On Saturday, June 27, 2009, Grace to You staff member Mike Taylor went to be with the Lord. He succumbed to complications related to a longtime bout with valley fever.

Mike began his career with John MacArthur’s media ministry in 1982 and was the longest serving staff member at Grace to You’s Southern California headquarters.

Mike graduated from Michigan State University in 1974 with a degree in communication arts. He came to California seeking work in the film industry, but Christ got hold of his life and turned him a different direction. Mike was convicted of the truth of the gospel and devoted his life to Christ. He became involved at Grace Community Church and began to reorder his priorities. He and his wife, Jackie, met in a church singles class and married in 1983.  Jackie and Mike and their two adult daughters have been active in ministry at Grace Church. He is also survived by his mother, Chris.

Mike served as director of publications for more than two decades. He was first hired by Grace to You to edit the John MacArthur’s Bible Studies study guides, designed for use with cassette tapes and the “Grace to You” radio broadcast. Hundreds of titles were produced and hundreds of thousands of copies were distributed. Mike’s responsibilities increased over time, and he eventually led the department responsible for developing and editing John’s printed, audio, and broadcast materials. A gifted, theologically astute writer, teacher, and project manager, Mike served as editor of Grace to You’s Masterpiece magazine, edited several of John MacArthur’s books, was a contributing editor to The MacArthur Study Bible, and remained an integral, active part of Grace to You’s management team until his death.

In addition to the countless lives Mike Taylor touched through three decades of work behind the scenes with John MacArthur’s worldwide ministry, his professional legacy will include a love for Christ and biblical truth, a zeal for clear and precise communication, creativity, careful stewardship of time, a commitment to teamwork, tenderness for the people with whom he served, and a readiness to laugh.

In the ministry’s forty-year history, Mike is the only staff member to die while in active service.