John MacArthur faces long uphill recovery, church elder says

The longtime pastor of Grace Community Church, author, and Grace to You podcast host may be gaining strength incrementally, but faces a long remaining recovery process, according to a Sunday post from Phil Johnson, an elder at MacArthur’s church. Johnson said he had visited MacArthur’s home earlier in the morning.

MacArthur was hospitalized in December for adverse symptoms related to his July heart valve replacement. In an update given while MacArthur was in the hospital, a church leader said the 85-year-old pastor’s lungs and kidneys also were affected. MacArthur returned home in early February to continue recovery. Based in Los Angeles, Grace Community Church has several thousand members, according to SermonCentral.com.

Will MacArthur be present at this year’s Shepherds Conference? For the first time, the California pastor will likely miss the conference his church hosts for ministry leaders, according to Johnson. The event is scheduled for March 5-7. MacArthur is still listed as a keynote speaker on the conference schedule.