God is faithful, and He is doing what needs to be done to protect His bride. But thats how it happens at Harvest, right? Thanks Sheila. Ive never been able to foster the same level of trust and thats the residual I wrestle with. Most continue to stay there, as their numbers dwindle. than submission to leaders It was love at first sight!! Ross, Ross Blomberg, Thank you for the courage and humility it takes to write a post like this. I didnt want to risk any negative impacts on my own growing ministry. It was not supposed to be that way. The first one is in the magazine Relevant and looks at the allegations of Anne Green being inappropriately touched by James MacDonald. The collaboration of many witnesses should help the leadership at Harvest (or any church) know the depth of a problem. Streaming Video Broadcast. The edited . 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 herblog. How are you so sure she didnt pray about this? whos fault is this? I work every day to be rid of my anger and thank you for proving that church is an unsafe place filled with predictors such as yourself seeking to tear down. I also was silent about why my family left (also the week following the video). Jesus is still the great healer and restorer. Publicizing viewpoints rejected by the elder majority for any reason is satanic to the core. One thing that has helped is recognizing seasons. 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. MacDonald is not being kicked while hes down. Each weekend, services include live, vertical-focused worship. or is it the congregations fault for being weak and gullible? You take feed back to heart and you use it as growth points. Anil. Im very certain you do not understand narcissists and how manipulative they are I recommend Dr. Ramani on YouTube as she is a great resource to gain understanding but the only chance to fight their evil is to bring it out into the light, expose them for what they truly are. God used him mightily for many years and brought His salvation to thousands through this brother. His sermon provides good reasons for why we need to shine light on these abuses. As painful as it is, all that has been hidden must be revealed. I am aware that there has been some very good ministry done through this church. Although I do not want to be a part of this church any more, I strongly feel that God is directing me to continue to obey his direction in this scripture and take their disobedience to another level. Or share it. Welcome to Ohio. Go to the all church meetings? 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. I regret staying at Harvest after that meeting with the elders. http://www.issendai.com/psychology/sick-systems.html. You personify a strong, fast talking, intelligent woman, which is a gift by way of your heritage. Too many of these large churches have lost track of what their true purpose is. I love you and our Lird. He invitedme to go when we first started dating. For our premium ad-free experience, including exclusive podcasts, issues and more, subscribe to. The message we received was they were sorry we felt that way and they were sure it was not his intention. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Your child will experience the life-changing power of Jesus and His Word through worship and story, and age-appropriate learning tools. And I wont stand in the way of Christs work. The World article on the topic says that after Secrest was fired, "he was stunned, because his contract stipulated that he could be fired only for . 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. 7. People in leadership are there one day, and then poof! How dare you question her about why? Why? Show how we come together as one in the body of Christ! Its very important that people share their stories. We continue in prayer for all those affected near and far. Somehow I thought 2500+ members walking out would send the message. Basically hes a figurehead who can be dismissed on the whim of any elder or his wife. Dull other times. Implying that the information on TED was lies. We did not want to cause a split or damage the cause of Christ, so we quietly left. The timing of this article makes you less credible. Pray for James and Christs church that the LORD would accomplish what HE and HE alone is allowing. I havent seen the video but abuse of power at any level is sickening!! Hi Hurting in Davenport, Of course people can join in with instruments too. Ive always appreciated your candor and honesty, and I think the Lord has gifted you with a strong sense of discernment. It all is about money to pay taxes and building and salaries. After leaving, others came to us, with similar stories of why they left or quit being involved. When I started Bible studies Harvest I was given a booklet and videos on everything bad about the Catholic Church. It also had a church-planting network, Harvest Bible Fellowship (HBF), which MacDonald dissolved last year. Leak of highly inappropriate comments by founding pastor of Chicago-area megachurch caps months-long clash with critics. I think the congregation who asks these questions should know that I pray for them. You followed what God would have instructed you to handle this situation.you started by going to the leaders of the church for answers and none were given. This is why NOW. It doesnt mean anything.. Not one. That the church went on and did not implode or hemorrhage members right then speaks to the prevalence of harmful ideas about authority and church leadership in evangelical circles. 35The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. Im praying for you. 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? 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. Pray for those of us who donate 10 percent of our income and would like to know where the money really goes. 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? That is why we keep talking. 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! The beloved drink is both an attraction and a generational divide. I so agree with your cancer analogy as it relates to Harvest. Its been over a year and a lot has changed at Harvest and a lot sill needs to change. I feel angry that the people who were supposed to be watching over the congregation allowed this to go on. Do you think God approves of pastors who deliberately scam their congregation for years, use his name for money and abuse people for the Almighty Dollar? He ultimately requested that Harvest Naples be released from its relationship with the megachurch. And come together in prayer, fasting and humility before Jesus that He enables us to be the people He died for. Only time will tell whether Harvest can outlive its founding pastorand the scandal that has enveloped both him and his elder board. Although, it definetly planted a seed for me. 15:58 Therefore, my dear (sister) be steadfast,immovable,always excelling in the Lords work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.. I wasnt happy with that but it had to be done! Lina, you are strong and your faith in the Lord is inspiring. At the start of the year, elders stated that his primary focus has transitioned from building our ministries to securing a healthy succession that sets all our ministries up to flourish in the next generation.. you felt through James harvest mentality, you would be rebellious against authority if you stood up 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. I wondered if you had become a full time missionary and if that was why you quit writing. I never understood why they saw him the way they do. Can you imagine how God feels when he sees his churches ( all denominations, we are in this together). Im sorry that the doctrine that youve been taught says that life is about being kind and nice, rather than about being good. I keep coming back to this part and I identify so much with this part. A final incident in Roys article involves MacDonald publicly berating HCA students, an incident witnessed by Harvest videographer Luke Helmer. I feel like I cant trust my own judgment any more. I am so inspired to see you today. God is good and He will use those who make themselves available to Him. Pastor James MacDonald of the Chicago-based seven-multicampus Harvest Bible Church, issued an apology statement on Sunday saying that the board of the megachurch unanimously agreed to lift a discipline ban from three excommunicated elders. 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We attended Elgin from 2005 through 2008. As an encouragement, from day 1, as you began your faith walk ministry, starting a Women of Power teaching ministry at Harvest, I have watched your character. I grew up in the Church of Christ. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. Its like I seek mans favor as well, rather than the Lords. I think Nellie and others are genuine in their questions of why now and why kick him when he is down. 1.) 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. 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. Everybody and anyone has an opinion about what should happen to and for Harvest whether this means the self-identified victims, or the buildings, or the leftover and future leadership well, everyone is entitled to an opinion about everyone and everything. Why now does not matter. Soon we must bring those truths to light, but for now we continue under the weight of so much falsehood in hope that the church will themselves initiate the needed steps of public confession, he wrote. 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. God is a for-others being he can not lie, therefore, he can not be for Himself. The decision comes after an explosive scandalous period at Harvest, including a botched excommunication,an ill-fated attempt at a defamation lawsuit, a scathing investigative report from World Magazine and then this most recent, shocking revelation. 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. Lina I couldnt agree more with everything you said and your comment here. 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. Swicegood released a statement saying that much of what has been alleged "is simply false, misleading and hateful." He added that the . 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? 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. It isnt about timing. 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. James wrath is powerful. Harvest Bible Chapel of Naples, whose leadership recently turned over after scandal rocked its Chicago parent megachurch, is the most . We are satisfied and grateful to our pastor for his Christlike behavior. 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. These changes were never made, but the critics were silencedfor a time. 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 these things are only the tip of the iceberg. Its who you are! Thank you for sharing. :) I met my husband about 5 yrs ago and he had been attending faith community church for a bit. I am sorry I am so late to discover this article but I had to respond to this comment. Is many people for years have tried to bring things to light privately. 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. God bless you. DONT defend these people in any way!! While regret cant look back, we now live in a different era than we did four years ago. That night changed me. This young lady has done the work and is doing the work of the great physician. It quickly became one of the 50 largest churches in the country, with over 12,000 members and eight campuses in the Chicago area. He went recently, saying the time had come. Well said Lina. Your staying as long as you did part of the clarity and power youve experienced in communicating what youve seen. This woman sounds sincere. We attended Harvest for 16 years before we left little over 4 years ago. Thankful we got left when we did. I am so glad Lina has spoken up. 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. 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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. You are speaking the minds of the many who did not stand up to James as they felt at the time, based on fear of public shame, and damage to career, to stick their heads in the sand and not speak up. I questioned a particular sermon that clearly was unbiblical but no one else did. WORLD Magazine and other evangelical news outlets celebrated this resolution. Otherwise, the church must answer the same question, for that is one of the majors that Jesus gave us. I just knew I wasnt supposed to be there anymore. 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.. Thank you for this. God help those who cant see their need to be set free or judge those whove found it in Christ Jesus. The issue here is not TIMING or kicking someone when theyre down its about exposing ungodly, cowardly behavior and making people aware of its existence. needless to say she did not go back and found a great church she was able to become a part of during her college years. Did you see the link to my web page. Start praying to the Lord for healing. Be blessed. Otherwise If you share your email address I will email you. Thank you for adding your voice to the now chorus of voices calling for a time of judgment and reform. Gods Timing Is ALWAYS Perfect! I have a love-hate relationship with Thanksgiving Day. Nellie, you know what Lina went through in prep for this how? Gosh, so many similarities with the HBC action. A worship song says He gives and takes away, He gives and takes away, and still my heart will say Blessed be the name of the LORD!. What she shared was the kindest message I have ever seen. Sheri and her husband Gary attended Cornerstone in the 1980s while attending Azusa Pacific and in their first few years of marriage. I pray others in leadership read your post, check their hearts, and follow suit. Worship With Us. Sheila, we are not called to be good, we are called to be HOLY! As a nation, something painful will bring us back. It was engaging at times. I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. Ross, Roys article details three examples of actions that former Harvest employees say reveal MacDonalds hot-tempered, vengeful personality. When we try to protect those in power instead of those who are hurting, we are not doing the work of God. Sports Betting Hits a New High: A Crisis in the Making? All Rights Reserved. As a former Muslim, I grew in my walk with GOD because Pastor James teachings from the GODs Word. Im far removed from this situation, but saddened by it nonetheless. Do you see any fruit from him of what God speaks of? We need to trust Him. Not everything needs to be about Polititcs. Harvest elders announced this morning that they were forced to take immediate action on Tuesday to end his 30-year tenure. I hadnt realized that James had gotten a tattoo that week. How long will we wait to begin the healing process within ourselves and between each other? This decision was made with heavy hearts and much time spent in earnest prayer, followed by input from various trusted outside advisors.. then the sermons and teaching were getting distorted and weird. Thank you for your response. OnFebruary 13, the elders announcedJames MacDonald had been fired. Despite recent legal cases and reports of greedy abuses, experts say the longstanding benefit remains safe. Now, the church has decided its longtime leader wont be coming back. A friend sent a link showing a video of a former Willow pastors return to that church to speak after leaving a decade ago for similar reasons as you left Harvest. A former Harvest staffer was also reported to police last fall after being accused of embezzling $270,000 from the church. I believe you spoke up now to show how far reaching the powerful words and actions of those in authority goes. Even more, the trauma of having those who had taught me so much about Jesus and showed me the way to Jesus healing suddenly take the side of the person who caused me to fear for my life- its taken a long time to move forward. Although he denied stabbing the photo, MacDonald said, I may have put my knife up against it or into it.. Opt out of mega church? What you are talking about is protecting abusers at the expense of those they have abused and betrayed which, unfortunately, happens far too often. for less than $4.25/month. Harvest responded by suing both bloggers, their wives, and Julie Roys. Hang in there. 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