Evangelist Paul Washer shared some tender and brotherly moments between him and the late John MacArthur, recounting a conversation they had before the latter’s death.
Speaking at the 2026 Shepherd’s conference, Washer noted that “This is the first year that Dr. MacArthur is not with us,” and paid tribute to MacArthur and the impact he had, both large and small.
People ask me often, “What do I remember about him? And I think it appropriate for me to say a few things before I go on.
Above everything else that I remember about him, it was his kindness to me, his gentle kindness. And not just to me, but to men like me.Sometimes we were able to bring ragged and tagged and poor indigenous missionaries to the conference and I would always find a way to get word to Dr. MacArthur, could you see them for a moment?
And when they would walk in, he was like a, I suppose, a child at Christmas. He was so happy to see them. He wanted to know so much about them.
He continues:
I remember a young missionary who was in Turkey and he had to come out because he was dying. A young boy with a young wife and small children and we would talk at length on the phone and sometimes he would mention how Dr. MacArthur had had such an impact on his life from a distance.
And so I got word to Dr. MacArthur. I said, “Dr. MacArthur, he will be seeing our Lord in a day or two. Would you call him?”Two hours later, I got a phone call from this unknown missionary boy
and he’s crying and he says, ‘You will not believe what happened.n And I said, “Fill me in.” He said, “John MacArthur called me.” He called me and he talked to me about everything. He wanted to know everything about me. He wanted to know about my family. He wanted to know about my ministry. He just wanted to know everything.
Turning to an incident that occurred a few months before his passing, Washer recounts an interaction they had.
“His last year at the Shepherd’s Conference I was to see him for a few minutes out to his house. And I went there, and I was praying, ‘Lord, what should I do? He’s getting close to glory.’
And I did something that men do not often do to men like him but should do all the time. I walked in and I said, ‘Dr. MacArthur, is it well with your soul? Are you reading the Word? Talk to me about your prayer life. How is your communion with Christ?’
And he had almost a shocked look on his face. And then he smiled, as though, ‘I am so glad you asked.’ I’m reading here. I’m praying here. I’m trusting here,’”
‘Yeah, but how’s your heart? Do you feel as though you’re encouraged in the Holy Spirit?
‘Yes, I do.’
Do you see? A relationship between men. One far greater than the other but nevertheless a relationship between brothers.
While some have been critical of Washer’s line of questioning, MacArthur’s close friend, Phil Johnson, suggested the elderly pastor would have been appreciative of it.
