4 min read

Alberta has had its share of Christian pastors who have left their mark in a big way. William “Bible Bill” Aberhart and Ernest Manning were pastor-Premiers who governed for a generation.¹ The McDougalls, George and John, were missionary pastors to native Albertan tribes who signed treaties with the Crown. Yet another pastor who impacted Alberta greatly did not live here, though his father and grandfather did. His name is John MacArthur.

John MacArthur, who passed away on July 14, 2025, had a significant influence on Alberta. He wasn’t a politician, or pro hockey player. MacArthur was a preacher. His verse-by-verse preaching and the training institutions he built shaped a large and committed number of Albertans.

Radio Preacher

Being at a distance from MacArthur’s church in Los Angeles, the main point of access to his teaching for many Albertans was radio. The powerful signal of AM1140 out of High River broadcast MacArthur’s program, Grace to You, throughout the province. I can recall many farmers and homemakers who would tune in to MacArthur’s sermons daily. Consistent depth of teaching was a distinctive of MacArthur’s ministry and it had a grassroots impact on many Albertans. 

The reach was significant enough that MacArthur would travel to Alberta to speak at “radio rallies.” I heard him speak in Calgary at a large church gathering, offering Q&A and greeting the many Albertans who were influenced by his explanation of the bible. As the internet has outpaced radio in reach, Grace to You has remained influential to a new generation of listeners. But like Jack, his Calgary-born father, John MacArthur carried on a family legacy of radio broadcasts. Of course, Alberta had its own legacy of radio preaching, as Aberhart’s Back to the Bible hour in the 1930’s stamped biblical awareness on the population. 

Pastor-Teacher

MacArthur understood his role to be a pastor-teacher. This role, defined from the bible, distinguished him from being a mere pulpiteer or dramatic speaker. The teaching aspect of his ministry led him to value institutions where the bible was taught. MacArthur’s influence grew as he took on the presidency of Los Angeles Baptist College in 1985. The school was rebranded, and The Master’s University has since had many attendees from Alberta. 

The larger impact in Alberta has come from MacArthur’s development of The Master’s Seminary (TMS). Many pastors in Alberta received their training in Los Angeles at TMS, sitting under MacArthur’s preaching ministry at Grace Community Church, and bringing that influence back to Alberta. Prominent Alberta pastors, James Coates and Tim Stephens, both jailed for resisting government COVID restrictions, received training from TMS.² MacArthur noted the witness of these Alberta pastors and their direct connections to the seminary. 

As seminary enrollments waned in Alberta, many up-and-coming pastors looked to California for their training and returned with MacArthur’s philosophy of ministry. As a result, his convictions and approach have shaped generations of church ministry in Alberta. 

Network

With such influence from the seminary grads, a strong network developed between Alberta churches and Grace Community Church. This networking was deepened further by GCC’s annual Shepherds Conference. Hosted in March, “Shepherds” became an annual event for many Alberta men, including more than just pastors. A warmer destination for Albertans leaving the February deep freeze, the conference became a pilgrimage which reconnected leaders to like-minded men from across the world. 

As this network developed, MacArthur’s influence grew. Men in this circle would look to his perspective on Evangelicalism and cultural issues to find insight and guidance. Even when pastors disagreed with his position on a given topic, they couldn’t dismiss him lightly, having to reckon with his biblical reasoning.  Many ministers and churches in Alberta looked to MacArthur as a result of his leadership in these matters. 

Evaluation

MacArthur’s impact is hard to quantify. Like any Christian ministry, its spiritual nature defies simple calculation. It is no good to resort to numbering donations, listeners, graduates, and other metrics. But MacArthur’s influence has been significant in Alberta, considering he ministered from distant Los Angeles. 

The distance seems far, but in another sense, MacArthur had a proximity to Alberta that partly explains his influence. His base was in the West, sounding throughout California, the Pacific Northwest, the Mountain States and the Midwest. Alberta is a part of that America West region, even though a border traverses through it. By comparison, if MacArthur ministered in Florida, I don’t think he would have nearly as much influence in Alberta. Consider the substantial ministry of MacArthur’s late friend, RC Sproul. While Sproul, from Florida, was known in Alberta, he was not nearly as influential as MacArthur. 

The other major reason for MacArthur’s influence in Alberta comes from his consistent biblical clarity. By offering biblically based discernment and wise applications, MacArthur functioned as a pastor to pastors. His voice filled a void. The evangelical denominations of the Prairies lack a strong leadership class. Pastors are often left to their own devices, so they look beyond their denominational ties to guiding voices from afar. MacArthur provided that guidance to many Albertan leaders, and in doing so, had an exponential impact on congregants throughout the province, mediated through their local pastors. 

MacArthur himself would have ascribed such influence to the work of the Holy Spirit and a blessing of the grace of God. With his passing on to life beyond the grave, MacArthur now experiences in reality what he hoped for by faith. His legacy, however, leaves a challenge for our province. It underscores the profound need for clear, courageous, and locally-focused Christian thought to equip believers for the days ahead. It remains for others in Alberta to take up the mantle from John MacArthur, sharing the Scriptures deeply and broadly for a new generation. 

1 - For more on Premiers Aberhart and Manning, see our article by Dr. Michael Wagner, God and Province: How Evangelical Christianity Shaped Alberta's Political Landscape

2 - See Erin Coates' tribute to MacArthur here.