In Matthew 16:18, the Lord Jesus declared that He would build His church, and the gates of hell and death would not prevail against it. That promise has held true for the past 2,000 years. It will remain true until our Lord returns to take His people home. As those who fix their eyes on Christ, our steadfast hope, both now and for the future, is found only in Him.

With Pastor John’s homegoing, we have entered a season of transition at Grace Community Church. Pastor John not only prepared us well for this through his faithful preaching, example, and counsel, but the Lord has also assembled a team of elders to shepherd our church through this time.

The elders are grateful for your many expressions of love, support, and prayer. We have also been praying for you as we all process the loss of our pastor. We are thankful for your ongoing love for Christ and service in the church.

The elders have met several times since July, and will continue to meet regularly as we prayerfully make decisions to honor the Lord during this important time in our church’s life.

We have also approved a plan for this interim period between the leadership of John MacArthur and the future selection of our next senior pastor. During this intervening time, we will be leaning on our church's deep bench of gifted preachers to fill the pulpit. These men are the fruit of Pastor John's discipleship ministry and represent a continuation of his legacy.

Additionally, the elders have implemented a plan to manage the day-to-day operations of the church and affirmed the leaders of that effort:

  • Nathan Busenitz has assumed the role of Staff Pastor charged with leading, managing, and shepherding the pastoral staff, leading staff meetings, coordinating pulpit assignments, and performing other duties as needed. He started in this role earlier this year and adds these responsibilities to his ongoing ministry through the seminary and Cornerstone Fellowship Group.
  • Mark Zhakevich will remain as the Administrative Pastor overseeing the business, financial, and administrative functions of the church. He has served in this role for several years and is assisted by the faithful and talented staff of the church. He will also continue to teach in the seminary and share in the leadership of Cornerstone Fellowship Group and Foundation Bible Study.
  • The Executive Committee of the elders consists of the corporate officers and will represent all the elders to provide long-term planning, support, and counsel as needed for the Staff and Administrative Pastors: Chris Hamilton (Chairman), George Crawford (Vice-Chairman), Brad Klassen (Secretary), and John Bates (Treasurer).

This plan will be under the ongoing oversight of all the elders. Please pray for the elders as we endeavor to serve and shepherd well. If you have any questions, please contact the elders involved in ministries where you fellowship or serve. In the coming months, we will provide regular updates, including a more in-depth profile of the men who serve on our elder team.

We are grateful to the Lord for the privilege of serving at GCC, and we are confident in the Lord for the future of this precious church. The Lord has blessed this congregation beyond measure—particularly through the life and ministry of Pastor John. Though we mourn his absence, we find comfort in knowing that Christ continues to build His church. 

Armed with that confidence, we press on in the hope of Ephesians 3:20–21, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or understand, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."