' said Austin Duncan, the director of the MacArthur Center for Expository Preaching at the Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, Calif., which Rev. MacArthur had founded in 1986. 'It isn't a subjective thing, it's an objective reality.' In 1985, Rev. MacArthur became president of the former Los Angeles Baptist College, now known as the Master's University. He opened the Master's Seminary soon afterward to train men -- and only men -- to become pastors. Unlike many pastors who ascend to a national platform, Rev. MacArthur never gave up his local role: He was the head pastor at Grace Community Church for more than 56 years. An online archive of his sermons includes more than 3,000 recordings. Known in many evangelical circles as simply 'JMac,' he had a preaching approach that translated well overseas, where it required little cultural interpretation. His books have been translated into at least 40 languages. And even his older sermons have not aged as noticeably as more recent ones from other pastors, who make frequent reference to pop culture or newspaper headlines. Rev. MacArthur 'inspired thousands of pastors to believe that explaining what the Bible means honors God, saves people, and is just plain interesting,' John Piper, a retired pastor and popular theologian in Minnesota who was a longtime friend, said in an email. 'To this day, from Dallas to Dubai, young people (especially men) come up to me and say that they listen to John MacArthur.' Advertisement John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. was born June 19, 1939. He was the eldest child of Jack MacArthur, a Baptist pastor, and Irene (Dockendorf) MacArthur, who managed the home. The family lived briefly in Philadelphia and Chicago during his childhood, but he was raised primarily in Southern California, where he would spend the rest of his life. He spent a few years at the fundamentalist Bob Jones University, following his father's prodding, and then transferred to Los Angeles Pacific College to play football and other sports. Rev. MacArthur was a fifth-generation preacher. His grandfather, Harry MacArthur, had a live weekly radio and television program in the 1940s, 'The Voice of Calvary.' His father eventually took it over, and Rev. MacArthur began preaching occasionally on Sunday evenings. He married Patricia Sue Smith, whom he met at his father's church, in 1963. In addition to his wife, he leaves their four children, Matthew, Marcy Gwinn, Mark, and Melinda Welch; two sisters, Jeanette DeAngelis and Jane Walker; 15 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. He arrived at Grace Community Church in February of 1969. On his first Sunday, the 29-year-old preached to his new congregation on three verses from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. In the passage, Jesus says that not everyone who professes faith will enter the kingdom of heaven. Most American church members, Rev. MacArthur told his congregants, were likewise 'dead spiritually.' Advertisement He intended to nurture Grace as a living church, which to him meant one that boldly proclaimed the truth, no matter if it led to conflict. 'The church must be the conscience of the world,' he said. 'The church must be so well defined that it becomes the antagonist of the world.' This article originally appeared in
CBS News
10 hours 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
11 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.'
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Indiana Pacers' Draft Pick Reveals What He Brings to the Team
Indiana Pacers' Draft Pick Reveals What He Brings to the Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With the 54th pick in the NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers selected Taelon Peter from Liberty University. Advertisement Peter was expected to go undrafted by most experts, as he did not play in a major conference and didn't even start for the Flames, although it didn't stop him from averaging 13.7 points while shooting a red-hot 45.3 percent from deep and leading the NCAA in true shooting percentage. As a late pick, Peter knows he likely won't play a big role on the Pacers, although with Tyrese Haliburton out for the season, they could use some guard help. "It's always great to be on a winning team, a team that doesn't need you to come in and change the whole franchise, it's something that's better than going to a place that expects you to change the whole thing, so being able to come in here with guys who are on the up and learn from them, learn their habits, learn what they do to win and be successful and have time to settle in and adapt to what they're doing here is a blessing," he summed up. Most fans likely aren't familiar with Peter's game, unless they closely follow mid-major college basketball, although he insists that he is a winner and thinks coming off the bench for the Flames actually helps his game. Advertisement He thinks that fault is actually an overlooked advantage. "First and foremost, I'm a winner," he continued. "I do whatever the team needs to win, but I'm an energy guy, I'm a spark plug. I got comfortable last year with coming off the bench and coming in and making a spark in the game, but I would say I can make 3s, on the move, catch and shoot, and I'm a sneaky athlete." Peter will get his first chance to show off his skills in the Summer League, with the Pacers taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 10. Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Indiana Pacers Linked to 20.4PPG Scorer in NBA Trade Rumors Related: Indiana Pacers Make Trade With Memphis Grizzlies For Backup Center This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
AFP
02-07-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Photo shows address to students, not 'activist briefing lawmakers about vote rigging in South Korea'
"Ambassador Morse Tan is delivering a speech at the US Congress about fraud in South Korea's presidential election," reads part of the Korean-language text above a photo shared on Facebook on July 1, 2025. "That the US Congress invited him to speak means that it cannot accept Lee Jae-myung as president," it continues, referring to the winner of South Korea's June 3 election (archived link). The photo shows Morse Tan -- a former US State Department ambassador-at-large for the Office of Global Criminal Justice -- speaking to an audience from a podium with the American flag visible in the background (archived link). Days earlier, Tan and other far-right figures held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, where they promoted conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of the South Korean election (archived link). South Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo reported that Tan also made inflammatory accusations against Lee during the event, including baseless claims about his past (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on July 1, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same image was also shared in multiple Facebook groups supporting South Korean conservative politicians. "The US legislature will soon invalidate Lee Jae-myung's election," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "The whole world knows Lee is a fake president." The photo, however, has circulated online since at least 2022 -- years before Lee was elected. University courtroom A reverse image search on Google led to the same photo posted on the website of Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian institution in Virginia (archived link). Its caption reads: "Dean Morse Tan addresses the Class of 2022 during the annual Ad Fontes ceremony." Archives of the same webpage show the photo on the university's website since at least November 2022. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the Liberty University photo (right) Tan was addressing the students in Liberty University School of Law's 330-seat Supreme Courtroom, which the institution's website says "features a nine-seat bench, an exact replica of the US Supreme Courtroom bench" and is used for "mock trials, law convocations, and special law events" (archived here and here). As of July 2, there are no official reports of Tan addressing Congress or being invited to speak before lawmakers on the topic of South Korean elections after Lee's election victory. According to the US Senate's official website, speeches before joint sessions of Congress are typically reserved for heads of state (archived link). AFP has debunked various allegations of fraud in South Korea's previous elections.
