Whats also sad is that old witness accounts go to show how truly far reaching and how long this behavior has been going on. Ezekiel 22:27 The current model for pastor directed churches says that the senior pastor is the priest this is Old Testament. That is why we keep talking. 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.. Seeing this in your personality it is understandable to me that at first you revered James correction and fell into compliance. 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. Also, for 2 years I felt my prayers didnt get past the ceiling. Oh Kristy, Thank you so much for expressing exactly what I am feelingsuch sorrow, such heartbreaking sorrow. Why? First, they resigned, along with a third elder (who was not excommunicated only because he also left Harvest and was no longer a member), in protest of how the church was being run. . For our premium ad-free experience, including exclusive podcasts, issues and more, subscribe to. We warn the people of Harvest Bible Churchto separate themselves from these false messengers. Just goes to show, pride goeth before a fall. Come together at part of the body of Christ called Harvest Bible Chapel and pray that Gods will not ours be done. I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. I saw the horrible video of the three Elders that were fired, It was autrocious! He invitedme to go when we first started dating. I hate to be James because God judges leadership harsher than the regular sinner. Nor do I want to be part of a fellowship where the whole counsel of God is not taught nor eschatology ever mentioned. , Titus 3:10-11 says as for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once, and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful, he is self condemned. Also 1 Timothy 5:20 says as for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, which is what we are doing, so that the rest may stand in fear. , Nothing is covered, nothing is unresolved, nothing is ongoing, only this attack from the enemy. Now the Chicago-area megachurch is sharing details of the settlement and has apologized to its former pastor, who was fired in February 2019. When the Church becomes the organization instead of the people, then it ceases to be the Church. Fear is what has been under all this, I would not be surprised if there is some fear in Jamess heart that is the root cause of his sins here. The surprise is not Harvest, but that you publicly hung them. BTW, Ive loved your blogs in the morning, but cant read the Twitter ones because I am not on Twitter. The more I think about the demise of Harvest Bible Chapel and James MacDonald, the more I believe that fear is the cancer at the root of it all specifically the fear of James MacDonald. The higher the leadership level was, the more protective of James they were. Voices heard together make a difference. Harvest Bible Chapel Naples and its landlord have reached a settlement, ending a court battle to evict the church. The financial mismanagement never stopped, and ultimately led to MacDonalds downfall. According to Harvest, their agreement resolves all claims and issues and releases them from future legal matters over the arbitration terms. God is a for-others being he can not lie, therefore, he can not be for Himself. It seems to have so many cracks in the structure. Rotate positions? I follow Jesus in His Strength the best I can in the light He has given me. Whatever is wrong in Gods eyes He will bring someone to reveal it. I regret staying at Harvest after that meeting with the elders. The reason there are spiritual Pol Pots that number in the thousands like our friend James McDonald is because men are happy to give themselves authority. Thats the point and issue with what was and is going on at Harvest. If so Id be in agreement but again- this is not a political post. Is it perfect? Different situations require different things. Therefore Lina did what God moved her to do in His Boldness and Courage, being fear had silenced her. Because TRANSPARENCY is neededand now ahe may be starting to feel safe. I am so happy that finally people are standing up and talk about it! Gods Timing Is ALWAYS Perfect! After that, I felt like my time was wasted. Despite recent legal cases and reports of greedy abuses, experts say the longstanding benefit remains safe. Ezekiel 22:27: Her princes [leaders] within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. I am now going to read the rest of your post. The unrest at Harvest began in the fall of 2013, when two elders were excommunicated and another was indirectly censured, Roys writes. Lina, I can only hope and pray that those that criticize you for speaking up now are MORE upset about the behavior of the leaders of the church! Each weekend, services include live, vertical-focused worship. When you are in a position where fear dictates the position you cannot speak out while under that. Ill let the others fight that fight today. Could you provide me with a link please. He grew the church from 18 members to more. Just pray in a prayer closet to be still in the presence of Jesus. I have had similar experiences at The Chapel . I believe Yahweh has me where He wants me. It quickly became one of the 50 largest churches in the country, with over 12,000 members and eight campuses in the Chicago area. 2023 RELEVANT Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Jews ebb and flow toward God followed a pattern. I dont really care what someone else thinks. Put faith in Gods justice and judgement upon all, now that sin has been exposed. 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. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. And where I live that mostly rules out every English speaking church there is! Are you straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel? People meant evil but God works it out for our good. 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. I always wondered why you left but after reading The Elephants Debt I figured I knew why. It wasnt that we saw corruption in our church. 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. This woman sounds sincere. 6. Have you ever read this piece on how sick systems keep people controlled? There are dozens if not hundreds of witnesses against many Elders at Harvest all saying the same thing. Im praying for you. It is those who live in fear. Id encourage you to read the prophets again, and ask, what upsets the heart of God? And then maybe its time to ask whether those things should upset you as well. Before the article was even printed, Harvest sued Roys, plus two bloggers who've been critical about problems at Harvest. Im disappointed in your timing. Fear is never a godly way of governing. Will this tattoo be their mark of shame? When I left my job I stayed at HBC for about another year before leaving entirely. My heart breaks for the ones who will walk away from church and walk away from God. Again I dont blame James MacDonald. Jesus calls us to be GOOD. Because there are others that need to also be held responsible. How dare you question her about why? Why? I continue to pray for the people this has affected, the elders and pastors, and that the darkness will be continually exposed to the light. In another incident at Camp Harvest, MacDonald reportedly stabbed a photo of a former Harvest pastor with a butter knife. Your child will experience the life-changing power of Jesus and His Word through worship and story, and age-appropriate learning tools. I wonder if this is an area where youd feel free to minister; where people leave the church and are forgotten. Thank you for being honest and speaking truth. God is using this to grow me as he does in all trials, so for that Im grateful. Harvest launched a radio show; founded a Christian school with over 700 students; built its own retreat center; produced feature-length films; wrote its own worship songs; and created its own church-planting ministry, Harvest Bible Fellowship, with 170 member churches. Kenny Foreman, Founder of Cathedral of Faith, Passes Away at 88, Millennials Cant Buy MeaningLets Talk the Meaning of Life. We sincerely thank you for your prayers, your support, and your patience as we work together to restore a trust in leadership, a humility to surrender to biblical authority, and a firm resolve to move forward as a church family., Subscribe to CT Also note how the apostle Paul called out Peter publicly when Peter was indulging in hypocrisy! Please see my link. Im also going to sign up for LWP. 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. Sports Betting Hits a New High: A Crisis in the Making? MacDonald later admitted doing so but claimed it was all in good fun and misinterpreted. They have gone the deep end of the pool. There the preacher has no real power at all. Often no explanation given, and the band plays on. Gosh, so many similarities with the HBC action. It may not be warm and fuzzy but speaking truth, especially when compelled by the Spirit, is never wrong. I really doubt theyre sending texts and emails asking for money. We dont know if He will allow Harvest not to crumble. What are you authorized to do? Or they, too, are so rotten at the core that they dont care. Five years ago, Harvest Bible Chapel, a Chicago-area megachurch with multiple campuses and an average weekly attendance exceeding 12,000, sent shock waves through the Christian community when it publicly excommunicated two former elders and indirectly censured a third. Nicole, I am sorry if you are offended. A new believer has lost faith because of the shameful behavior of HBC leadership and all you can say is question the new believers truthfulness of his account? Theyre gone. The Elephant's . I agree with Nellie. (Matthew 12:33-37). 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? We attended Harvest for 16 years before we left little over 4 years ago. We continue in prayer for all those affected near and far. The elders and pastoral board have created a team called Harvest 2020 to conduct a complete review of what happened, and of the church. Ross, Ross, 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. I do have cds and dvd of contemporary Christian artists. He was a ruler of his churches. MacDonald is not being kicked while hes down. out of fear you complied That is just so day to know that people are leaving churches. Yes, there are a lot of hurting people at Harvest. All I have to say Lina is thank you! see My Dream Church https://sites.google.com/site/mydreamchurch/. Yes Nellie, we are called to bring light on the darkness. We did not want to cause a split or damage the cause of Christ, so we quietly left. While every major financial decision was supposed to be examined and approved by the churchs eldersand it was claimed that this was casethis was not actually happening. We talked with two deacons and the assistant pastor. Why would we be any different? I will be praying for you. He is angry that they keep on sending texts and emails asking for money. Rita, be encouraged. Were they afraid? Lina, thank you for your honesty. I will only say that if it is right and important to address a culture of fear within the church, it is equally important to address the same for our country. If they built it, it is theirs to destroy. Your time at Harvest made a huge impact to my small group and strengthened my faith in Christ . 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. Thats what happens to us as individuals and us as a collection of people. They all need to be excised ( fired ), along with number one enabler extraordinaire of James, Rick Donald, along with the MacDonald boys, along with every single campus pastor and the other pastors, and throw in the worship leaders ( they are all complicit ), then the cancer would have been completely removed and the body ( the good people of Harvest that are being fleeced ) would have a chance to heal and become part of a true biblical church. The congregation has been deceived, lied to, and hounded to give sacrificially, all the while the senior pastor has been making hundreds of thousands of dollars. What she shared was the kindest message I have ever seen. Looking back over my life I see how all things have led to today. If you have something to recommend I read that would help me in this area, Lina, I would appreciate it. We are wounded and grieving. Implying that the information on TED was lies. Torn between right and wrong. And yet, I stayed. Praying for you, many blessings for all you do. Your truth was not conceived in fasting or deep prayer and it sure isnt loving. Thank you for speaking out, Lina! Thank you for your thoughts and strong, encouraging words. Following a lengthy season of review, reflection, and prayerful discussion, the Elders of Harvest Bible Chapel had determined that Pastor MacDonald should be removed from his role of Senior Pastor. I didnt want to risk any negative impacts on my own growing ministry. How long will we wait to begin the healing process within ourselves and between each other? And for those that have not witnessed spiritual abuse, or worse yet experienced it personally, but are now hearing about it, this is your opportunity to ramp up your prayers for the Bride of Christ. Many were kicked out and shown the door. I didnt want to upset James. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Dan was a part of this elder board with these 7 elders and he details only some of the fraud . is it the pastors doing? (Galatians 2:11-21) Hes a lemonade maker. Speaking the truth and not cowering in the corner. Do you remember how Jesus acted towards the money changers and false shepherds? There were other things that caused us to leave also. Yell and bully and make people feel like second class Christians? Those who step out of line are often dismissed. Dont you think this influences decisions made by the leaders, both now and before? Love for God, relationships, and the church. A year or so before leaving Harvest I had written a blog post about holiness in which I had referenced the growing fad of tattoos in our culture. The eight former elders who signed the letter alleged that that Harvest ran a puppet elder board; that a culture of fear and intimidation plagued the church; and that the elder board, which was supposed to be responsible for overseeing the churchs finances, was not granted access to financial information. I was mortified. This cancer must be excised and as often as is the case in cancer treatment, months of treatment must be involved for health to take place. In a recorded video message, Bill Sperling, an elder, told the congregation that the elders concluded that there is a sinful pattern of inappropriate language, anger and domineering behavior. Look, Im sorry, but thats a bit late. Sign up to get our top five trending stories delivered every weekday! Then came Roys story, MacDonalds decision to sue Roys and the bloggers behind The Elephants Debt (presumably rubber stamped by the current elder board), and the realization that discovery would mean everything coming out. This cancer must be excised and as often as is the case in cancer treatment, months of treatment must be involved for health to take place. Roys also lamented the fallout of todays news. Those that havent gone through it ask why would you speak these things? I have always wondered why? 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. All Rights Reserved | Website by Living Wth Power, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISjXhWUyGi0&list=PLud2nIxx0IAT58I8QPBdfrOz8bFMQQcd6&index=4&t=0s, https://radical.net/sermon/kingdom-community/, https://sites.google.com/site/mydreamchurch/, Recommended Reads: Relevant Magazine on James MacDonald Allegedly Inappropriately Touching Anne Green. None of the perpetrators of hate and satanism have fully repented, including James, his despicable henchmen and the elders. The only thing I liked about that church was the worship, which was glorifying to the Lord. Excited for the new study, hoping One of your teachings would be chosen. Start praying to the Lord for healing. No church is, because they are all filled with sinners like us. Opt out of televised preaching? I also dont know why it took me five years to leave, but now Ive been at a true Bible preaching, Jesus exulting church, not too far from the RM campus. (images of wife beating and mental control come to mind) Others wised up and slowly left. Then, he was fired, according to the Daily Herald, a suburban Chicago newspaper. Like in Ezekiel, many people are trying to sound the trumpet of warning!! 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. With so much gaslighting going on and public take-downs of those who would speak truth to power, and your investment in the church industrial complex, I can imagine how difficult it wouldve been to speak out publicly at the time of your leaving. MacDonald was manifestly not okay with the criticism. We believe that disciples of Jesus profess that He is Lord, practice His Ways, and persevere in both their profession and practice. I am so glad Lina has spoken up. Then the board announced its executive committee would be resigning over the next few months. I pray to our Father who loves us all that His truth and reconciliation and peace, healing abounds in this circumstance. I totally agree with you Patti. He went recently, saying the time had come. I so agree with your cancer analogy as it relates to Harvest. Their letter covered MacDonalds self-promotionlove of moneydomineering and bullying abusive speech[and] outbursts of anger.. If you know anything about abusive relationshipsHBC is in the honeymoon phase right now.look it up!! He better thank God for Grace and cause he is going to need it. James ended up sending me a copy of the new approved blog post, and out of fear, I complied. We left Harvest for, among other reasons, the bad theology and overall silliness of the womens ministry. chose to suffer. I believe you are mistaken. As one person whom MacDonald led to the Lord remarked to me, Its like finding out your wife is a serial killer. The disillusionment, betrayal, and loss can be excruciating. Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. Harvest ousted Daniel Marquardt, Scott Phelps, and Barry Slabaugh in 2013 after they protested against . Can Bubble Tea Bring Gen Z into the Chinese Church. The word of God and the flock were only mentioned at the end of the long list. I hope it doesnt chase people away from their spiritual questaway from God., I take no joy in this announcement, said Muller. The small church that I and my family left was a textbook case in spiritual abuse. The practice of medicine is not an exact science; neither is navigating very tough and painful circumstances such as this. I will not blame those who suffer spiritual starvation for wolves like the James McDonalds, Joel Olsteens or Creflo Dollars (to name but a few), however designer churches and their false teachers are the direct results of people who refuse to be obedient and submissive to Gods will. Dont listen to haters. When we left, after having posted a letter to the elders, not a single person called us to see how we were doing. In effect, the senior pastor isthe church. It was so hard not to be bitter, and it took a long time to want to be part of another church and not be so cautious. He bullied his way into being paid multiple times for the work he was hired to so as the pastor, sermons and bible teaching. Others will be hurtit is a matter of time. Lina, I know that you did not take writing this lightly, and that it was preceded by much prayer and asking for the Holy Spirits wisdom and guidance in order to strike a balance of truth and grace. The church and its people helped create Pastor James He is not the only one involved it was a group effort. Everything that is painful for everyone and anyone has been talked about endlessly for weeks. And your part of the problem. He is doing a new thing, and I will stand with my brothers and sisters in Christ and praise his Holy name through it all. Updated 11/13/2020 7:31 PM. Mike Winger Discusses When God Hardened Pharaohs Heart, Tennessee Church Showcases Tyre Nichols Photography, Louisiana Pastor Sentenced to 5 Years in Money Laundering Case Involving Nearly $900K in Stolen Funds, Steven Curtis Chapman First Contemporary Christian Artist To Earn 50th No. They never acknowledged that they had done anything wrong. 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. Are called to bring light on the darkness a prayer closet to be James because God judges leadership harsher the... 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