In a recent update to his followers, Senior Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in California has shared that he has fully recovered from a health scare he experienced earlier this year.
During a sermon on New Year’s Day, the 84-year-old pastor unexpectedly struggled to catch his breath, leading to concerns about his well-being.
Speaking on his Grace to You radio broadcast, MacArthur described the incident, saying: “I was preaching at Grace Church on Jan 1,” he said, “and as I got up to give the sermon in the first service—we have two duplicate services—I just felt like I couldn’t get my breath. That had never happened to me before.”
“I think I said to the congregation, ‘Just give me a minute to catch my breath.’ And, that was kind of shocking. So at that point, I began to feel a little bit better and I went ahead and preached for 50 minutes.”
After preaching for 50 minutes, MacArthur was taken to the hospital by medical personnel who were concerned about his health. He did not deliver the second service that day.
Medical personnel determined that Senior Pastor John MacArthur had atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat, during his health scare earlier this year. They subsequently took him to the hospital where he underwent a procedure that involved the insertion of four stents into arteries that were significantly blocked.
The procedure was successful, and doctors informed MacArthur that he did not have a heart attack and that his heart was very strong, with the heart of a 16-year-old.
Despite taking some time off from preaching to recover, MacArthur is reportedly optimistic about returning to the pulpit at Grace Community Church in the near future. The pastor expressed his gratitude to the Lord for sparing his heart any damage and for providing a successful remedy to the situation.
MacArthur is a highly respected figure in the evangelical Christian community and is known for his conservative views on social and political issues. He has been the senior pastor at Grace Community Church for over 50 years and is a prolific author and speaker.
