Phil Johnson, executive director of Grace to You, announced that he will retire on July 1 after 43 years with the ministry.
Phil Johnson, left, with the late John MacArthur, right / Photo via Facebook
Johnson, 73, attributed his retirement from the media ministry — which features the teaching of John MacArthur — to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, a blood cancer he said is incurable and has diminished his energy levels.
He said he had planned to retire a few years ago, around age 66, and move back to Oklahoma or Texas and pastor a small church.
But with seven grandchildren in California, his plans to move changed, and he ended up staying longer at Grace to You than he intended.
According to the Grace Community Church website, where Johnson serves as an elder, he “has been closely associated with John MacArthur since 1981” and edited most of MacArthur’s major books.
Johnson also founded multiple websites, including The Spurgeon Archive, The Hall of Church History, and the Pyromaniacs blog, where he describes himself as “a committed Calvinist — with a decidedly Baptistic bent” and “an inveterate reader and bibliophile.”
“I’m profoundly grateful for the amazing privilege I had to work alongside John MacArthur for more than 4 decades. I love Grace to You with all my heart, and nothing will ever change that,” Johnson wrote in a social media post announcing his retirement.
He said he believes Grace to You needs to be “in the hands of leadership that will steer the ministry into the next generations of technology and strategy.” He did not say who that leader would be.
MacArthur died in July 2025 after a bout with pneumonia and other health struggles. His son, Matt MacArthur, took over as the president and board chair of Grace to You last summer.
Grace to You launched its radio ministry in 1977, eight years after MacArthur became the pastor of Grace Community Church in 1969.
The ministry has nearly 1 million subscribers on YouTube, airs on more than 2,500 radio outlets, and has 70,000 sermons downloaded daily.
In the MinistryWatch database, Grace to You has a Transparency Grade of C and a Donor Confidence Score of 38 out of 100, meaning MinistryWatch recommends that donors withhold giving. The ministry does not file an informational Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service.
TO OUR READERS: The mission of MinistryWatch is to help Christian donors become more faithful stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. Do you know of a story that will help us fulfill our mission, or do you want to give us feedback about this or any other story? If so, please email us at info@ministrywatch.com.
Access to MinistryWatch content is free. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. To make a donation, click here.