After more than four decades helping shape one of the most influential evangelical media ministries in America, Phil Johnson has announced his retirement from Grace to You, effective July 1.
The 73-year-old ministry leader revealed the decision in a heartfelt statement on June 24, citing both his age and his ongoing battle with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer he publicly disclosed in 2024.
"I turned 73 on June 11. I have Multiple Myeloma, which is not curable and has diminished my energy level," Johnson wrote. While he remains active in preaching engagements, he acknowledged that Grace to You now needs leadership equipped to guide the ministry into a rapidly changing digital future.
"At this pivotal time in the ministry's history, GTY needs to be in the hands of leadership that will steer the ministry into the next generations of technology and strategy," he explained. "So, I'm retiring."
The announcement marks the end of a remarkable 43-year tenure with the ministry founded by John MacArthur. Johnson joined Grace to You in the early 1980s and became one of MacArthur's closest ministry partners, helping oversee the worldwide expansion of the broadcaster, publisher, and teaching ministry.
His retirement comes less than a year after the death of MacArthur in July 2025, making the transition especially significant for supporters who have watched Grace to You navigate life after its longtime founder.
Johnson reflected warmly on those decades of ministry, expressing deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve alongside MacArthur.
"I'm profoundly grateful for the amazing privilege I had to work alongside John MacArthur for more than 4 decades," he said. "I love Grace to You with all my heart, and nothing will ever change that."
Interestingly, Johnson revealed that he had originally planned to retire decades earlier. His goal in the 1990s was to leave Grace to You at age 66, move back to the Midwest, and pastor a small church in Oklahoma or Texas. Those plans changed when grandchildren entered the picture.
"Now I have seven grandchildren in California," he wrote. "There's no way I'm moving back to Oklahoma now."
Beyond Grace to You, Johnson is widely known in Reformed evangelical circles as the founder of the influential online resources The Spurgeon Archive and The Hall of Church History, as well as the longtime voice behind the Pyromaniacs blog.
For many observers, Johnson's retirement signals the closing of another chapter in the MacArthur era. With MacArthur gone and Johnson now stepping aside, Grace to You enters a new season as it seeks to carry its ministry legacy into the next generation.
