What to know about John MacArthur, Grace Community Church pastor dead at 86
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
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