The Leadership and Legacy of Dr. John MacArthur
The starting point and driver to the astounding consequence of the life and legacy of Dr. John MacArthur was not clever marketing, polished PR, or shrewd business tactics. Pastor John always said, “You take care of the depth, and let God take care of the breadth.” The mission of Dr. MacArthur was singular: unleash God’s truth one verse at a time. He was consumed with the careful study of God’s Word, precision in theological belief and conviction, clarity in teaching and the pulpit, and conscientiousness to subject all things to the authority of Scripture. Dr. MacArthur’s heart was captured to the truth — and even more, the God of truth. It was his consistency to the resilience and depths of the truth, in season and out of season, that drew so many to respect him. This fidelity to the truth propelled a comprehensive fidelity in ministry. From a church whose members were once known as the “church of 900 ministers,” to a worldwide radio ministry, to a seminary that has trained thousands of pastors, the Lord granted Dr. MacArthur opportunity even as he led each institution in Christlikeness and unto Christ. Dr. MacArthur’s work at The Master’s University was a prime demonstration of that. In the earliest days of his tenure as president, he raised up the right faculty, instilled theological conviction in the campus, redid chapel so that it featured expository preaching, and raised considerable funds for the school, which was in desperate straits. His work to ensure the people were provided for was constant. While TMU has gone through significantly hard times, they would have been absolutely dire if Dr. MacArthur had not gone time and time again to friends and acquaintances, asking for help for the people. Dr. John Stead, our long-time faculty member and administrator, put it well: “We need to remember that in all our years here, we never missed a paycheck.” Dr. MacArthur worked hard to support the people of the institution, and not just in financial ways. Though busy with a global ministry, he gave of his time, which perhaps was the most precious commodity he bestowed to us. Students came to talk with him on a regular basis, he had them over to his home, he had them over for Thanksgiving, and he always remembered their name (to everyone’s amazement). He also spent time with faculty and staff, ministering to those who deeply appreciated him and demonstrating extraordinary patience and understanding with those who were frustrated. His leadership was an exercise of influence and discipleship, and the lessons learned have shaped individual lives, convictions, philosophy of ministry, and the entire campus culture. There is a reason why The Wall Street Journal consistently rates TMU as top 10 in the nation for students’ best choice. This is the vindication of the sufficiency of Scripture and the validation of the man who labored to invest it into the lives of so many. In all of this, Pastor John did not take himself too seriously. To the surprise of many, he consistently participated in students’ projects and films to humor the student body. From a fake commercial for the MacArthur Study Bible to him talking about memes, Pastor John showed that he was not an aloof leader but one who wanted to share in the joy of those whom he so loved. And every year for nearly 40 years, come graduation, he would be on the platform. Graduation weekend is an intense weekend, filled with board meetings, times with donors, dinners with graduates, and graduations for both TMU and TMS. Despite the intensity, Dr. MacArthur stood on the stage, shook hands, conveyed honest congratulations, and spoke personally with many graduates whom he had known throughout the years at the school. There was never a halfhearted moment. In that way, Dr. MacArthur’s labor for The Master’s University was deeply self-sacrificing. He not only raised money for the institution but gave of his own resources. When the faculty and staff were at risk of not being paid, he mortgaged his own home to provide the money for their salaries. He has funded numerous students every year with scholarships from his own pocket. This self-sacrificing investment into the institution continued to the very end. In these last years, Dr. MacArthur went on one final campaign for the University. Traveling from state to state to meet with every major donor for the institution, he raised capital as a final gift for the school. Donors rallied because of his strong stand in COVID and because of his clarion call that this was the crucial time to make a stand for Christ and Scripture. Resources have come in to make what I never dreamed possible a reality. For my entire career at The Master’s University, I prayed that the Lord would give us an endowment to protect us from the pressures that society and politics can exert, and to help us be free to be who we are. Such a vision seemed like an impossible reality. It was hard enough to raise one million dollars, much less to raise hundreds of millions. But in his last campaign, Dr. MacArthur summoned donations so that we can see our endowment becoming what it needs to be. His gift to the next generation is truly a complete package: a campus, resources, convictional people, and most importantly, a vibrant and faithful ministry. The presidency of this beloved institution required much of Dr. MacArthur, and he bore it with dignity and grace. It is of note that Dr. MacArthur was one of the longest standing university presidents in American history, a testimony to his unwavering and enduring faithfulness. It is even more of note that he did all of this for free. Dr. MacArthur never drew a salary in all his years of dedicated service. His work was completely voluntary, done out of love for the people of the institution, the institution itself, and the Master of this institution.