John MacArthur (American pastor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John MacArthur |
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 MacArthur in 2013 |
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| Born | June 19, 1939 in Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Education |
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| Congregations served | Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California |
| Spouse |
Patricia MacArthur
(m. 1963) |
John Fullerton MacArthur Jr., born on June 19, 1939, is a well-known American pastor and author. He leads a Christian radio and TV show called Grace to You. Since 1969, he has been the pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. He also holds an important role at The Master's University and The Master's Seminary.
MacArthur is known for his teaching style, called expository preaching. This means he explains the Bible verse by verse. Christianity Today magazine has called him one of the most important preachers of his time. He has written or helped edit over 150 books. His MacArthur Study Bible has sold more than a million copies and won an award.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John MacArthur was born in Los Angeles, California. His grandfather, Harry MacArthur, was an Anglican minister from Canada. His father, Jack MacArthur, was also a Baptist radio preacher. John MacArthur once said he is distantly related to General Douglas MacArthur.
He attended Bob Jones University from 1957 to 1959. After a year off, he went to Los Angeles Pacific College in 1960. In 1963, he earned a Master of Divinity degree from Talbot Theological Seminary in La Mirada, California. He graduated with honors.
Career Highlights
While at Bob Jones University, John MacArthur's father asked him to join the Voice of Calvary singing group. This group often sang on Christian radio. From 1964 to 1966, John worked as an associate pastor at the Harry MacArthur Memorial Bible Church. His father had started this church and named it after John's grandfather.
From 1966 to 1969, MacArthur worked for Talbot Theological Seminary. On February 9, 1969, he became the pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. He was the youngest pastor the church had hired.
His daily radio and TV show, Grace to You, started in 1977. It was created to share his sermons. In 1985, MacArthur became the President of Los Angeles Baptist College, which is now The Master's University. In 1986, he also became President of the new Master's Seminary.
A big goal for MacArthur was to preach through the entire New Testament of the Bible. He completed this goal on June 5, 2011, after 55 years of preaching at Grace Community Church.
Key Beliefs and Teachings
John MacArthur has strong beliefs about the Bible and Christian faith.
The Bible's Authority
A main part of MacArthur's beliefs is that the Bible (the 66 books of the Protestant Bible) is completely true and without error. He believes it is "the Word of God" and that God cannot lie. He teaches that Christians should follow the Bible above everything else. He says that if you don't handle God's Word carefully, you are misrepresenting God.
Spiritual Gifts and Miracles
MacArthur believes that certain "sign gifts," like prophecy and speaking in tongues, were given to the apostles a long time ago. These gifts helped prove that the Bible's message was true. He teaches that these gifts stopped being given after the time of the apostles. This belief is called cessationism.
He is a strong voice against the idea that these gifts are still given today, which is believed by Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement. In 2013, his church held a conference called "Strange Fire" to talk about this topic. MacArthur believes that modern claims of visions, miracles, or speaking in tongues are not from the Holy Spirit.
Jesus as Lord
MacArthur teaches that to be saved, you must believe in Jesus as both your Savior and your Lord. This means you not only believe Jesus died for your sins but also that you commit to following Him as the leader of your life. He emphasizes that true faith will show itself through a changed life. This teaching caused some discussion among other Christian leaders in the 1980s.
Creation of the World
MacArthur supports Young Earth creationism. This belief states that the Earth was created by God in six literal days, as described in the Bible, and that the Earth is relatively young. He believes that evolutionary theory goes against the Bible's teachings. He sees the debate about creation as a battle between faith in the Bible and other ideas that do not include God.
Recognition and Awards
John MacArthur has received special honors for his work. He received an honorary degree from Grace Graduate School in 1976. He also received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Talbot Theological Seminary in 1977.
Personal Life and Health
John MacArthur is married to Patricia MacArthur. They have four children, fifteen grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.
In 2023, MacArthur had some health challenges. He was diagnosed with a heart condition called atrial fibrillation and had surgery. He had more procedures in 2023 and 2024 to help his heart and lungs. After being away from his public ministry for several months, he briefly returned in November 2024. In January 2025, it was reported that his recovery was slower than expected, and he was in the hospital for a couple of weeks.
