Or were you saying they were bullied too. Our good is like the filthy rags of the leper! You are courageous and your words bring healing. We are currently experiencing similar tragedy at HBC-Naples. Gods heart, over and over again, is for those who are oppressed. Thank you for sharing! God IS in control and knows what he is doing. Good for you and speaking up. Ross, God bless you. Yet, with the growing numbers leaders, it is coming out, many followed along with James out of fear to personal, family, career damage. Hes a lemonade maker. So long that lawyers all wonder why I waited so long- but trauma takes time to recover from. In a statement, the elders apologized to MacDonald and the congregation for the ways they had failed to live at peace with all men, as far is it depends on you (Rom. Jesus taught eternal love. Youve blessed me when I heard you speak at a Harvest Womens event about 10 yrs ago, through your radio ministry and at an event you spoke at last year. It is so sad when the devil works to cause problems in a church. Hannibal Harvest Bible Church (EIN# 862793399) is an tax exempt organization filed with Internal Revenue Service (IRS). But should never be a pastor again! You are a fraud and a liar! I was so surprised to read that you were afraid because you seem like such a strong and confident person. Harvest, which Roys says is $42 million in debt, is suing the Evangelical Christian Credit Union for not refinancing five of its mortgages. Thank you Lina for your honesty and boldness and ultimately helping me put words to what I have been experiencing through the preaching of James. According to Harvest, their agreement resolves all claims and issues and releases them from future legal matters over the arbitration terms. The ungodly jockying for power and control is still an issue in all our churches. []. 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. 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? Hes my brother in Christ. Well, that same year, my wife was hired as the childrens pastor at the church we had been volunteering at on Wednesday nights (because our church had nothing going on) and I myself have been ordained as a deacon and have even had the privilege to preach on a Sunday morning. 34You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? Hidden things have come to light. I have always wondered why you left Lina but didnt know you personally to ask. While many in the congregation were willing to give it a second chance, some members raised concerns about many of these individuals closeness to MacDonald, and their willingness to cover for him for so long. He was a ruler of his churches. It quickly became one of the 50 largest churches in the country, with over 12,000 members and eight campuses in the Chicago area. Thank you for displaying what an honest and vocal Godly woman can look like. I grew up in the Church of Christ. 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. 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. They helped to create this culture of fear. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. I have nothing bad to say about Harvest. Do not judge the timing, Gods timing is Always Perfect. We attended Elgin from 2005 through 2008. It never dawned on me that it would open you up to attack. Such a good post Lina. Christs grace saves us and sustains us. Then the board announced its executive committee would be resigning over the next few months. It would be endearing to me and honoring to them. Rather, God is shaking the junkall of our junkout of His Church. My first two books were scheduled to be released smack in the middle of that summer, and I didnt want to impact their potential not to mention that James had agreed to write the forward on my first book.. This is why NOW. 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. Im praying for you. The Pastor started teaching on obeying your authority and not questioning authority etc. I too have had similar experiences in another church (The Chapel). Thankful we got left when we did. Praise and Worship is congregational: Roys article details three examples of actions that former Harvest employees say reveal MacDonalds hot-tempered, vengeful personality. Harvest numbers 13,000 attendees across seven locations, and the church began affiliating with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2015. After leaving Harvest no one from the church reached out to me to see how I was doing, to ask why I left. Dont stop trusting or loving. I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. Like you, Lina, Ive listened to people wounded by sin, power grabs and wrongdoing by Church leaders. We just determined to treat the circumstances as a loving God giving us a different direction. I too visited Harvest. As a former elder for three years at the Elgin campus ( it wasnt a true elder board then and it still isnt now ), I couldnt agree with you more, that all the infected parts have to excised! I would recommend A book Joy Starts Here and The Pandora Problem Facing Narcissism in Leaders & Ourselves as helpful to possibly understand how whats happened can be explained and perhaps bring healing and prevention as members move forward. I never worked at Harvest under Pastor James, I never wrote a book, I never had any altercation with Pastor James, and never had a complaint about him. In a statement written by church elders, the Chicago-area megachurch says they fired MacDonald forengaging in conduct contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church., 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. Free of James fear. Thank you for having the courage to write what you did and for your ministry Lina. 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. Pray for James and Christs church that the LORD would accomplish what HE and HE alone is allowing. However, 2 of the groups meet in Panera Bread. The harsh language of Harvests public excommunication of these individuals did receive pushback, and in 2014, MacDonald expressed regret at the language used, and announced that the church had reconciled with the elders. The flock are the casualties in all of this. A former Harvest staffer was also reported to police last fall after being accused of embezzling $270,000 from the church. Please pray for all of the member/attendees who are struggling, as we are grieving a loss of our church base and have felt the wrath, unfortunately. Start praying for Jesus to heal the entire body of which He Alone is the Head. Let us pray God will send His Spirit upon us and cure us of this. Good word, my sister. But He is in control of everything and if He wants HBC to continue, it will continue. | 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. Your child will experience the life-changing power of Jesus and His Word through worship and story, and age-appropriate learning tools. Others had old wounds that had resurfaced and were hurting, having never felt closure to their stories. Lina, My wife and I also left our church several years ago. The higher the leadership level was, the more protective of James they were. God is good, truth always win. This young lady has done the work and is doing the work of the great physician. Read the commandment in 1 Timothy 5:19-20 on the correction of Elders who sin, so that other Elders will be afraid to continue sinning against the flock. It is a biblical teaching that unrepentant public sin in a public representative of God ((ie, pastors and elders) must be publicly rebuked for the sake of the church as a whole. [] While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. 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. All of it. 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. Praying for you, many blessings for all you do. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. 1. for what its worth, the timing of the writing is His perfect timing. The elders and pastoral board have created a team called Harvest 2020 to conduct a complete review of what happened, and of the church. As a former Muslim, I grew in my walk with GOD because Pastor James teachings from the GODs Word. 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. God is sovereign, He is the Healer, He is the Restorer, He is the Renewer, and He will continue to do what He is doing in order to bring about His will for His people. I agree with Nellie. and manifest character, which have been revealed to speak not of the Holy Spirit of love, but rather have the love of money and power and the very reek of Hell about them! Fear can lead to many sins. Letting you know about this is one of the most loving things that Lina can do at this time so that others dont experience the pain that she went through. Mike was genuinely shocked when we told him our son had Paxton as a camp counselor for whole week at Camp Harvest and we never received notice as HBC falsely told Daily Herald. Even if the criticism in the letter had been unwarranted, this response is a huge red warning sign. How important it is to pray pray pray and check on our leaders also of their growth in Christ and what our church mission is and to stay biblical, not political but biblical. There are people there I thought were my friend and as soon as my life takes a left turn and happens out of order (first came baby then came marriage and then another baby) I get ousted out and judged and hurt. Looking sideways (practical love): Harvest Bible Chapel Naples and its landlord have reached a settlement, ending a court battle to evict the church. You can read that story right here. It was simply not possible. So I called one of the elders in the video and got his side of the story. Thats what happens to us as individuals and us as a collection of people. Until recently, I was 8 year member of HBC and I feel so sad, confused, betrayed. People meant evil but God works it out for our good. Agreed Sheila. I do believe you. Sign up for our newsletter: Can you imagine how God feels when he sees his churches ( all denominations, we are in this together). sheripine@cbcglendora.org. Or share it. Ive been asked, what would I do if I were still on staff. Gods timing is always perfect. These three men had then joined six other former eldersthese men had all left Harvest entirelyin writing and sending a letter to the current elder board raising concerns about MacDonalds leadership. I cant imagine a culture in which you felt such fear. What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.. We are all human, myself included. It is a shame to Christianity what is happening here. God is purifying His Church. I was just starting out at Harvest in September of 2011. Thank you for your thoughts and strong, encouraging words. Unfortunately I dont think the Harvest RM is the only Harvest with a culture of fear. Gods Timing Is ALWAYS Perfect! God loves truth. Superior to whom? In any case, Im saddened to hear that this happened to James McDonald. Thank you again, Thank you for your honest post. The fallout has only just begun. I am so proud of Lina and she is speaking out the words that I would never say because I live in fear of that kind of authority. 4. You wrote a blog about how an increase in tattoos was in some way related to a decline in holiness and you were a leader in the church? Not just Harvest Bible Chapel. Others, too, could see the attitude. I guess I felt like one of the peons of Harvest, and that me reaching out wouldnt matter, since I was not a part of the inner circle or personally close to you. God is good and He will use those who make themselves available to Him. He is angry that they keep on sending texts and emails asking for money. Connect With Us! Sometimes being good will require us to say harsh things. Elder boards are supposed to create this accountability in these situations, but in many cases these boards are no more than rubber stamps. Pray for those still there trying to care for the confused and hurting hearts. I am so glad Lina has spoken up. We talked with two deacons and the assistant pastor. I just knew I wasnt supposed to be there anymore. Its very important that people share their stories. Dont bad rap other churches? The current model for pastor directed churches says that the senior pastor is the priest this is Old Testament. Love you! Sunday Service-10:15 AM/Wed. Put faith in Gods justice and judgement upon all, now that sin has been exposed. It was engaging at times. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. I left the church 4 years ago, the week after 3 elders were publiclyex-communicated on a cheap home made movie not worthy of one wasted second of the worship service. James MacDonald founded Harvest Bible Chapel in 1988. 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. I was counted as one of the privileged ones and considered it a great honor to know James personally and even be considered as part of his inner circle at that time. What had these individuals done? I cant imagine a person alive who couldnt look at their life and say the same thing in some area of their dealings with people. I believe Yahweh has me where He wants me. 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. Opt out of televised preaching? On January 16th, MacDonald took an indefinite sabbatical leave. see My Dream Church https://sites.google.com/site/mydreamchurch/, I would love to chat and learn more of what you are doing. I choose to stay through this pain because, for me, leaving would create a wound that would never really heal. I hope they succeed in bringing people back to the church! Sheesh. It is a really strange thing when persecution comes from the pastor and elders. The New Testament model that churches should follow, says Every Believer is a Priest. Hi Hurting in Davenport, Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. He went recently, saying the time had come. Lina, thank you for your post, and thank you for your honesty and transparency. Show how we come together as one in the body of Christ! She did a awesome job as the judgment of God has come to his house. And then unfortunately when we do speak up we get comments like yours saying why nowit seems Christians cant win either way. James said it many times himself, chose to sin, She will be one of many many many many who come forward so if you dont like it, dont read. At my former church, I reached the point where I couldnt, in good conscience, stay because of the amount of bull-headed spiritual abuse that was going on combined with covering-up of sexual abuse. 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. Thank you for sharing. I hope that you are recovering well, for you have added a vital piece of information. The public scrutiny continued with pushback against MacDonalds decision to preach at a Harvest affiliate in Florida during his sabbatical. Amen Sister! We wont let fear overcome the freedom weve been given in Christ. I have always wondered why? then the sermons and teaching were getting distorted and weird. 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. (Matthew 12:33-37). Thanks for being so honest. Nice to hear from you again! He stopped going to any church and says he has lost faith in everything. And where I live that mostly rules out every English speaking church there is! You too felt you had to leave Harvest and what was your point of conviction on having to leave the Church ,that we all sacrificed so much for! Does It Matter Where Your Clothes Come From? You also restrained and could have said much more and didnt. Also I Cor. DONT defend these people in any way!! Where there is no vision and freedom the people perish. Open your eyes and feel the heat of the refiners fire. But I hope the healing can begin, and I hope the abuse will stop.. Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. No matter what everyone else says, it does take courage to say something. Harvest elders announced this morning that they were forced to take immediate action on Tuesday to end his 30-year tenure. My current church I actually joined, unlike Harvest, and have been there five years and counting now. James ended up sending me a copy of the new approved blog post, and out of fear, I complied. But dont shame others who speak up. Pray for all the lost and unsaved who are not hearing the Gospel and our testimonies right now from our lips because sin has been made the main thing. Lina, I love this idea! My coworker who was Catholic and going through a painful divorce, was led to Christ by me. Doing ministry you love. I pray others in leadership read your post, check their hearts, and follow suit. Even before the Garden of Eden seduction, he foresaw the need for The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Your leaving (however late you feel it was) was His provision for others, much like Joseph sent ahead to Egypt years ahead of his brothers and father. Witnesses say MacDonald was angry that the photo was still on display. Be blessed dear Sister. I, too, have friends who have never once asked how I am or why I left. That timeline accelerated, when on Tuesday morning highly inappropriate recorded comments made by Pastor MacDonald were given to media and reported, the church wrote. Nicole, I am sorry if you are offended. Ive been where youre at, believing that its godly to keep trying to work it out, like family does. I was wrong. Nellie-What you might not know. Harvest Bible Chapel has reached a multimillion-dollar agreement to transfer some of its assets to former pastor James MacDonald, who plans to continue in ministry outside the Chicago-area megachurch. We are stunned at the response of our pastor and a ministry leader who have declined to meet us as God directs us in Matthew 18. Harvest elders announced this morning that they were forced to take "immediate action" on Tuesday to end his 30-year tenure. Your studies are strong biblical studies. Maybe you were called in front of the elders and asked to rewrite because thats horrendous theology and an awful way to be an ambassador for the Gospel. What would Jesus do? Laurie Newman, a Harvest member, told Christianity Today that she believes the church's current leaders, like Bradshaw, are "good people who want to lead the church the way God wants it to. I think that was his recruitment tactic. It is those who live in fear. When I started Bible studies Harvest I was given a booklet and videos on everything bad about the Catholic Church. Dont talk to them, or theyll drag you down too. I am thankful that timing of other circumstances in my life led me to a new city to grow and find a faithful, healthy, growing, biblical church community. Until then, you are still a wolf in sheeps clothing. I feared offending people. 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. So many people have recently asked me why I left Harvest Bible Chapel when I did. 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.. Thank you for the courage and humility it takes to write a post like this. The resources are pulpit curriculum and bible words to talk about. Amen to that. Lina is right on. 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