Name Robert MacArthur | ||
Robert Stuart MacArthur (July 31, 1841 – February 23, 1923) was a Baptist preacher, lecturer, and author. He was a longtime pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in New York City, raising it to prominence in his more than 40 years there.
Born in Dalesville, Quebec, Canada, MacArthur converted at the age of 13, graduated from the University of Rochester in 1867, and from Rochester Theological Seminary in 1870. He was ordained and became pastor of Calvary Church on May 15 of that year, and married Mary Elizabeth Fox on August 4.
At the time MacArthur became pastor, Calvary Church had 238 members. Within five years, church membership more than doubled, and church collections increased sixfold. MacArthur oversaw the construction of a new church building, the formation of three additional congregations, and a growth in membership in the "mother church" to 2300 members by 1910.
MacArthur's publications include hymnals, sermon collections, and apologetic works.
MacArthur resigned as pastor at Calvary in 1911, and held the title of pastor emeritus until 1921, when he gave up the title to avoid association with what he called the "sensationalism" of then-pastor John Roach Straton. After further disagreement with the direction Calvary was going, MacArthur and his wife resigned membership in Calvary in 1922, and transferred membership to Old Cambridge Baptist Church, where his son was pastor.
MacArthur died in New York on February 23, 1923.