I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. Prevent these types of money exchange corporations, If you personally were not in a position to be damaged by James, do not judge those who were susceptible to the wrath damage of James. Sheri and her husband Gary attended Cornerstone in the 1980s while attending Azusa Pacific and in their first few years of marriage. Lina, The higher the leadership level was, the more protective of James they were. . In Jesus precious name. Ive always appreciated your candor and honesty, and I think the Lord has gifted you with a strong sense of discernment. (images of wife beating and mental control come to mind) Again I dont blame James MacDonald. Open your eyes and feel the heat of the refiners fire. I am surprised by your editorial on Harvest. I have had similar experiences at The Chapel . P.S. HARVEST EN ESPAOL is available in person on Sundays at 11:00 AM in Cornerstone. Be kind not hurtful. We are taught in Gods Word that it is Christs love that ought to control us. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. I am so happy that finally people are standing up and talk about it! Gods Timing Is ALWAYS Perfect! What happens next? The decision comes after an explosive scandalous period at Harvest, including a botched excommunication,an ill-fated attempt at a defamation lawsuit, a scathing investigative report from World Magazine and then this most recent, shocking revelation. Our Elders and Staff are committed to fulfilling our fiduciary duty as the leadership of this congregation, knowing that at times the outcome may be misunderstood or emotionally painful, the elders statement read, promising a more detailed plan for the churchs future in coming weeks. Their letter covered MacDonalds self-promotionlove of moneydomineering and bullying abusive speech[and] outbursts of anger.. I will be praying for you , too, Lina. It is a really strange thing when persecution comes from the pastor and elders. Nice to hear from you again! Hmm. My precious, from a far, friend who I have watched since your first speaking engagement at Harvest. (Proverbs 16:18). The elders were given a paper that laid out their duties, that mostly consisted of protecting, encouraging, and blessing the senior pastor. It was an extremely long and difficult decision to finally leave (we did our best to leave peacefully with the good of Christs church in mind) knowing very well that our reputations and many of our friendships we had there would be severely if not permanently damaged. Can you please contact me from the Contact button on my web page here? Thankful we got left when we did. He did the same. May God bless you for speaking truth and standing in the gap for those of us who dont have the circle of influence that you have. We are to fear God not man. Our good is like the filthy rags of the leper! The word of God and the flock were only mentioned at the end of the long list. Harvest Bible Chapel has fired its founder and senior pastor James MacDonald following years of controversial behavior, financial scandal and allegations of bullying and intimidation. You are brave and you did the right thing! I will be praying for you. The church is to be a living organism for the cause of Christ and no other. Yet Jesus minces no words when He tells us we ARE to judge teachers by their *fruits* and expose evildoers (and leads by examplesee His very public chastisement of the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospels). I dont know why, except that I just really wasnt getting the Word of God from the stage and I do mean stage. As a result, I was asked to meet with the elders, pull the blog piece and write a new one that James would first approve. James wrath is powerful. Five Uncomfortable Church Documentaries Still Worth Watching, Asbury Announces New Service ScheduleCampus Will Be Closed to the Public After Today, Eight Witnesses Testified Against Hillsong Founder Brian Houston in Court Case. Lina, a number of years ago I was reading one of your books while waiting for Gordon Z. to join me for lunch. than submission to leaders The link was in my post above. I am sorry that you experienced this fear. Whats also sad is that old witness accounts go to show how truly far reaching and how long this behavior has been going on. Women are not silenced: This model is not original and is old but it is appropriate for the megachurch and also for the persecuted church. Gods timing is always perfect. I know many people who attend Harvest or who have been impacted by MacDonalds preaching are crushed today. Did you see the link to my web page. Do you read the elder updates? Perhaps we can do something like that here in Davenport, too. This team is to be made up of congregants, staff, professionals, and elders, and will be headed by a church member. Pray for those outside the faith who will never come to salvation because of how this appears to them, Muller wrote in his op-ed. Dull other times. What does the Bible say about debt? Thank you for your story Dr. Lina, and thank you for shedding light on your fears, and your full confidence in the Lord at the end of the day. When we try to protect those in power instead of those who are hurting, we are not doing the work of God. Or share it. Others will be hurtit is a matter of time. It was simply not possible. There are no ongoing issues of any kind. It was both true in a sense and funny. In keeping with our past private statements to Harvests leadership and to our pastorsThe primary issue is not reconciliation or peacemaking, it is repentance, GCC elders said in a January 17 statement. Brave. Hi Sally, The sin that has taken place does not negate the awesome work that God has done, and it pains my heart to hear people act as if it does. Dont damage the church by being publicly critical. Thank you for your openness and sharing! Within days of their statement, MacDonald offered a public apology, admitting to careless and hurtful words and a regression into sinful patterns of fleshly anger and self-pity that wounded co-workers and others.. I love who you are and what you do. That is just so day to know that people are leaving churches. How long before we wake up and show the world how Christians are not only different from the world but we are not of the world! And these things are only the tip of the iceberg. Over the summer, they agreed to try to make a joint statement and start the process of relational reconciliation, the Harvest elders said, but the efforts didnt pan out. Persecution or hardship drew them close. None of the perpetrators of hate and satanism have fully repented, including James, his despicable henchmen and the elders. I did not fear God as much as I feared James and longed for his approval. Have you sought the Lord in prayer and fasting?Exposing sin is not hurtful then you would be against every prophet in the Bible. I attended Harvest Bible Chapel for over 8 years and served as the Womens Ministry Director at the Rolling Meadows campus for three of those years (thats the flagship original campus by the way). Praying for this church also that Gods Holy Spirit is cleaning/healing/humbling/teaching his people. Just because its a church building with leaders doesnt mean that Christ is leading it. Lauren Boebert And Marjorie Greene's Adult "So Your Problem with Christianity is the Jesus No, the "Second Shift" Isn't Feminism's Fault. Gods heart, over and over again, is for those who are oppressed. Ezekiel 22:27 Will James not wake up and realize that the Church of Jesus Christ is not the organization or nonprofits we create, but the men and women that God calls and saves by the sacrifice of His Son? superstar pastors are always ,inevitably, trouble. In fact, even though there is no patents or rights given to the Bible every man-made church that has plagiarized, promoted or used the Bible without the expressed consent of Jesus Himself or the authority of His church begin their ministries as thieves. It is now operating at James MacDonald Ministries. Based on just the first few paragraphs, I hear you! Thoughts from a person looking in. Lina is right on. Hearing these stories has helped me to realize I left just when I was supposed to. If hearing voices together of those who have truth helps, then now is the time to speak. Then the board announced its executive committee would be resigning over the next few months. Your mission and your ministry is beautiful and changing lives. There is no question in my mind that what I did see and experience increasingly at Harvest was a culture that functioned and was sustained by fear and the desire to please James at any cost. Thank goodness God is still God! Like the unsaved around us we fight for positions of prestige to lord it over one another. Praying for you, many blessings for all you do. That timeline accelerated, when on Tuesday morning highly inappropriate recorded comments made by Pastor MacDonald were given to media and reported, the church wrote. ! Amen Sister! The current leadership at Harvest Bible Chapel including Luke and Landon and Rick and Mo and Jeff and the CFO are infected by the cancer of fear and control. Also note how the apostle Paul called out Peter publicly when Peter was indulging in hypocrisy! Another church on The Lord's Way is on its way out. I believe Yahweh has me where He wants me. There is NEVER a healthy or spiritual reason for suppressing truth. Different situations require different things. So here I am, piecing together a years-long scandal for you. Harvest Bible Chapel We're here to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). That is, so many think that the church is the pastors ministry and they dont adequately facilitate the ministry of believers. I think that this message has relevance to many situations today, including the present political situation. He also makes vulgar comments about Wheaton College executive director of the Billy Graham Center Ed Stetzer and repeatedly degrades Julie Roys, the reporter who wrote the World Magazine story. He better thank God for Grace and cause he is going to need it. The fruit of people at Harvest coming to Christ belongs to the Holy Spirit, not to JM. Harvest, which Roys says is $42 million in debt, is suing the Evangelical Christian Credit Union for not refinancing five of its mortgages. The beloved drink is both an attraction and a generational divide. He is angry that they keep on sending texts and emails asking for money. Again this is HER TRUTH! Thank you Yahweh. now James McDonald. The elders and pastoral board have created a team called Harvest 2020 to conduct a complete review of what happened, and of the church. I grew up catholic and vever really got a hold of it all. I still hold fast to the hope he will take all this to Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISjXhWUyGi0&list=PLud2nIxx0IAT58I8QPBdfrOz8bFMQQcd6&index=4&t=0s. Nicole, I am sorry if you are offended. How about some GRACE !!! Her first year at college and her first visit to Harvest RM. I have a love-hate relationship with Thanksgiving Day. Oh Kristy, Thank you so much for expressing exactly what I am feelingsuch sorrow, such heartbreaking sorrow. The timing of this article makes you less credible. Harvest Bible Chapel's Elgin campus H arvest Bible Chapel has reached a multimillion-dollar agreement to transfer some of its assets to former pastor James MacDonald, who plans to continue in. Thank you for your courage and for responding. There the preacher has no real power at all. Do You Really Have to Go to Church Every Sunday? Your realness. I will not address any party affiliation. I follow Jesus in His Strength the best I can in the light He has given me. Thank you for having the courage to write what you did and for your ministry Lina. The only thing I liked about that church was the worship, which was glorifying to the Lord. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. Can Bubble Tea Bring Gen Z into the Chinese Church. Dont you think this influences decisions made by the leaders, both now and before? Did you realize the pastors publicly said sorry last weekend? My daughter was also at that service when they showed the video. Its hard no impossible- to do everything with the right motivation. Love for God, relationships, and the church. In early 2018, reporter Julie Roys, who writes for the conservative evangelical WORLD Magazine, began conducting background research for an article, which was published eight months later under the headline Hard Times at Harvest. I didnt want to risk any negative impacts on my own growing ministry. A book called the Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse really helped me and my wife to recover from our experience of confronting the pastor and then leaving the church. Following the initial World report, MacDonald announced he would be taking a sabbatical, but suggested he may still occasionally preach at a Harvest-affiliated church in Florida. When this happens, there is tremendous spiritual and emotional wounding. Hang in there. Besides, pastors charismatic enough to gain large followings frequently have the ability to effectively deflect criticism and keep their elder board firmly on their side. But dont shame others who speak up. These things happen in small churches too. I think the congregation who asks these questions should know that I pray for them. Start praying to the Lord for healing. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? Your two posts make no sense I hope you get some sense and realize people in Church are not infallible only Jesus! Yes, I was there for ex-communication video. 2023 ChurchLeaders.com, All rights reserved. The culture of fear is real, soo much so I dont feel comfortable giving my name as some will know me. Your willingness to sit down over a cup of coffee in your home with women of God and get real about our hurts, our fears, our dreams, or whatever is going on in our lives. I have been attending Harvest and listening and learning from Pastor James sermons for almost 10 years; I have witnessed the sweet joy of my husband coming to Christ because of God using Pastor James mightily; and I have been blessed beyond measure by the positive impact Harvest, its ministries, and especially its PEOPLE have had upon my relationship with God, my Harvest friends and family, my life, and my marriage. Ive tried to cover everything in prayer but I dont feel God right now. These are the last days! Nellie, be very, very careful! Pray for those still there trying to care for the confused and hurting hearts. The first one is in the magazine Relevant and looks at the allegations of Anne Green being inappropriately touched by James MacDonald. Many many of us are praying for all of you in Naples. As were you, we were grieving and had to pray for help finding that new church. Although, it definetly planted a seed for me. As questions about how Harvest Bible Fellowship money was used ballooned, the pressure mounted. Its who you are! Too many of these large churches have lost track of what their true purpose is. In effect, the senior pastor isthe church. She approached this with sensitivity, wisdom and grace. I am so inspired to see you today. Thats the point and issue with what was and is going on at Harvest. it seems to me that people give more grace to the offender than the victim. We are the Church! DeeperWalkInternational.org. 8. These patterns were present and recognized as early as 2012, and nothing was done about them. The flock are the casualties in all of this. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. They never acknowledged that they had done anything wrong. So are you saying that there is mind control of the underling staff and of the rank and file members going on at HBC? Thank you for all you do. 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