Horrific Photo of John MacArthur’s Survival From Car Wreckage Disappears From Wikipedia When Exposed as Fraud But Not From Josh Barzon’s Tribute
Thursday, July 24, 2025 at 12:37PM 
The wreckage of the car John MacArthur was in at age 18. (Wikipedia)
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Knowing his death was imminent, Josh Barzon published a tribute to John MacArthur the night before he died. Phil Johnson promoted it early the next morning. That night, July 14, MacArthur died.
This was the first of many tributes promoted by Johnson. Yet, Johnson knew the photo of the car wreck used by Barzon was a fraud. Barzon is a “Graphic Designer for churches, businesses, podcasts, and more.” He claims there have been over 4 million views of his tribute.
Josh Barzon
@JoshuaBarzon
I literally have no idea how this random post I put up a few days ago has 4 million views
2:30 PM · Jul 19, 2025
When I read Barzon’s tribute, I immediately recognized that the photo above was not of the actual Ford Fairlane from which MacArthur was thrown. I wrote Barzon. He refused to come clean. Here are my exchanges with him on X. I’ve added commentary.
@BrentDetwiler
@JoshuaBarzon Where did you get photo? It’s not of JM’s accident. It occurred on I-66, not dirt road. Not in neighborhood. Those are Schlitz beer cans on road & in trunk w/ pull tabs. They came out in 63 not 57 crash. The car rolled on roof & slid. It was not hit from back & side.
10:42 AM · Jul 14, 2025
John MacArthur said the accident occurred on an Alabama highway, not a dirt road in a neighborhood with a crowd of people looking on. The Schlitz beer cans in the road and trunk have pull-tabs but that was a new innovation in 1963 that did not exist in 1957 when the accident occurred.
Furthermore, the car was not hit by another vehicle in the back and side. According to MacArthur it was “a single car accident” and the car flipped on its top and came to a stop upside down, not right side up like this bogus photo.
Interview of MacArthur by Johnson
February 9, 2004
PHIL: Now tell us about your car accident, because I know that was pivotal in your life.
JOHN: Well, we were coming home after the first year. There were six of us in this little two-door Ford Fairlane car flying down the highway in Alabama. The driver lost control, flipped the car in the air – basically a single car accident, because he was trying to pass somebody and got on the other shoulder; I don’t know whether he nodded off or – anyway, tried to recorrect and come back and set the car into a spin, and then eventually it flipped.
All five kids stayed in the car. Nobody had seatbelts in those days, but all five stayed in the car. The car landed on its roof and spun around on its roof without rolling any further. And the reason it didn’t roll any further was my door flew open, and when the car rolled over on its roof, my door acted like a right angle brace and kept it from rolling.
In addition, this photo looks like a four-door Ford Fairlane. MacArthur said it was a “little two-door Ford Fairlane.”
Josh Barzon
@JoshuaBarzon
There were no public photos of the accident, so I just looked up a generic picture of the accident to have as part of the article
10:48 AM · Jul 14, 2025
Barzon went looking for a “generic picture of the accident,” not an accident. He was being elusive so I ask for a clarification.
Brent Detwiler
@BrentDetwiler
A generic picture of MacArthur’s accident or a generic picture of an accident? Thanks.
11:08 AM · Jul 14, 2025
Josh Barzon
@JoshuaBarzon
Accident
11:28 AM · Jul 14, 2025
His answer was unclear but seemed to indicate he went looking for a generic picture of an accident involving a Ford Fairlane. I followed up again.
Brent Detwiler
@BrentDetwiler
I’m still not following. Are you claiming the photo of wrecked car is the actual vehicle from which JM was thrown? If not, you should add a note making clear it is a generic photo you found & not an actual photo of vehicle lest people think it is evidence of a horrific wreck.
12:06 PM · Jul 14, 2025
He would not answer my question. He also refused to add a note, or remove the photo, from his tribute. It is still there. The purpose of the fraudulent photo was to give the impression MacArthur miraculously survived a horrific wreck. Here is what he said in his tribute.
Josh Barzon
@JoshuaBarzon
2. A Car Crash That Changed Everything (1957) At 18 years old, John was involved in a horrific car crash on Route 66. He was ejected from the vehicle, flipped through the air, and landed 100 feet away. Miraculously, he lived.
5:12 PM · Jul 13, 2025
I ask for a clarification a third time and bring up his shoddy reporting.
Brent Detwiler
@BrentDetwiler
Hey @JoshuaBarzon could you answer my question? Also, in your post you say JM “landed 100 ft. away” from car. That’s inaccurate. He slid 125-130 yds. (not ft.) next to car per his testimony. Of course, that’s impossible. No one survives. Search “125 yards” on my blog for article.
4:01 PM · Jul 14, 2025
Here is the article I referenced above. I assume he read it. Yet, he made no changes to his false narrative.
John MacArthur’s Legendary Account of Being Thrown Over 125 Yards from Airborne Car Traveling 75 MPH Exposed as Yet Another Grandiose Lie
Saturday, September 17, 2022 at 6:05PM
MacArthur claimed he slid 125-130 yards (more than a football field) on his back next to the vehicle but only suffered severe abrasions to his back. He never said anything like he landed 100 feet away from the car. That is made up. I think Barzon likely changed the story to make it sound more plausible. In any case, he makes a “factual” claim that is entirely false.
MacArthur further claimed none of his five friends in the Ford Fairlane were injured. Look at the photo again. They would all be dead or severely injured. Barzon is a promoting a lie in his tribute that he is unwilling to correct.
Just as bad is the article on Wikipedia titled, John MacArthur (American pastor) - Wikipedia (it was saved to the Wayback Machine before the photos were removed). The person who wrote about the accident (and it is likely Barzon) also went looking for a bogus photo of a Ford Fairlane and then intentionally used it to deceive people by adding the caption, “The wreckage of the car John MacArthur was in at age 18.” That is an absolute lie but readers would not know unless they read my article cited above.
Here's why I believe Barzon is behind the Wikipedia photo and caption. What is the likelihood two different people would randomly find the same photo and attribute it to MacArthur’s death defying “wreckage.” None.
And let me add, this photo and caption on Wikipedia would never escape Phil Johnson’s notice. He monitors everything having to do with MacArthur’s life and legacy. Its presence means he supports its deceptive use just like he does in the promotion of Barzon’s tribute.
Back to the tribute on X. Pardon some redundancy.
Brent Detwiler
@BrentDetwiler
I found photo you used on John MacArthur (American pastor) - Wikipedia. The caption reads, “The wreckage of the car John MacArthur was in at age 18.” No, totally fake. You also say accident occurred on Route 66 but it happened in Alabama. Rt. 66 never went thru AL. Please correct.
2:32 PM · Jul 15, 2025
Based on further research, I think the accident occurred on Alabama State Route 66 - Wikipedia. Not federal Route 66 from Illinois to California.
Barzon told me, “There were no public photos of the accident, so I just looked up a generic picture of the accident to have as part of the article.” But there was a public photo on Wikipedia. Did he put it there? I asked him. Remember, he is a professional Graphic Designer.
Brent Detwiler
@BrentDetwiler
@joshuasbarzon did you post the car photo & caption on Wikipedia? Did you remove it after I asked you to correct? It appears you moderate the webpage on Wikipedia for MacArthur. Am I correct? Thanks for honest answers. @ThouArtTheMan
10:58 PM · Jul 15, 2025
There were no honest answers.
Two days later, I checked Wikipedia to see if there were any redactions or further updates. Low and behold, the photo of the wreckage and the caption were gone! So was the digitally manipulated photo of MacArthur in a fancy football uniform in a massive stadium. That got my attention. When things go missing there is always a reason.
Everything points to Barzon secretly removing both photos from Wikipedia but he could not do so on his X account without an explanation that he acted deceitfully. They remain there.
Josh Barzon
@JoshuaBarzon
1. Born Into a Preacher’s Home (1939) John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. was born June 19, 1939, in Los Angeles, CA. His father, Jack MacArthur, was a Baptist pastor, radio preacher, and conference speaker. John grew up steeped in Scripture, Christian radio, and ministry life. But his first love wasn’t the pulpit. It was the football field. In fact, MacArthur dreamed of playing professionally. Friends called him tough, athletic, and competitive. He once said, “I wanted to hit people, not help them.” But God had other plans.
There were no uniforms like this one with fancy striped shirts, pants, socks, and shoes in 1960 when MacArthur played. The uniforms and footwear were far more basic.
Here is a picture of him in his football uniform (middle) at Los Angeles Pacific College in 1960. It is taken from his yearbook. You will also notice his jersey number is 97, not 33, as seen in the doctored photo above.
MacArthur claimed he attended the Washington Redskins training camp in 1960 but even their uniforms were basic. Here they are two years later in their 1962 official team photo.
Furthermore, the background of MacArthur posing in a huge stadium is also a farse. His college team did not have a stadium. They were a brand new start up program in their first year.
Los Angeles Pacific College
1960 Yearbook
From every viewpoint this has been a pioneer year; Jim Brownfield has been a pioneer coach. Working under shortages of time, finances, number of players and countless other handicaps, he patiently forged through, leading us to a winning and thrilling season.
Moreover, it was a girls school (no football stadium!) that just opened to men the year MacArthur started attending (1959-1960).
In addition, it played the lowest level of competitive football in an unknown Division III conference. None of the teams had stadiums.
The football photo of MacArthur used on Wikipedia and in Barzon’s tribute is a total crock just like the Ford Fairlane photo! He never wore a uniform like that for Los Angeles Pacific College or the Washington Redskins. And he never played in a stadium like the one depicted in the photo.
Barzon used both these photos in his tribute to MacArthur. It is one thing for them to disappear on Wikipedia where few will notice. It is another thing for them to disappear from his tribute since he uses a photo to illustrate each of his points. He had to keep them up or else be honest about his deceit and lose face.
Let me add one of MacArthur’s outlandish statements about his football “career.”
Personal Interview with John MacArthur
June 15, 1979
I did have some opportunities to play professionally both in football and baseball. … I was scouted by some professional teams and I talked to them and I went to the Washington Redskins football training camp.
These are lies. Please read this article.
John MacArthur Was Never an All-American Football Player Recruited by NFL Teams as Claimed for Over 40 Years
Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 6:13PM
Back to Barzon.
Brent Detwiler
@BrentDetwiler
It’s shameful you won’t be honest but that’s typical of those who cover up for JMac & Phil Johnson. You used a photo & attached a caption that was totally bogus. Phil knew about it but did not stop you. Now you’ve removed because you were caught but w/o retraction. @ThouArtTheMan
11:06 AM · Jul 17, 2025
Guess what happened next?
@JoshuaBarzon has blocked you
You can view public posts from @JoshuaBarzon, but you are blocked from engaging with them. You also cannot follow or message @JoshuaBarzon.
Now I can’t engage with his duplicitous posts and photos on X. And I can’t message him. That’s the MacArthur/Johnson way. You silence those who expose your corruption by all means necessary.
Oh well, I just used his email address though I don’t expect to hear back from him. If I do, I’ll add it to this article.
From: Brent Detwiler abrentdetwiler@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Subject: An Opportunity to Be Honest
To: barzons2016@gmail.com
Hello Josh,
I am not surprised you blocked me on X. Nor am I surprised you refused to answer my questions. Why? You want no accountability. That is the same malignant pattern that has surrounded John MacArthur and Phil Johnson for decades.
You also refuse to acknowledge your deceit. If you were a man of integrity, you would never have used a horrific photo you knew had nothing to do with MacArthur’s accident and then added the misleading caption, “Miraculously, he lived.”
In the same way, you would never have used the photo of MacArthur in a football uniform he never wore posing in a massive stadium where he never played. Someone face swapped his photo from his 1960 yearbook and attached it to someone else’s body. I think it was you.
Tell me, why did you use these bogus photos and why did you not removed them? And tell me, did you face swap MacArthur to a football uniform and add a massive stadium in the background? You are a graphic designer.
I want to give you another opportunity to be honest.
Regards,
Brent
It is fine for people to pay tribute to John MacArthur for his Bible teaching. But no one should pay tribute to him for being a man of God. The fact is, he left behind a lifetime of lying used to build a legacy that was false in so many ways. I could write a book. See this compilation of articles.
21 Articles Exposing John MacArthur & Phil Johnson
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 4:50PM
These articles include his claim to have stood on the blood of Martin Luther King, Jr. three hours after his assassination. It was all made up! Like so much else!