Pastor John MacArthur: Longtime Pastor, Mentor, and Friend!

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). “Imitate me, (in so much) as I imitate Christ.” The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 11:1. 

 

When it comes to ministry mentors and pastoral role models, choose wisely! For “the student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” Jesus, Luke 6:40.


Dr. John MacArthur became Pastor Caleb’s pastor in 1991. He is still his primary ministry mentor, his faithful shepherd, and his humble friend. Pastor John has been the lead shepherd at Grace Community Church, steadily leading the same flock for over fifty years (he began his ministry at GCC in 1969). When Pastor Caleb's entire family moved from Wisconsin Rapids to Los Angeles in the early 1990’s, little did he know the impact Pastor John MacArthur would have on his life, his wife, his family, and his future pastoral ministries. How could he? Seeing as he was not genuinely converted until Jr. High (and only God knows the future). Looking back, one of the greatest privileges in his life was growing up at Grace Community Church, sitting under the expository preaching ministry of John MacArthur, and attending the Master’s University and Seminary. Here, he learned the ins and outs of biblical Christianity and the ABCs of pastoral ministry and expository preaching. At this faithful church, under this faithful preacher, everything his Christian parents taught him from Scripture was reinforced and fortified (2 Timothy 3:15-4:5).

Over the past thirty years, he has corresponded back and forth with Pastor John, often via handwritten letters. Despite an unbelievably demanding ministry schedule, Pastor John has always taken time to write Pastor Caleb back (albeit sometimes through his church secretary). As a child and teenager many of Pastor Caleb's chicken scratch notes included “difficult” bible questions, such as, “Dear Pastor, how do you explain the discrepancies with regard to numbers recorded in the same bible verse in different bible translations?” “Pastor, if God is absolutely sovereign, how do we reconcile ____.” After many gracious and thoroughly biblical responses, Pastor Caleb realized that it was unlikely that he would be able to stump (my) Pastor John. 


In the 1990’s, Pastor Caleb's (pastor) father had the privilege of serving as missions pastor (while attending seminary), and had the honor of serving as a deacon (a decade or so later). During college, when the Lord changed his career trajectory from sports broadcasting to pastoral ministry/preaching, his love and appreciation for Pastor John increased a hundredfold. He was now not only Pastor Caleb's favorite preacher, he was also a ministry hero in the faith. Like Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Pastor John was a lion in the pulpit and a lamb outside of it when interacting with his beloved congregation. As Pastor Caleb was able to see him live out his faith in private (doing life with his children and grandchildren), his respect for him only grew. Like his own father, he was the same godly man at home as he was behind the pulpit.

One of the most memorable highlights of Pastor Caleb's married life is when Pastor John and Patricia visited their 1-bedroom apartment for dinner before he graduated from seminary and moved to the Midwest to pastor a local church. 


Suffice it to say, no “jar of clay” has had a greater impact on Pastor Caleb's pulpit ministry, his theological convictions, and his biblical philosophy of ministry than Pastor John MacArthur. This partially explains why Andrea and Pastor Caleb named their son Jude MacArthur Kolstad. 


Many people who visit Lake County Bible Church do so via the Master’s Seminary church finder or by calling “Grace to You.” It is a tremendous stewardship and honor to receive referrals from any of Pastor John’s ministry volunteers and pastors or professors (1 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Peter 4:11). To be called a “Master’s man” is a great privilege and a great responsibility.


In view of the massive influence of The Master’s Seminary and University and Pastor John MacArthur on Pastor Caleb (and all of our pastors), we believe it is quite fitting to highlight this special relationship on our Lake Country Bible Church ministry website.
Included are a few of Pastor Caleb’s favorite memories/pictures with Pastor John (unfortunately, he did not save any letters from his childhood and teen years). 


"The Master's Fellowship" leadership team asked Pastor Caleb Kolstad to head up a Wisconsin coalition of like-minded pastors and elders. The Master’s Fellowship is an association of pastors and missionaries bound together by love for the Living Word, the Master, our Lord Jesus, the church for which He died, and the bold proclamation of the exposited written word. The Fellowship’s purpose is to support the mission and leadership of the local church by connecting and networking like-minded pastors and missionaries who share core biblical convictions of doctrine and praxis. For more information about TMF, please visit the following website https://www.themastersfellowship.org/ or contact Pastor Caleb directly.

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