I am no one special here. Looking back over my life I see how all things have led to today. I never understood why they saw him the way they do. In Jesus precious name. Others wised up and slowly left. 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. Be very careful Azaelea. The Bible even says Truth shall set you free. Youre sharing your story and I think those who have been hurt by HBC (including me) needs to hear these stories. In good conscience we walked away too knowing it was the right thing before God.So now I get your story, you were a favorite of Kathy and James so I am sure to take a stand against the injustice at Harvest was not at all an easy decision.So many other godly people got pushed out for speaking up about the entitlement and harshness of James and other Pastors and Elders.So very sad somewhere along the way they just forgot they are supposed to be shepherds and servant and not the guards defending the many sin issues at Harvest. And where I live that mostly rules out every English speaking church there is! I so agree with your cancer analogy as it relates to Harvest. Muller had prematurely announced the pastors departure on Friday morning on his show on WLS 890 AM, going on to declare on Twitter, Conman Boss James Macdonald OUT of Harvest Church!. Its ironic that you should post this today. Its by an unbeliever, but wow, is it eye-opening. @Ross, Were you able to access it? I have nothing bad to say about Harvest. Authority? 4. Pray for those still there trying to care for the confused and hurting hearts. Persecution is supposed to come from the world with the devil behind it, as Jesus said. All I have to say Lina is thank you! And the truth of many at Harvest. He invitedme to go when we first started dating. Hidden things have come to light. Not saying thete arent strong christians in leadership at this church but it does always seem that when pride gets in the way of leadership it hurts that person and everyone around them. In addition, what was shared now, may have been heard better now, then it would have been heard before Lina left Harvest. I used to go to a church in AZ pastored by Jon Gaus. His sermon provides good reasons for why we need to shine light on these abuses. Thank you and thank Lina. Updated 11/13/2020 7:31 PM. He clearly told me that they send out reminders to give. Elder boards are supposed to create this accountability in these situations, but in many cases these boards are no more than rubber stamps. Kenny Foreman, Founder of Cathedral of Faith, Passes Away at 88, Millennials Cant Buy MeaningLets Talk the Meaning of Life. For me, it is because it is time for truth. Put faith in Gods justice and judgement upon all, now that sin has been exposed. Ive been in the medical field for over 40 years and know a thing or two about human anatomy. The next day, Helmer resigned, citing MacDonalds pattern of uncontrolled anger. The pastor later admitted being too intense in the classroom that day. MacDonald later admitted doing so but claimed it was all in good fun and misinterpreted. That night changed me. Swicegood released a statement saying that much of what has been alleged "is simply false, misleading and hateful." He added that the . I dont know you personally but appreciate all you continue to teach me and countless others. Like you, Lina, Ive listened to people wounded by sin, power grabs and wrongdoing by Church leaders. MacDonald was manifestly not okay with the criticism. Thank you, Lina. Even now, many years later, the enemy could still, if I let him, get me questioning my motives and trying to persuade me I was in the wrong not the shepherds. I was there when Ted launched. The moment I read about someone saying something about planting child pornography on the Christianity Todaycomputers, I knew I had to figure out what the heck was going on. As an encouragement, from day 1, as you began your faith walk ministry, starting a Women of Power teaching ministry at Harvest, I have watched your character. The evangelical megachurch system, where multilayered ministries form around a single persona, leaves ample room for mismanagement and abuse of authority. I am sorry I am so late to discover this article but I had to respond to this comment. Gordon Zwirkoski, a former Harvest elder and the original director of HBF, told Roys that James MacDonald essentially wields ultimate authority at the church and cultivates a spirit of fear in the staff. Former Harvest employee Dave Jones says his church has welcomed dozens of Harvest refugees who show signs of spiritual abuse and are disillusioned.. Opt out of mega church? I appreciate the Biblical distinction you made Sheila, in relation to the Bible calling us to be good ; which doesnt always mean being kind and nice. Now that these differences with MacDonald have come to resolution, our focus and full attention are on the future of Harvest Bible Chapel, they said. Otherwise, the church must answer the same question, for that is one of the majors that Jesus gave us. We are the Church! He (the pastor) basically told us we would never work in ministry (volunteer or vocationally) because we didnt understand biblical authority. In any case, we had a final meeting with the pastor and his assistant pastor (who was his son-in-law) to tell them that I was leaving their church. Romans 16: 17-20. I kept seeing little hints of questionable goings-on at Harvest Bible Church, a large megachurch in suburban Chicago, but didnt really pay attention until last week, when the issue blew up in the most bizarre way. I will remember to pray for you and the fallout of this situation each time I see somethyfrom you come across my in box. God is good, truth always win. 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Im thankful you and so many others I know have left with dignity and after a bit of healing have jumped back into churches where they are serving the Lord with all their hearts using the gifts God has given them so faithfully. Thoughts from a person looking in. I am sure that was very hard for her to share . In fact, he is the one who is no longer pastoring. Dont listen to haters. The elders ordered church members to separate themselves from dissenters for fear of their souls; called MacDonalds critics behavior satanic to the core; and accused them carrying out an attack by Satan against MacDonald and Harvest. No One Knows. I didnt know you personally, but was a part of and benefited from the many programs that you offered through womens ministry. However, he ultimately agreed with the wave of backlash his pastor-friend now faced, condemning how MacDonalds drama had overshadowed Harvest and threatening a class-action lawsuit yesterday if MacDonald remained its pastor for another week. This is hardly a local issue in the Western church. It is not with the powerful; it is those whom the powerful make to feel like theyre nothing. Amy. We too would pray and fast and seek the Lord as to what it was we could have done wrong as not one person from the church we had attended for years cared to find out where we were at. I pray that the sincere, Christ honoring followers humbly seek Him and His will for them individually in relation to this circumstance, in addition to His will for the church as a whole. How you hit the nail on the head! Maybe people could handle hearing it better now than then. Nellie-What you might not know. OnFebruary 13, the elders announcedJames MacDonald had been fired. She will be one of many many many many who come forward so if you dont like it, dont read. She did a awesome job as the judgment of God has come to his house. The assistant pastor just tried to deflect and justify the pastors actions. It, honestly, has been the biggest source of my own sin and self inflicted suffering. She was obedient to Christ. New to Harvest and my faith in Christ, I didnt know what was going on and still kinda of unclear of all the details. Maybe its because youre a doctor and have such a desire to see people healed. That is, so many think that the church is the pastors ministry and they dont adequately facilitate the ministry of believers. Because she is helping expose evil and proving that is is deep and wide and on going. The fired senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel megachurch is contending, in a new lawsuit, that an attorney and accountants hired by the church took part in a "smear . I was mortified. The bloggers began posting again, however, in 2017, around the same time that Harvest Bible Fellowship was dissolved in 2017, due in part to concerns by some some member churches about how Harvest was managing the fellowships finances. Harvest Bible Chapel We're here to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Ross, Ross, I was pleasantly surprised to find that you know each other. Could you provide me with a link please. Sounds like your faith in self is overwhelming only yourself! If hearing voices together of those who have truth helps, then now is the time to speak. I think the congregation who asks these questions should know that I pray for them. I was too afraid to ask her why. The Lord has used you mightily before, during and after your exit from the toxic leadership at Harvest. When we left, after having posted a letter to the elders, not a single person called us to see how we were doing. I miss that about you. DIRECTIONS & INFO | . Church leadership is urging members to wait for the results of this reviewand the changes that will be implementedbefore making the decision to leave the church. Throughout the week, there are opportunities for you to grow in your walk with Christ, to serve, and to connect with other people in the Rolling Meadows area. @Donna Is it possible that it is God Himself who is exposing these misdeeds? My response, Why? Doesnt matter how long ago it happened either. Thankful for her thoughtful response and I agree with you that God knows all of this and isnt surprised by any of it including the timing of her response. Nellie, And I do want to state that MANY of us have made every effort to address the problems prior to leaving. With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal. The web page has a Contact button on the bottom and we can email. 5. (Proverbs 16:18). You must not feel sorry for James. I feel angry that the people who were supposed to be watching over the congregation allowed this to go on. ! God help those who cant see their need to be set free or judge those whove found it in Christ Jesus. In the arbitration, MacDonald retained the rights to Walk in the Word, a part of the church that had put on his teaching ministry and popular radio broadcast. DeeperWalkInternational.org. I should have left that week, but I was too afraid to cause damage to Jesus and His kingdom and the women I was leading at that time. I left Harvest about a year before you did, and I also stayed, for the most part, silent out of the same fear you described. I love Dr. Dobsons admonition that while it is tempting to want to get out of a painful situation, often the only way out is through. It seems that was true at Harvest, just as it is at many local churches. You are courageous and your words bring healing. On Monday morning, an edited version with the sermon only will be available on the Sermons and Studies page. That, it seems, was what it took to finally break his hold over his current elder board; to finally convince the elders that they were wrong to keep listening to his excuses. The evil at Harvest is a nasty stage four cancer yet has invaded the entire body. That timeline accelerated, when on Tuesday morning highly inappropriate recorded comments made by Pastor MacDonald were given to media and reported, they wrote. Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. Do you think God approves of pastors who deliberately scam their congregation for years, use his name for money and abuse people for the Almighty Dollar? I didnt want to risk any negative impacts on my own growing ministry. I didnt want to upset James. Lina, You also restrained and could have said much more and didnt. And the lies werent just shared by James. Mahoney and Bryant shared concerns about Harvests financial dealings, and provided a platform for other former Harvest members, who accused MacDonald of a controlling and abusive leadership style and pointed to an overall lack of accountability for MacDonald at Harvest. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Two years ago, MacDonald moved away from overseeing the Harvest Bible Fellowship, a global network of churches, which eventually separated from Harvest completely to form the Great Commission Collective (GCC). It describes participative worship thats all the music you need. I have always wondered why you left Lina but didnt know you personally to ask. maybe its time for all of us to wake up. Pastor James this and Pastor James that. whos fault is this? Subscribe to CT As a nation, something painful will bring us back. Start praying for Jesus to heal the entire body of which He Alone is the Head. Theres a difference between stirring the pot and exposing false teachers as the Scriptures instruct us to do. Hurt by HBC ( including me ) needs to hear these stories analogy as it to! A nasty stage four cancer yet has invaded the entire body ministries around! 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