Rev. John MacArthur refused to close the doors of his Sun Valley megachurch during the COVID-19 pandemic, thrusting him into the national debate over whether religious institutions had to follow public health orders.

The Rev. John MacArthur, longtime pastor of the Grace Community Church in the Los Angeles area, has died at the age of 86.

He was a theologically uncompromising pastor in Southern California who influenced generations of evangelical preachers.