John Vernon McGee (1904–1988) was a preacher who kept his faith simple, yet his influence profound. Best known for his radio show Thru the Bible, he helped countless people grow deep roots in the Word of God.
A Down-Home Voice for Timeless Truth
McGee was born June 17, 1904, in Hillsboro, Texas. His cry was so loud his mother joked it could be heard “on all four borders of Texas.” He lost his father in a cotton mill accident when he was about 14, which deepened his commitment to serve God.
He worked as a bank teller to support his family, but two widows helped him pay for seminary. He then earned degrees from Southwestern University, Columbia Theological Seminary, and Dallas Theological Seminary.
He was ordained in 1933 and served churches in Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas before moving west. He pastored in Pasadena, California, then from 1949 to 1970 led the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles.
Bringing the Bible to the People
He started radio teaching in 1941 with The Open Bible Hour, later renamed High Noon Bible Class. In 1967 he launched Thru the Bible, a daily radio program that guides listeners verse-by-verse through the entire Bible in a five-year loop. He affectionately called it the “Bible Bus.”
McGee emphasized salvation by faith alone and assurance of salvation. He spoke against fatalism and absolute predestination, and upheld a literal six-day creation. He often quoted verses like:
Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
His style was warm and familiar. He’d sometimes joke that listeners said he talked like Huckleberry Hound.
A Voice That Lives On
When doctors told him in 1965 he had only six months to live after heart surgery, God gave him 23 more years. He passed away peacefully in his chair on December 1, 1988.
Before he died, he made sure Thru the Bible would continue based on recorded programs. Today it airs in over 100 languages, across hundreds of radio stations, online, and via apps. He was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1989.
Chronological Summary of His Life
| Year(s) | Event |
|---|---|
| 1904 | Born in Hillsboro, Texas |
| c. 1918 | Father died; moved to Tennessee |
| Early 1920s–1930s | Bank teller; then college & seminary supported by others |
| 1933 | Ordained; pastored in Georgia, Tennessee, Texas |
| 1941–1967 | Radio ministries: Open Bible Hour, High Noon Bible Class |
| 1949–1970 | Pastor of Church of the Open Door, Los Angeles |
| 1967 | Launched Thru the Bible radio program |
| 1965 | Heart surgery; recovered for 23 more years |
| 1970 | Retired from full-time pastoring; focused on radio |
| 1988 | Died peacefully; ministry continues posthumously |
| 1989 | Inducted into NRB Hall of Fame |
