I left for the Truth of Orthodoxy! We cant judge the HEART of others, we can judge their actions and behaviors. How long will we wait to begin the healing process within ourselves and between each other? Why would we be any different? Often no explanation given, and the band plays on. 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. Sheila, we are not called to be good, we are called to be HOLY! Otherwise If you share your email address I will email you. Goodthat you let a toxic place. We dont know each other, but I found this via Julie Roys Twitter. It truly is the Lords work. There is NEVER a healthy or spiritual reason for suppressing truth. for what its worth, the timing of the writing is His perfect timing. Were they afraid? I didnt want to risk any negative impacts on my own growing ministry. I was so surprised to read that you were afraid because you seem like such a strong and confident person. MacDonald later admitted doing so but claimed it was all in good fun and misinterpreted. I dont know why, except that I just really wasnt getting the Word of God from the stage and I do mean stage. 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. Once a preacher condemns other, that is the sign that he is trying to avert attention from what he is doing. When we try to protect those in power instead of those who are hurting, we are not doing the work of God. If hearing voices together of those who have truth helps, then now is the time to speak. Lina, to see how the Lord has blessed your ministry these past few years is absolutely amazing! God is faithful, and He is doing what needs to be done to protect His bride. The people of the church are those we feel we can trust and love. But, the truth is, I am ashamed to say, I should have left much sooner. I knew he wasnt perfect, but then, neither was I, I reasoned. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Thanks for speaking up! The fallout has only just begun. Does It Matter Where Your Clothes Come From? 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. During his sabbatical, MacDonald had planned to preach at the. 3:48. There are questions the leadership at every such megachurch should be asking. In Him, The only hope is to totally exposed and excise it so that all will not be consumed. The two entities released separate statements detailing the results of the process, which went through the Institute for Christian Conciliation. Jesus calls us to be GOOD. Yes, there are a lot of hurting people at Harvest. Like the unsaved around us we fight for positions of prestige to lord it over one another. Lina Abujamra who once was the Womens Ministry Director at Rolling Meadows explained how she ran afoul of the elders and why she left in the course of time. I, like you, am so thankful for how God has worked in me and my family through the ministries at Harvestincluding the teaching and selfless service of Lina, and so many others (some who have left, and some who chose to stay). Driscoll, now MacDonald. What would it take to convince an elder board to question its pastor? 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If you like harvest and the culture of hidden abuse and The narcissistic system in order there- by all means, stay! While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. Im replying after reading just your first few paragraphs. Whats also sad is that old witness accounts go to show how truly far reaching and how long this behavior has been going on. There would be major issues involving James, followed by a carefully worded elder update or a carefully scripted announcement in church. I think that was his recruitment tactic. This is the mercy and grace of God. 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Her first year at college and her first visit to Harvest RM. So Grace is only for MacDonald and no one else not the elders he excommunicated, not the numerous employees who were fired or kids who were expelled from HCA, not the pastor who was fired in FLORIDA and had his church taken away I would ask you SERIOUSLY??!! Gods heart, over and over again, is for those who are oppressed. You must not feel sorry for James. These churches do not usually belong to any denominational body; this means that these pastors have no body above them that they are accountable to. Then, he was fired, according to the Daily Herald, a suburban Chicago newspaper. perfect response and reminiscent of what scripture teaches. I have multiple thoughts. Listen, believe, obey, shut up. whos fault is this? or is it the congregations fault for being weak and gullible? Todays Christians are weak and show Satan how powerful he is when their own Church is faced with trouble. Seeing this in your personality it is understandable to me that at first you revered James correction and fell into compliance. Sports Betting Hits a New High: A Crisis in the Making? Our focus should be on Christ and Christ alone, not James MacDonald. Its true, Anonymous, we have no right to predict the eternal destiny of even the worst of sinners, for God longs to show mercy and grant repentance to all. OnFebruary 13, the elders announcedJames MacDonald had been fired. May the God of all comfort minister his comfort to them. The message we received was they were sorry we felt that way and they were sure it was not his intention. Its messy. God is good and He will use those who make themselves available to Him. 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). The church was growing at the time. The kindest thing one can do is to cut out and expose the cancer to death. Be very careful Azaelea. She approached this with sensitivity, wisdom and grace. There were other things that caused us to leave also. For me, it is because it is time for truth. This woman sounds sincere. Nellie, I was just starting out at Harvest in September of 2011. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. On January 8th, after learning that anything obtained through subpoenas related to the lawsuit could be made public, however, Harvest Bible Chapel dropped the lawsuit. Brave. I hope they succeed in bringing people back to the church! The womans bible study lead by two women who referenced Pastor James constantly are still in charge. 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. So I called one of the elders in the video and got his side of the story. 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Wow Nancy K, after all that has been said and done, seemingly over many years, it is startling to me that you would make such a commemtWow, Why? She loves the Word and words, is a binge reader and grammar nut, and is fanatic (as her family can attest) about Jeopardy! As questions about how Harvest Bible Fellowship money was used ballooned, the pressure mounted. We attended Elgin from 2005 through 2008. and stay glued to founded and genuine monetary purchase services. 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 . Although he denied stabbing the photo, MacDonald said, I may have put my knife up against it or into it.. I assumed that you had simply moved on to bigger and better things. www. God is purifying His Church. So beautiful. That night changed me. I do not think the solution is replacing the pastor and associates with a new administration. Unreal as I went to Harvest for over 7 yrs and this whole situation has hurt so many people. Sometimes they will require being nice. I am so glad Lina has spoken up. What Can Christians Do About Climate Change? Leba and Sheila- Keep on being brave- it encourages me to do the same! Our good is like the filthy rags of the leper! Show how we come together as one in the body of Christ! I stay with confidence that God will not be mocked, he knows the perfect balance of justice and mercy, he will redeem this pain and we will witness HIS power in HIS church. If Harvest and James can answer that, without focusing merely upon what they do, it would be helpful. These are the same elders who signed the letter of unconditional support for James, and then they fire him? How do you know it wasnt done with fasting and with prayer? Maybe people could handle hearing it better now than then. 1 Timothy 5:20: But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. Roys article details three examples of actions that former Harvest employees say reveal MacDonalds hot-tempered, vengeful personality. HARVEST EN ESPAOL is available in person on Sundays at 11:00 AM in Cornerstone. Then God led him to Harvest Bible Chapel. What blessings are flowing at Harvest for those who stand firm! I still had friends on the inside that I longed to remain friends with. Many might wonder why it all still matters to me so much. Others have gone before you in challenging HBC to help pave the way and have paid the consequences for their courage. Leaving spiritual abuse is okay, you cant be expected to change it while youre in the midst of it. He kept going back to you disobeyed the pastor so youre wrong (me in this case for talking to the youth and his mom about it after it happened). May God be glorified through this. Praying for you, many blessings for all you do. In his remarks this week, he says he confessed his relational failings multiple times, but still lost longtime friends and ministry partners to Harvests narrative. It took months to get over the hurt he caused my husband and I. God bless. I love you and our Lird. In the clips, the person who sounds like MacDonald talks about a plot to plant child pornography on Christianity Today CEO Harold Smiths computer. Fear is dead life a remnant of Satan. Churches should switch to a different model that is biblically aligned. There the preacher has no real power at all. 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. Well said Lina. Only time will tell whether Harvest can outlive its founding pastorand the scandal that has enveloped both him and his elder board. Until recently, I was 8 year member of HBC and I feel so sad, confused, betrayed. We have seen this very truth of Jesus teaching publicly demonstrated by Mancow and many other witnesses. For this, according to the Daily Herald, Secrest was fired. Thank you, Lina. When the Church becomes the organization instead of the people, then it ceases to be the Church. Most continue to stay there, as their numbers dwindle. Press on in Truth with Grace and Peace. Hmm. Since the publishing of this article, several developments have occurred at Harvest Bible Chapel. God is using this to grow me as he does in all trials, so for that Im grateful. If you read the history and understand the public record of offenses at Harvest (with many more than the requisite two or three witnesses), you will understand why this is not only completely justified, but actually necessary to the restoration of healing and good order to Christs Body. You are open to correction, feeling hurt when it comes. 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. Hi Lina. It quickly became one of the 50 largest churches in the country, with over 12,000 members and eight campuses in the Chicago area. It helps to be able to talk about it instead of feeling like you have to hide it, or just deal with it. I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. You are absolutely right about the fear! From your first speaking engagement at Harvest, I have watched your ministry(ies) and have see you be a strong fast speaking, outgoing woman, by ethnic background, yet a humble servant of Christ who feels deeply the impact of wrongfulness. We talked with two deacons and the assistant pastor. superstar pastors are always ,inevitably, trouble. Prevent these types of money exchange corporations, Jesus taught eternal love. For me, I would like to apologize for not reaching out to you when I finally realized that you had left HBC. Thank you for speaking out, Lina! I regret staying at Harvest after that meeting with the elders. Lina did try to have a conversation with the Elders before she left Harvest. Pastor James this and Pastor James that. Your two posts make no sense I hope you get some sense and realize people in Church are not infallible only Jesus! I hate to be James because God judges leadership harsher than the regular sinner. In other words, thatwasMacDonald in the recording. Constantly made to feel stupid, the youth had had enough so the mom called a meeting with the pastor. Transparency in finances Many were kicked out and shown the door. It would be endearing to me and honoring to them. Im thankful you followed the Lords leading in these stressful and difficult circumstances. 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. At this point, Im not sure what else your thread can accomplish. 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.. [], [] While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. It didnt. Im not sure what is going on with me honestly. On February 13th, the elders at HBC fired MacDonald, citing highly inappropriate recorded comments made by Pastor MacDonald that were given to media the day before. But the biggest lesson is people need to stop looking at preachers as though they are perfect, but God know they arent and they need people on their necks to keep them honest. And your part of the problem. Thats the point and issue with what was and is going on at Harvest. The Jews ebb and flow toward God followed a pattern. Also note how the apostle Paul called out Peter publicly when Peter was indulging in hypocrisy! That occurred right after eight former elders sent a letter to the current elder board, claiming that MacDonald was guilty of self-promotionlove of moneydomineering and bullyingabusive speechoutbursts of anger[and] making misleading statements. Harvest countered by accusing those eight former elders of great sin and defiling many people., The three censured elders said Harvest maintained a culture of fear and intimidation that destroyed relationships. It describes participative worship thats all the music you need. Our family was kicked out of our church plant campus and everyone at the church was told not to talk to us because we were disobedient by speaking out against the things were were seeing. We attended Harvest for 16 years before we left little over 4 years ago. 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. Several years went by and one family apologized to us as did another man. I chose to believe the Bible and Gods promises. So here I am, piecing together a years-long scandal for you. It is a shame to Christianity what is happening here. It was engaging at times. Why kick him and the church while their down Lina? Torn between right and wrong. I pray that no stench of fear be found in any space occupied by Christs love. But are they? 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. Ross, I never attended HBC except for the one time when we visited several years ago and had to sit out in the foyer as the music was blasted out too loud. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. I used to go to a church in AZ pastored by Jon Gaus. You are completely right on! Nellie, please dont be taken in by putting people on a pedestal (very sad.) We are thankful and humbled by His care and protection of our family. Its like I seek mans favor as well, rather than the Lords. Many were intimidated, called names, called subversives. Congratulations on your freedom, Lina! I thought something was off but had only my own suspicions to go on as we were told not to criticize. Most of my friends as well. 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. 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. I pray to our Father who loves us all that His truth and reconciliation and peace, healing abounds in this circumstance. Go to the all church meetings? Its where I was led to Christ. We wont let fear overcome the freedom weve been given in Christ. They never acknowledged that they had done anything wrong. Horrified. Others lied to me directly for selfish gain. 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. I will be praying for you , too, Lina. The question is with independent churches who did they answer to? Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. He was the senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel megachurch in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, United States [1] [2] and was the host for the church's former broadcast ministry, Walk in the Word . Others had old wounds that had resurfaced and were hurting, having never felt closure to their stories, Abujamra, a Bible teacher and Moody Radio host, wrote on her blog. 33Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 1 Timothy 5:20 Typical gossips and power struggles are only the surface. Nellie, Im sorry for your comment. Because she is helping expose evil and proving that is is deep and wide and on going. 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. Thanks again, Lina, for being courageous in the midst of these difficult days. The devil may win some battles, but we know God ultimately wins the war. The link was in my post above. I lost the bulk of my community virtually overnight. Based on just the first few paragraphs, I hear you! There are times in our lives and circumstances that its just not real clear as to how to address something, with as little harm to what is good, as possible. Lina, this took courage and Im glad you said it. While I am personally removed from the situation, my brother and sister-in-law attend a Harvest Church and there has been a lot of pain through all of this. Go figure..Disappointed, Searching for a new study close by. The pastor also gets $1.2 million and a parcel of property in Crystal Lake, Illinois, as well the ministrys equipment, books, and digital resources, the church announced this week. And in 1 Corinthians 5, we are told to judge those within the Church). Their letter covered MacDonalds self-promotionlove of moneydomineering and bullying abusive speech[and] outbursts of anger.. I have always wondered why? These same elders that all of a sudden had the courage to fire James, ( which I think is a scam, this was orchestrated )are the same elders that approved that stupid video with those four scum bag elders excommunicating other elders! 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. DeeperWalkInternational.org. Im a prostate cancer survivor and had radical prostatectomy in 2005. Thank you for sharing your story, Lina. Precept Inductive Bible Study for Women. Did you know that Satan and his minions come to Harvest? Basically hes a figurehead who can be dismissed on the whim of any elder or his wife. Matthew 7:15: Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 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! Others, too, could see the attitude. What matters is truth be told. God is sifting His church! 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. Lauren Boebert And Marjorie Greene's Adult "So Your Problem with Christianity is the Jesus No, the "Second Shift" Isn't Feminism's Fault. 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You were afraid because you seem like such a strong and confident person of hurting people at Harvest elder. Yes, there are a lot of hurting people at Harvest point, im not sure what happening.