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. The beloved drink is both an attraction and a generational divide. Nicole, I am sorry if you are offended. Opt out of mega 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. These changes were never made, but the critics were silencedfor a time. I had a bad experience at the Chapel myself. []. Do you remember how Jesus acted towards the money changers and false shepherds? He clearly told me that they send out reminders to give. Finally, we have landed at a church with a passion for others, our hearts have healed and by going there I was introduced to your bible study Resolved. It completed my healing. This comment to Harvest and James is your opinion and you have every right to it. We cant judge the HEART of others, we can judge their actions and behaviors. Pastor was not happy and tried to convince us that we were wrong. My heart breaks for the ones who will walk away from church and walk away from God. I am thankful for JESUS that used Pastor James in my life. The problem was not so much the pastor but the members that lived worldly. The Lord has used you mightily before, during and after your exit from the toxic leadership at Harvest. It quickly became one of the 50 largest churches in the country, with over 12,000 members and eight campuses in the Chicago area. This Is a Revival Season Sean Feucht Announces 7 Days of Prayer on Capitol Hill, The Chosen, Candace Cameron Bure, Dolly Parton Win at This Years Movieguide Awards, Christian High School Girls Basketball Team Forfeits Tourney Spot Due to Trans Opponent, Tickets for SatanCon 2023, The Largest Satanic Gathering in History, Sell Out. It doesnt mean anything.. We left Harvest for, among other reasons, the bad theology and overall silliness of the 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. Lina, to see how the Lord has blessed your ministry these past few years is absolutely amazing! Once a preacher condemns other, that is the sign that he is trying to avert attention from what he is doing. School of the Bible at 9:00am Wednesdaysat 7:00pm Give Online Contact Us 10088 N. Highway 99 Stockton, CA 95212 office@hbcstockton.org (209) 931-9548 Copyright 2023, Harvest Bible Church. Some women were still in the middle of the trauma and were still currently attending Harvest. 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. However, James is not the same person he was when he began that church and if he was to continue leading it, he would hurt countless others. They have gone the deep end of the pool. What she shared was the kindest message I have ever seen. Thank you for your response. 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.. 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. It all is about money to pay taxes and building and salaries. We are wounded and grieving. :) I met my husband about 5 yrs ago and he had been attending faith community church for a bit. Many are in or have been in denial. Im replying after reading just your first few paragraphs. superstar pastors are always ,inevitably, trouble. What happens next? My family attended a smaller Harvest church close to Elgin. MacDonald later admitted doing so but claimed it was all in good fun and misinterpreted. Too many of these large churches have lost track of what their true purpose is. You are courageous and your words bring healing. OnFebruary 13, the elders announcedJames MacDonald had been fired. Therefore, we are at our most open to hurt. Please have your Passports Ready. The church was growing at the time. Isnt this just what the enemy of our souls would want? She was obedient to Christ. Id be interested in reading you blog on tattoos. God has been known to use even a donkey and a false pagan prophet to speak His word. Reflect about yourself and what steps you need to take to be healed and then to help others heal. Sports Betting Hits a New High: A Crisis in the Making? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); LIVING WITH POWER MINISTRIES: 119 S EMERSON ST. #213 | MOUNT PROSPECT, IL 60056 | 224-634-6777 | [emailprotected]. 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. May the God of all comfort minister his comfort to them. When we try to protect those in power instead of those who are hurting, we are not doing the work of God. In the past we were to study pulpit curriculum and bible vocabulary. How about some GRACE !!! 6. 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. I wont make that mistake again. This young lady has done the work and is doing the work of the great physician. One elder resigned over this, after asking to see the finances and being overruled by the rest of the board. 102 reviews of Faith Church "I have been to a few churches in my day. Im so sorry, and Im sorry for the comments here that are going to be painful for you. Hi Lina. Thank you for the courage and humility it takes to write a post like this. The word of God and the flock were only mentioned at the end of the long list. No unfortunately I have not seen your web page. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. WORLD Magazine and other evangelical news outlets celebrated this resolution. I grew up in the Church of Christ. I hope that you are recovering well, for you have added a vital piece of information. #justsaying #carryon, Youd have to read the blog. Thank you Lina, Also, for 2 years I felt my prayers didnt get past the ceiling. Until recently, I was 8 year member of HBC and I feel so sad, confused, betrayed. What would it take to convince an elder board to question its pastor? Sometimes being good will require us to say harsh things. WHY NOW??? I am sorry for the pain. Thank You for writing your blog. It seems that was true at Harvest, just as it is at many local churches. Do systems of accountability exist in practice, or only on paper? Matthew 7:15: Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. By the time I left, I had discovered something dark about myself: I was a woman/person ruled by fear. With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal. Vicki Stevenson, I have not read your blogs for some time but the Holy Spirit caused me to stop and read this post. You are loved. Looking back over my life I see how all things have led to today. 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. In Christian arbitration, the preacher was granted $1.45 million and the rights to Walk in the Word. I have been looking for a church like this for years. 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. Fear. Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.. May God have mercy on his soul. Looking sideways (practical love): 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.. With my life and schedule, my friends are few and far between, and have always been aware that my saying anything publicly about Harvest or James would jeopardize those friendships that I still love and value so much. When the Church becomes the organization instead of the people, then it ceases to be the Church. The small adult group was fun visited Moody church. There are questions the leadership at every such megachurch should be asking. He told me that I would be cursed for questioning his authority and God would punish me. There is NEVER a healthy or spiritual reason for suppressing truth. Both can be messy, but in the latter case, responsibility for that mess must be laid squarely at the feet of the abusive Elders who are sinning, not at the feet of Christs little ones, the oppressed members of Christs flock, who are being caused to stumble, nor at the feet of those attempting to triage the wounded and sound a warning to others who are in danger of being I totally agree with you Patti. If you like harvest and the culture of hidden abuse and The narcissistic system in order there- by all means, stay! This was encouraging to read and I hope others take it to heart. Nellie, Im sorry for your comment. I wasnt happy with that but it had to be done! I think that was his recruitment tactic. 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. Structure: the structure of My Dream Church is based on the New Testament Body Of Christ 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. This team is to be made up of congregants, staff, professionals, and elders, and will be headed by a church member. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. I believe you spoke up now to show how far reaching the powerful words and actions of those in authority goes. Yell and bully and make people feel like second class Christians? As Gods word says it would. Because there are others that need to also be held responsible. The founder of a Chicago megachurch has been fired as its leader. I dont take joy in this situation, but I rejoice in the truth. So long that lawyers all wonder why I waited so long- but trauma takes time to recover from. Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists, Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists, Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, revealed material obtained under subpoena, called into Mancow Mullers Chicago-area radio show. Love my bible sisters. And I do want to state that MANY of us have made every effort to address the problems prior to leaving. Nellie-What you might not know. Hearing these stories has helped me to realize I left just when I was supposed to. for less than $4.25/month. 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. 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. Christians! I have or attend 3 or more small groups a week now and feel alive. As a former Muslim, I grew in my walk with GOD because Pastor James teachings from the GODs Word. Harvest elders announced this morning that they were forced to take "immediate action" on Tuesday to end his 30-year tenure. Pray for the church and the people! Truth is truth. SHERI PINE. Gods timing is always perfect. These are the last days! (images of wife beating and mental control come to mind) God has this situation in his hands he wasnt surprised by it. As a result, I was asked to meet with the elders, pull the blog piece and write a new one that James would first approve. Thank you Lina, for opening the door of your life so that we can understand your experience. In his statement released this week, MacDonald continues to criticize the church for its treatment of him and cites the successful arbitration as confirmation that the truth has been on his side all along. Study-7:00 PM. 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. One person (not from Harvest) asked if I needed to call the church to cancel my membership. Pray for James and Christs church that the LORD would accomplish what HE and HE alone is allowing. 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. 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. Please avoid these former Harvest elders at all cost, lest you incur great detriment to your own soul. Goodthat you let a toxic place. Do elder boards mean anything, or are they just there to look pretty? Dont bad rap other churches? blessings. Good word, my sister. Praying for you for healing and for growth and strength during all of this. Others have gone before you in challenging HBC to help pave the way and have paid the consequences for their courage. A woman who is full of fun loving life. 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