Pastor John MacArthur, who famously defied a California coronavirus order prohibiting houses of worship from holding in-person services, has been hospitalized with pneumonia, reported The U.S. Sun.
"This week, Pastor John contracted pneumonia," Tom Patton, the associate pastor at Grace Community Church, said during Sunday's service. "He was admitted into the hospital and may be in the presence of the Lord soon."
MacArthur in 2020 defied California Gov. Gavin Newsom's order and held religious services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands showed up.
"We opened the doors because that's what we are, we're a church, and we're going to trust those people to make adult decisions about the reality of their physical and spiritual health and how that balance works for each one of them," MacArthur said at the time.
"Nobody's forcing anything, they're here because they want to be here."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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