Pastor John’s Winter Update
One of the highlights of my life has been serving the body of Christ for more than five decades at Grace Community Church. It has been an amazing privilege and joy for Patricia and me.
Since first coming to Grace in 1969, my sole mission has been to honor the Word of God and His plans, purposes, and expectations for the church. Through honoring God’s instructions in Scripture, Grace Church has grown as a devoted, obedient body of believers. The real challenge in leading this body is not a lack of direction, but a desire to implement the perfect will of God through imperfect people, such as myself.
Through the years, I have had the opportunity to explain what God’s Word says about the church on the radio and television through Grace to You, in chapel at The Master’s University and Seminary, and with our partners all over the world. My message remains consistent: that a church must exalt God (Proverbs 9:10), exalt Christ (Phil. 3:7), and exalt Scripture (Psalm 138:2). And we know that the church is the one institution Christ promises to bless. It cannot be thwarted. The gates of hell will never prevail against it (Matt 16:18).
This is why the preoccupation of my life has been to train, prepare, support, and encourage Christ’s church. This passion also fuels our family of ministries. This is not a marketing initiative or scheme of man, but it is the priority that consumes us, as it should every church leader.
Grace to You (GTY) proclaims the truth of Scripture so that the saints can be equipped to know Christ and His Word. The Master’s University (TMU) aims to solidify the future of the church by producing generations of faithful leaders, rooted in absolute truth. The Master’s Seminary (TMS) focuses on raising up men who pursue the priorities of the faithful pastors who came before them. The influence of these men will touch churches around the world as they preach Christ with biblical urgency. Grace Ministries International (GMI) and The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) also stand for the truth, evangelizing the nations and training local pastors and leaders to guide their congregations.
All these organizations, and more, are teaching, discipling, training, and commissioning for the glory of Christ and the edification of the church.
2023 has been an extraordinary year. The reach of our family of ministries is proliferating at a rate I have not experienced in my 50-plus years at Grace. Due to your generosity to the MacArthur Trust, we have been able to support our ministries in some of the following ways:
Scholarship aid (approx. $2.5M) and additional student housing to drive TMU to the highest enrollment in its history – over 1,200 undergraduate residential students.
Expansion of TMAI member schools from Spain into Portugal, Philippines into Pakistan, and Lebanon into Egypt.
Funding for TMAI to start translation of the MacArthur Study Bible into the three largest languages in India (Hindi, Telegu, Marathi) and to secure a facility for student housing for this training center.
Translation of TMU’s Master of Arts in Biblical Studies degree program into Vietnamese for use in churches throughout Vietnam.
Support to bring dependents of GMI missionary families to TMU and TMS.
Production and launch of season three of the MacArthur Center for Expository Preaching podcast.
Assistance for The Master’s Seminary’s Center for Israeli Studies as it translates biblical resources into modern Hebrew.
All these blessings serve as a reminder that the Lord keeps His promise to build His church. I am astounded by what God has done in our midst and can testify to His faithfulness and the diligence of our family of ministries. We praise the Lord for His abundant provision for the sake of Christ and His church. We look forward to what He will do in 2024.
It is our desire to continue providing the support needed for the church’s advancement through these partner ministries. As 2023 ends, please pray about how you can join in this effort.
Yours in the Truth,
JOHN MACARTHUR
John MacArthur Charitable Trust Future Opportunities:
Multiple translation projects across 33 languages around the world.
New international pastoral training centers. TMAI is currently working with TMS graduates in 25 countries to develop seminaries. Myanmar is next to open.
TMS Press – producing, publishing, advertising, and distributing the Old Testament commentaries in addition to other MacArthur titles.
Distance education of pastors and lay leaders through TMS’ Mentor Model, Institute for Christian Life, and MacArthur Center for Expository Preaching programs.
Providing scholarships for students in need at our K-Doctorate education institutions.
Expansion efforts at TMU – development of 10 acres for chapel, student-life, athletics, and School of Science facilities
