Evangelical Pastor, Author John MacArthur Dead at 86

Rev. John MacArthur, who served as the pastor of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California, died late Monday evening at the age of 86, according to several reports.

In a post on X, Grace to You, MacArthur’s teaching ministry, revealed that MacArthur had “entered into the presence of the Savior.”

“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,” Grace to You wrote. “This evening, his faith became sight. He faithfully endured until his race was run.”

The New York Times reported that MacArthur “rejected a more accessible evangelical preaching style that favored ostensibly real-life anecdotes and practical applications”:

His church’s growth defied conventional wisdom about “seek-sensitivity,” a model that emphasized appealing to non-churchgoers. Mr. 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 who simply listened to his sermons on the radio or online.

He was also described as having “denounced critical race theory and became a leading Christian critic of ‘wokeness,'” according to the outlet.

Prior to working at Grace Community Church, MacArthur graduated from Talbot Theological Seminary in 1969, and under his leadership, Grace Community Church’s “two morning worship services” grew to “fill the 3,500-seat auditorium to capacity,” according to church’s website:

In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. The emphasis of his pulpit ministry is the careful study and verse-by-verse exposition of the Bible, with special attention devoted to the historical and grammatical background behind each passage. Under John’s leadership, Grace Community Church’s two morning worship services fill the 3,500-seat auditorium to capacity. Several thousand members participate every week in dozens of fellowship groups and training programs, most led by lay leaders and each dedicated to equipping members for ministry on local, national, and international levels.

Years later, MacArthur went on to become the president of “The Master’s University (formerly Los Angeles Baptist College)” and also founded The Master’s Seminary, according to the church’s website.

Additionally, MacArthur wrote several books such as The Gospel According to Jesus, Our Sufficiency in Christ, The Murder of Jesus, and the Twelve Ordinary Men, among many others.