Pastor and author John MacArthur has had a “slower than expected” recovery from a series of three surgeries that kept him out of the pulpit for much of 2024.
The 85-year-old preacher has been the head pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since February 1969, but, because of a host of health issues, he was away for more than half of the past year, according to GCC Elder Tom Patton, who updated the congregation on MacArthur’s condition Sunday.
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He’s had “occasional setbacks affecting his heart, lungs, and kidneys,” Patton said, going on to explain, “The doctors have not yet discovered any single root cause for these diverse troubles.”
The elder disclosed MacArthur has been hospitalized for the last two weeks, during which time he has undergone a battery of tests and treatments to determine the origins of his ailments.
“So please pray for him and for the physicians that are handling the case,” Patton said. “[Pray for] the physicians, that they would identify a suitable treatment or treatments and for John, that he would recover strength and health enough to resume public ministry. Pastor John and his family covet your prayers. Please pray earnestly and steadfastly. Our pastor desires to return to his beloved church soon.”
Elder Tom Patton of Grace Community Church gave an update today on John MacArthur’s health. pic.twitter.com/1xHhS3bwwi
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It’s worth noting, too, fellow GCC Elder Phil Johnson, a frequent public defender of MacArthur, took to his own Facebook account last week, responding to rumors that the prolific author was clandestinely receiving palliative care and was not giving frequent enough updates about his health status.
Of MacArthur, Johnson wrote, he “has never wanted public announcements to be made about his health. It’s one of his quirks, and it is a years-old policy of his. The scarcity of public announcements about his health is not something unique to this current illness.”
“It’s an understandable policy, and there’s nothing perfidious about it,” he added. “It’s frankly tiresome having to answer thousands of questions about one’s health — and deal with scores of quack remedies given by well-meaning persons. I know this from experience. It’s why HIPAA rules exist.”
Please continue to pray for MacArthur and his team of caregivers as he recovers and medical personnel search for a diagnosis to explain the well-known pastor’s symptoms.
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