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. 2 Thumbs Way up to you my sister in Christ, for being open about your experience there, which more people than you know have also been through! Ross, (My) fear was in upsetting James When someone lies with such ease , that is pathological, and they must be removed from their positions!! 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. May God have mercy on his soul. The evangelical megachurch system, where multilayered ministries form around a single persona, leaves ample room for mismanagement and abuse of authority. Its so very difficult but This is Gods battle and I only need to be obedient not the fixer. We are currently experiencing similar tragedy at HBC-Naples. 6. Authority? Harvest Bible Church is a non-denominational, non-charismatic, evangelical Protestant church located in Northwest Houston in the Cypress community. SHERI PINE. Yes Nellie, we are called to bring light on the darkness. Nicole, I am sorry if you are offended. Im replying after reading just your first few paragraphs. The church, which has a weekly attendance of more than 12,000 at its seven campuses, is also associated with Vertical Worship, Harvest Christian Academy (HCA), and MacDonalds Walk in the Word TV and radio ministry. But wait who is that lurking around the edges, his deeds the center of everyones interest in our church right now, salivating and gleeful that divisiveness and sin is healthy within the body of Christ? I think Nellie and others are genuine in their questions of why now and why kick him when he is down. it seems to me that people give more grace to the offender than the victim. Thank you. Also Thank you Lina for having the courage to say something now. There would be major issues involving James, followed by a carefully worded elder update or a carefully scripted announcement in church. Your staying as long as you did part of the clarity and power youve experienced in communicating what youve seen. Before the article was even printed, Harvest sued Roys, plus two bloggers whove been critical about problems at Harvest. and stay glued to founded and genuine monetary purchase services. Amen sister!! Both of us were involved in many forms of leadership and had invested for many years in the outreach of the church and all of its fellowship. Is many people for years have tried to bring things to light privately. Biblical: submission to the Word in My Dream Church will be at a higher level Not everyone is so blessed, and for those of you who have left HBC and have had to find a new local church, there are healthy ones out there. The culture of fear, intimidation, and secrecy has poisoned not just Rolling Meadows and its campuses, but also trickled down through the fellowship. Start praying for Jesus to heal the entire body of which He Alone is the Head. In a statement, the elders indicated they had accepted the apology and, in turn, agreed to leave [the church] alone and let the elder board bring about the necessary reforms.. Lina, Churches Still Depend on Clergy Housing Allowance, No Celebrities Except Jesus: How Asbury Protected the Revival. A defamation lawsuit by the church against the website, and Julie Roys, a reporter for the bi-weekly Christian World magazine, who investigated Harvest, was dropped last month. He invitedme to go when we first started dating. I am a 60 year old grandfather who wants to get a tatoo around my ankle of all six of my grandchildrens names. This is why Jesus did not come to this present church environment. We are the Church! Attempts to reconcile the situation failed due to the pastor believing he had done nothing wrong. Wake up and take some serious deep reflection you follow a man not Jesus that is extremely dangerous my suggestion to you.., workout your salvation with fear and trembling my sister in Christ. Unfortunately I dont think the Harvest RM is the only Harvest with a culture of fear. It is not with the powerful; it is those whom the powerful make to feel like theyre nothing. Pastor James made it political when he compared the era of President Trump to the era of Stalin the era of Hitler. You have every right to speak up; and I respect you for doing so. We can be humans and love. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. Most continue to stay there, as their numbers dwindle. sheripine@cbcglendora.org. The Pastor started teaching on obeying your authority and not questioning authority etc. I was wrong. 8. In a statement written by church elders, the Chicago-area megachurch says they fired MacDonald for "engaging in conduct contrary and harmful to the best . I have been looking for a church like this for years. Just how historically reliable are the Gospels and Acts if even prominent evangelical and conservative Protestant Bible scholars believe that fictional stories may exist in these books? Hang in there. Of course people can join in with instruments too. And your part of the problem. Everyone sat still as if he mentioned chocolate milk. Pray and console those whose faith has weakened from this. The New Testament model that churches should follow, says Every Believer is a Priest. superstar pastors are always ,inevitably, trouble. thanks, As a former Muslim, I grew in my walk with GOD because Pastor James teachings from the GODs Word. The next day, Helmer resigned, citing MacDonalds pattern of uncontrolled anger. The pastor later admitted being too intense in the classroom that day. But are they? And where I live that mostly rules out every English speaking church there is! Thank You for writing your blog. maybe its time for all of us to wake up. I have nothing bad to say about Harvest. . This all happens when we gather, grow and go together as followers of Jesus. Driscoll, now MacDonald. Prevent these types of money exchange corporations, I have lived with fear in my life almost my entire life. Transparency in finances Faith is Christ living. These changes were never made, but the critics were silencedfor a time. 5. Then, he was fired, according to the Daily Herald, a suburban Chicago newspaper. None of the perpetrators of hate and satanism have fully repented, including James, his despicable henchmen and the elders. This is why NOW. 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. Just pray in a prayer closet to be still in the presence of Jesus. Thank you for your courage and for responding. But thats how it happens at Harvest, right? You are completely right on! I hope that you are recovering well, for you have added a vital piece of information. I miss that about you. We left a church where the pastor specifically told me, I am in charge! He said this while glaring at me and enunciating each word. It was simply not possible. Its hard to step out alone but God always protects and brings darkness into the light to be seen. Elder boards are supposed to create this accountability in these situations, but in many cases these boards are no more than rubber stamps. There are larger lessons to be learned. I thought something was off but had only my own suspicions to go on as we were told not to criticize. #justsaying #carryon, Youd have to read the blog. 3:48. Some women were still in the middle of the trauma and were still currently attending Harvest. We talked with two deacons and the assistant pastor. Listen, believe, obey, shut up. The church has responded by hiring Lawrence Swicegood, the executive director of communications at Gateway Church, who was also hired by Harvest Bible Chapel when facing its scandal involving James MacDonald. May God be glorified through this. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. James has all the characteristics of a false teacher. Thats what happens to us as individuals and us as a collection of people. In any case, Im saddened to hear that this happened to James McDonald. for what its worth, the timing of the writing is His perfect timing. Your child will experience the life-changing power of Jesus and His Word through worship and story, and age-appropriate learning tools. God is good, truth always win. When we left, after having posted a letter to the elders, not a single person called us to see how we were doing. I too had been a part of HBC both as a staff member and member of the church and was there in total over 15 years. Sometimes being good will require us to say harsh things. For me, I would like to apologize for not reaching out to you when I finally realized that you had left HBC. Its ironic that you should post this today. The caller alleged (in vulgar terms) that Roys, the reporter, was having an affair with Christianity Todayseditor-in-chief Mark Galli, andmade a comment about bringing down former Christianity Today CEO down by remotely uploading child pornography onto his computers. I loved his book Vertical Church. Thanks for sharing Lina. I pray shes wrong. I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. By the time I left, I had discovered something dark about myself: I was a woman/person ruled by fear. Or were you saying they were bullied too. I wont make that mistake again. Walked out of that service. Sign up for our newsletter: Ross, Ross Blomberg, Instead, it was MacDonald and his inner circle that were making the decisions, unilaterally. Still. first Bill Hybels. This decision was made with heavy hearts and much time spent in earnest prayer, followed by input from various trusted outside advisors.. James could have easily prayed, [] There are a couple of other reads that came to my attention this evening related to Harvest Bible Chapel that I wanted to make people aware. Lina, this took courage and Im glad you said it. 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. The Spirit has shown me that Church, the Body of called out believers are those Christians you meet with. I volunteer in the childrens ministry and the youth ministry as well, pouring into children and youth. In addition to leading Harvest, MacDonald acquired a massive evangelical following through his books, Bible studies, and Walk in the Word radio program, with more than a million fans on Facebook. I have replied, I would have probably, as most have done, put my head in the sand and carried on doing the work God gave me to do. The problem was not so much the pastor but the members that lived worldly. I appreciate your voice. Im praying for you. Im disappointed in your timing. Really? Now its a big business with Harvest all over the states. Sunday Service-10:15 AM/Wed. In Christian arbitration, the preacher was granted $1.45 million and the rights to Walk in the Word. The day I watched the video, I emailed my campus pastor and asked for an explanation. Please see my link. I totally agree with you Patti. 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 wins here-except our enemy. I think the congregation who asks these questions should know that I pray for them. But the truth needs to be out there. Its very important that people share their stories. When I left my job I stayed at HBC for about another year before leaving entirely. []. I believe that now IS an appropriate time to share your story. It was both true in a sense and funny. I hate to be James because God judges leadership harsher than the regular sinner. The Scripture that came to me as I read this is I Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. Prayer works as we understand to be HIS humble servants. She did not claim it was her trurh , but opinion. Nancy You sound like you still attend thereand you seem double minded. Isnt this just what the enemy of our souls would want? 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What had these individuals done? Ive been asked, what would I do if I were still on staff. Somehow I thought 2500+ members walking out would send the message. Lina, My wife and I also left our church several years ago. Sheesh. In the past we were to study pulpit curriculum and bible vocabulary. While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. 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. As of November, 2021, HBC is $34,000,000 in debt. Thank you Lina, So many of his followers would still want him as a preacher. | Photo: Harvest Bible Chapel Facebook The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability has suspended Chicago-area megachurch Harvest Bible Church following the firing of its longtime pastor James MacDonald and amid ongoing revelations that the ministry had misappropriated funds. 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