California pastor John MacArthur hospitalized with life-threatening illness as church community rallies

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John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church (GCC) in Sun Valley, California, has reportedly been hospitalized with pneumonia following years of health complications.

The announcement regarding the 86-year-old’s health came as the congregation was celebrating Sunday service over the weekend, according to The Roys Report. 

“This week, Pastor John contracted pneumonia,” associate pastor Tom Patton reportedly announced at the church’s 11 a.m. service on Sunday. “He was admitted into the hospital and may be in the presence of the Lord soon.”

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Pastor John MacArthur preaches at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California. (John MacArthur)

Patton reportedly asked the congregation to pray for MacArthur, along with his wife, four children and fifteen grandchildren. 

The pastor previously made national headlines after a California judge ruled he could continue holding in-person services despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide coronavirus restrictions.  

MacArthur has suffered from years of health complications while in the spotlight, including a sudden onset of illness during a 2023 service. 

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Grace Community Church on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020 in Sun Valley, California.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Since 2023, he has reportedly undergone numerous surgeries to treat atrial fibrillation and other conditions. 

He was reportedly hospitalized earlier this year while undergoing a “second procedure” on his lungs, according to the outlet. 

“That procedure was successful, and (I) am now back at home,” MacArthur previously said in a statement at the time, according to The Roys Report. “The doctors are optimistic about my recovery, and I am eager to return to you once I regain my strength.”

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Grace Community Church parishioners make their way to Sunday service in Sun Valley on September 13, 2020.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

However, MacArthur’s prognosis reportedly created uncertainty regarding his health among the church’s congregants, with Patton telling members of the community that the pastor’s recovery from “three surgeries in the second half of 2024” was “slower than expected, and saw “occasional setbacks affecting his heart, lungs and kidneys.”

MacArthur has led GCC’s congregation for 56 years and is president of Grace to You, a nonprofit organization dedicated to distributing nearly 400 book titles authored by the pastor, according to the church’s website. 

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“We place our dear pastor at the feet of the glorious Savior,” Patton was quoted as saying during Sunday’s service. “Whom he has served so faithfully for so many years and now awaits His final command to be in his presence forever.” 

Grace Community Church did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.