In pursuit of a legacy

Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

Leaders like to leave legacies. John MacArthur hoped his legacy would be about 50 years of teaching the Bible and that "truth matters". At least, that was the plan. At a conference designed to honor him for his 50 years in ministry, he was asked to play the respond to one word game.

In a previous occasion he was asked to comment on Steven Furtick, to which he replied - unqualified. That didn't turn out well, and Steven Furtick wrote a best-selling book with that title. This time MacArthur was asked to comment on Beth Moore. What followed was one of the most disheartening, childish, immature, dehumanizing and mysogynistic displays of character I have ever seen. It was terrible and disgusting. Some have even said sinful.

I struggled with what to write, and thought for hours about how to respond to what was written. I ended up choosing to encourage the women preachers and leaders I know. So I want to rewrite what I wrote here:

To all the women preachers and leaders I know:

Stand up.
Rise up.
Lead.
Preach powerfully.
Be better than you have been treated.

Men, support them, encourage them, cheer them on louder than ever before.

I don’t agree with the audio content of John MacArthur nor do I agree with the chuckles and laughter that accompanied it. Whether it was really John MacArthur or not does not change what was said or how others responded. And if it was fake I don’t agree with the person creating it.

To women leading and to women everywhere I am sorry for the way you have been treated. To Beth Moore specifically, I am humiliated by my gender and sorry for your persecution. I pray it stops and I pray for those doing it, that God might deal with them as he sees fit and that they would stop too.

So to the amazing women leaders I know - lead on, preach on, stay the course, be incredible as you already are.

John MacArthur, you thought your legacy was going to be about 50 years of bible teaching, instead it is going to be about your sexism and two simple words "go home".

As for the woman I know, may your legacies be powerful and incredible, carved into the lives, careers, companies and people you change because of how amazing you are. May that be your response - great leadership, inspired teaching and changed lives.