John MacArthur, the prominent pastor of Grace Community Church (GCC) and leader of Grace to You ministry, faced significant health challenges starting in mid-2024. In July 2024, he underwent heart valve replacement surgery, marking the beginning of a series of medical issues. This procedure was followed by additional surgeries, including operations on his heart and lungs, totaling three major interventions in the second half of 2024. These health setbacks kept him away from the pulpit from July until late November 2024, when he briefly returned to preach on November 24, expressing gratitude for surviving the ordeal but noting the physical toll it had taken.
However, his recovery was slower than hoped, with complications affecting his heart, lungs, and kidneys. By early January 2025, GCC reported that MacArthur had been hospitalized for two weeks, undergoing tests and treatments for persistent symptoms stemming from his earlier surgeries. No single root cause for these issues was identified, and his condition remained precarious. Later in January, updates indicated he was still hospitalized, beginning physical therapy after being bedridden for an extended period, with medical teams closely monitoring his progress.
Phil Johnson posted the video update from John MacArthur that was played at Shepherd’s Conference, one of the yearly events they put on.
John MacArthur states:
I want to say grace to you, all of you who are at the Shepherds Conference. For me it’s the highlight of the year, so you have to know my disappointment in coming to you through video. It really came down to being the only option because I haven’t had such a speedy recovery as I hoped to have. I feel great. I just uh lost a lot of strength by being seven weeks in the hospital. I mean, it’s the hospital that can kill you. You can survive the illness. If you can survive the hospital, then you’ve won on every level. It took a toll on me physically, so I’m seeing physical therapists and trainers and trying to get back as soon as possible. I had the message on my heart and I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to give it to you.
So we printed it up in a booklet. The good news is you don’t have to listen to me and you don’t have to take notes because you’re going to get the sermon in a booklet form. I just know how much I miss being at Shepherd’s Conference. I love the fellowship. I love the preaching. I especially love the singing, every aspect of it and the camaraderie and fellowship of meeting people is always a highlight. So thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for your faithfulness and being a part of Shepherds Conference. I’ll be praying for you and asking the Lord to bless in an unusual way and sharpen all of us for whatever the Lord has for us in the future. I realize I’m on the last lap. That takes on a new meaning when you know you’re on the short end of the candle. But I am all thanks and praise to God for everything He’s allowed me to be a part of and everything He’s accomplished by His Word in these years of ministry. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Phil Johnson further provided a picture of the pamphlet that MascArthur referenced.
