Dr. MacArthur Reflects on ‘The Essential Church’

This summer, Dr. John MacArthur sat down for an interview at The Master’s University to talk about “The Essential Church.”

The new full-length documentary — which numerous TMU students and alumni worked on — explores clashes between church and government throughout history and sheds light on events in 2020 in Southern California and beyond. In addition to sharing his reflections on seeing the final product, MacArthur also discussed his first-hand perspective on Grace Community Church’s legal conflict with California and Los Angeles County, which is highlighted in the film.

“As I look at the details put together in the movie, I am reminded again of God’s providence,” MacArthur said. “Our attorneys said that they believed we had a 1-percent chance to win and a 99-percent chance we were going to lose. And they were our attorneys.

“They were in court for weeks and weeks and weeks, and so they were coming to me saying, ‘Can you give a little bit? Because we don’t think this thing is possible.’ But the hand of the Lord was mighty, in that sense, because we were triumphant.”

MacArthur’s video interview was published just in time to highlight the documentary’s national premiere in select theaters in July.

TMU alums Seth Bowling (producer), Nate Bonsell (director of photography), Ruth Hanthorn (gaffer), and Lucas Cardoso (gaffer/grip) worked on “The Essential Church,” as did a number of other TMU alumni and current students as gaffers, camera operators, grips, and production assistants, among other roles.

The full video of MacArthur’s interview is available on TMU’s YouTube channel.