John MacArthur & Phil Johnson Learned Alexey I. Kolomiytsev (Deceased) Was Contagious with COVID-19 at the Shepherds’ Conference But Withheld Information from Pastors in Attendance
Saturday, March 28, 2020 at 7:20PM Phil Johnson is a pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA and the Executive Director of Grace to You for John MacArthur.
On March 19, Johnson posted on his Facebook page that pastor Alexey I. Kolomiytsev attended MacArthur’s Shepherds’ Conference on March 4-6 and “shortly after returning home…tested positive with the Wuhan virus.” Despite this belief or knowledge, Johnson and MacArthur did not alert the 5,000 people who attended the conference at Grace Community Church.
Furthermore, the 90 year old Kolomiytsev died March 19. Thereafter, these men still did not alert the 5,000 conferees until Julie Roys of The Roys Report wrote about it on March 21 in Pastor Who Attended John MacArthur’s Shepherds’ Conference Dies From Coronavirus; Attenders Not Notified.
At that point, the Shepherds’ Conference Team was forced to make a statement later in the day. In that statement, they didn’t tell the attendees that Kolomiytsev had tested positive for COVID-19 and was a contagion at the conference. Instead, they used diversionary tactics and made the issue about whether or not he died from CODVID-19. That was irrelevant to the health of those attending the conference.
“There are posts online that he passed away from the coronavirus, but the physicians who treated him have not confirmed that information at this time. … Other than the potential situation above, we have had no confirmation of COVID-19 cases associated with anyone who attended the 2020 Shepherds’ Conference.
Notice how they refer to it as “the potential situation above.” That was deceptive. They knew Kolomiytsev was infectious at the conference but did not notify those attending. Two days after his death, they were still concealing that information. Remember, Johnson knew “shortly after returning home…[he] tested positive with the Wuhan virus.” As soon as he, MacArthur, and the conference team became aware, all the pastors at the Shepherd’s Conference should have been notified.
MacArthur and his conference team wrote again on March 23 focusing solely on Kolomiytsev death being due to the virus. Once more they made no mention of his being infectious at the conference. They were not committed to the health and safety of those attending despite their boast.
“Our pastor and the conference team is committed to your health and safety at all the conferences we host; consequently, we want to update you concerning the 90-year-old Shepherds’ Conference guest who recently passed away. The doctors confirmed that he passed away from COVID-19. At this time, there have been no other conference guests, Grace Church staff, or volunteers who have reported a positive diagnosis of the coronavirus. We are now outside the incubation period for the virus set by the CDC, but we encourage you to continue to take the necessary steps to ensure your personal health in this season.”
At no point in this second statement, does MacArthur or his conference team make it clear that Kolomiytsev was a carrier of the virus at the conference. Even worse, they fail to explain why they didn’t alert those attending the conference when they first learned he tested positive for the Wuhan virus. That was left to Julie Roys. Thank God for Christian journalists like her in an age of corruption.
John MacArthur, Phil Johnson and the leaders associated with them at the Master’s University & Seminary, Grace to You, and Grace Community Church have a long history of covering up sins of a serious nature with serial lying and audacious bullying. I have written about this in several articles below.
There is no reason to believe these men would ever have contacted the 5,000 pastors attending the Shepherds’ Conference about Alexey I. Kolomiytsev unless their irresponsibility, if not cover-up, was exposed. And lastly, there is no reason to believe John MacArthur or Phil Johnson will ever ask forgiveness for their dereliction. That would involve humility, transparency and accountability.
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