CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: [UPDATE] Pastor John MacArthur Passes at 86 | Grace Community Church Reflects on His Powerful Legacy [#JohnMacArthur]
CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: [UPDATE] Pastor John MacArthur Passes at 86 | Grace Community Church Reflects on His Powerful Legacy [#JohnMacArthur]
Hi everyone,
John MacArthur, a renowned Bible teacher, author, and longtime pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, has gone to be with the Lord.
Known for his unwavering commitment to expository preaching and the authority of Scripture, MacArthur served faithfully for over five decades, shaping generations of pastors, believers, and Bible students around the world.
Grace Community Church released an official statement expressing grief and hope, celebrating MacArthurâs extraordinary legacy of preaching, teaching, and faithfulness.
Join us in remembering his life, ministry, and influence across the global church.
The Bible says in Matthew 25:23
His lord said to him, âWell done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.â
QUESTION: What was one way John MacArthur influenced your walk with Christ? Let us remember his legacy in the Comments section.
https://gracechurch.org/news/posts/4230
Source: Grace Community Church Website, gracechurch.org
It is with both sadness and hope that the elders of Grace Community Church announce that Pastor John MacArthur has gone to be with the Lord after 56 years of faithful ministry. Last week, Pastor John unexpectedly contracted pneumonia, and the Lord took him home on Monday, July 14. Dr. MacArthur was 86 years old.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia; four children; fifteen grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
To millions through the media ministry of Grace to You, Pastor John was a preacher of the Word. To tens of thousands of students, he was the beloved president and chancellor of The Master’s University. To thousands of graduates of The Master’s Seminary, he was a champion of biblical exposition. To numerous churches and pastors abroad through The Master’s Academy International, he was a stalwart for the truth. To his church, he was our dear pastorâa fearless leader in challenging times. To his family, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
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. 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. Pastor John modeled a true fortitude for His Lord Jesus, believing that to live is Christ and therefore to die is gain. Having fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith, Pastor John was summoned home by his heavenly Master. His faith is now sight; he is at home with the Lord; and he has heard the words, “Well done good and faithful slave” (Matthew 25:21).
Join with us in praying for Pastor John’s wife, Patricia, and family in this season of sadness mixed with eternal joy. Though our hearts are heavy with this loss, we do “not grieve as do the rest who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). For those who die in Christ are His, and He loses not one. This is the hope Pastor John preached in his final sermon series on Revelation: “The worthy Lamb will come and conquer this sinful world and reign forever. And we will reign with Him. Glory upon glory upon glory. I donât know about you, but I say with the apostle John, ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’â
After dealing with some significant health challenges dating back to early 2023, our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has gone to be with Christ. His earthly ministry has ended, and he has gone to his heavenly reward.
John MacArthur was the pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since 1969. He became president of The Masterâs University in 1985, and president of The Masterâs Seminary when it was founded in 1986.
From the beginning of his pulpit ministry, John has been the one and only Bible teacher with Grace to You. For decades, people have asked us a reasonable question: What will Grace to You do when the day comes that John goes to glory?
Johnâs answer has always been that we will keep doing what weâve always done. While this is a profound loss, our commitmentâour planâhas not changed. As the Lord sustains this work, Grace to You will always and only distribute the Bible teaching of John MacArthur.
Just as the details of Johnâs 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. And while we grieve, we donât grieve as those who are without hope (1 Thess. 4:13).
We currently have no details about services for John, but we will provide that information here as soon as we have it.
https://www.facebook.com/GracetoYou/posts/1199295888907010
Source: Grace to You Facebook Account, @GracetoYou
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. More information will be available soon.
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:1-8
https://x.com/Phil_Johnson_/status/1944940815484133637
Source: Phil Johnson X Account, @Phil_Johnson_
John MacArthur went to glory this evening at 6:17pm PST.
đ˘ Breaking News: Pastor John MacArthur Passes Away at 86
PastorâTeacher John MacArthur Transitions to Glory
Grace Community Churchâs elders share âwith both sadness and hopeâ that their longâtime pastorâteacher, John MacArthur, has âgone to be with the Lordâ after 56 years of faithful ministryâ
đ Key Points from the Announcement:
MacArthur served over five decades since his arrival in 1969, deeply influencing Graceâs congregation through his verseâbyâverse preaching styleâ
He held several leadership roles: pastorâteacher, chancellor of The Masterâs University & Seminary, and publisher via Grace to Youâ
The tone of the statement balances grief at his departure with certainty in his Savior, reflecting the churchâs hope even in mourning
đď¸ John MacArthur Passes at 86
John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. (b. June 19, 1939) died on July 14, 2025, due to complications from pneumonia after a long medical declineâ
He led Grace Community Church in California for over 55 years and founded Grace to You, his global radio and TV ministryâ
đ Legacy of Expository Preaching
MacArthur was a leading advocate of expository preaching, delivering systematic, verse-by-verse sermonsâalso known as lectio continuaâthrough entire books of the Bibleâ
His MacArthur Study Bible sold over 1 million copies (some sources say 2 million) and earned a Gold Medallion Book Awardâ
đď¸ Controversies and Criticisms
He branded modern non-expository preaching as âanemicâ, warning it lacks biblical depth and authorityâ
Known for combative stances, MacArthur:
Rejected charismatic gifts in his 2013 Strange Fire conference
Opposed female pastors and made sharp remarks toward critics like Beth Mooreâ
Some critics accuse him of elitism, harshness toward dissenters, and alleged cover-ups of sexual abuse within his churchâ
He drew sharp criticism for supporting leadership actions during the COVID era, including defying public health restrictions
đ Influence & Polarization
Celebrated by many as a âtruth-warriorâ defending biblical authority and theological conservatism
Others view his impact as divisiveâdeterring more inclusive church practices and stifling open theological dialogue
đ§ Bottom Line
John MacArthurâs legacy is a complex blend of biblical rigor and cultural controversy. His contributions to Scripture-based preaching and Christian publishing are undeniableâbut so, too, are the sharp criticisms tied to his stern approach and organizational transparency.
[UPDATE] PASTOR JOHN MACARTHUR PASSES AT 86 | GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH REFLECTS ON HIS POWERFUL LEGACY | Christian Breaking News!
[UPDATE] PASTOR JOHN MACARTHUR PASSES AT 86 | GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH REFLECTS ON HIS POWERFUL LEGACY | Christian Breaking News!