Harvest Bible Chapel Announces that Lead Pastor James MacDonald Will Take an 'Indefinite Sabbatical'

[JCFantasy23]

Harvest Bible Chapel Senior Pastor James MacDonald, who founded the church in the 1980s and built it into one of the largest evangelical communities in the Chicago area, has announced that he will take an “indefinite sabbatical” as he seeks time to atone for actions that he said “can only be called sin.”

“I have carried great shame about this pattern in certain relationships that can only be called sin,” MacDonald said in a statement posted on the church’s website. “I am grieved that people I love have been hurt by me in ways they felt they could not express to me directly and have not been able to resolve.”

Although the exact nature of MacDonald’s “sin” was not specified in the pastor’s online statement, or in a series of social media posts he has made since New Year’s, Harvest has been the target of a barrage of criticism from a few vocal former members who have accused church leadership of financial mismanagement and dishonest operations. In October, the church sued two bloggers, their wives and a journalist in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging defamation and deceptive trade practices.

“The false and malicious statements of Defendants have created scandal which is doing a continuing harm” to the church, the lawsuit stated. But the lawsuit was dismissed Thursday, according to Michael Young, a lawyer who represented Harvest, MacDonald and several church leaders in the defamation suit.

The church decided to drop the lawsuit after a judge ruled that church documents and messages were subject to discovery and could not be sealed from the public, according to a Jan. 7 post on Harvest’s website from the Executive Committee of Elders. MacDonald could not be reached for comment.

Continued here

 

[redleghunter]

Harvest Bible Chapel Senior Pastor James MacDonald, who founded the church in the 1980s and built it into one of the largest evangelical communities in the Chicago area, has announced that he will take an “indefinite sabbatical” as he seeks time to atone for actions that he said “can only be called sin.”

“I have carried great shame about this pattern in certain relationships that can only be called sin,” MacDonald said in a statement posted on the church’s website. “I am grieved that people I love have been hurt by me in ways they felt they could not express to me directly and have not been able to resolve.”

Although the exact nature of MacDonald’s “sin” was not specified in the pastor’s online statement, or in a series of social media posts he has made since New Year’s, Harvest has been the target of a barrage of criticism from a few vocal former members who have accused church leadership of financial mismanagement and dishonest operations. In October, the church sued two bloggers, their wives and a journalist in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging defamation and deceptive trade practices.

“The false and malicious statements of Defendants have created scandal which is doing a continuing harm” to the church, the lawsuit stated. But the lawsuit was dismissed Thursday, according to Michael Young, a lawyer who represented Harvest, MacDonald and several church leaders in the defamation suit.

The church decided to drop the lawsuit after a judge ruled that church documents and messages were subject to discovery and could not be sealed from the public, according to a Jan. 7 post on Harvest’s website from the Executive Committee of Elders. MacDonald could not be reached for comment.

Continued here

Wow loads here but Christians suing other Christians even in the same church!

 

[bèlla]

I attended the church in the past. The ministry was fine but I had difficulty reconciling their debt.

 

[Halbhh]

Wow loads here but Christians suing other Christians even in the same church!

Yes, as Paul wrote, it shows they are already "defeated". Oh, even stronger worded -- 1 Corinthians 6:7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

 

[redleghunter]

Yes, as Paul wrote, it shows they are already "defeated". Oh, even stronger worded -- 1 Corinthians 6:7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

Indeed. The sin leading to the court room. Paul was very specific.

 

[bèlla]

It's like a domino effect. This is the second instance of someone stepping back from a large church I've attended. Mercy.

 

[com7fy8]

He seems to preach what can help people. But is it in the right balance, between confrontation of what is wrong and confirming all which we can have with Jesus and one another? I think he has spoken like he is into accountability, including making remarks about his own need for correction.

“I have carried great shame about this pattern in certain relationships that can only be called sin,” MacDonald said in a statement posted on the church’s website. “I am grieved that people I love have been hurt by me in ways they felt they could not express to me directly and have not been able to resolve.”

The ministry was fine but I had difficulty reconciling their debt.

The church decided to drop the lawsuit after a judge ruled that church documents and messages were subject to discovery and could not be sealed from the public,

So, ones more political in the works could have been willing to go after someone else, but not to let anyone see what is true about their own selves.

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

Possibly, he means he has come on too strong with people, and gotten out of touch. He seems to have a lot of drive. But he may be able to see this.

And what maybe is helping me to not get too high for my own good is to stay prayerful, and make sure I am doing what Jesus has me do with "rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:28-30) And be personal and caring with people, not only going after numbers. Jesus spent personal and quality time with people, even while He did do ministering to large groups.

Jesus is personal with each of us, not only leaving us to be milled and spun by one-size-fits-all church ministry.

 

[com7fy8]

Something else I just thought of > offering to God the credit, in case this is good >

Possibly, he is overreacting in case he is putting himself on time out. He can pray and get somewhere in prayer, get some enlightenment and encouragement in the LORD, talk with certain people he really has wronged, and keep preaching so he can share notes about what he is finding out . . . so we all can learn from however he needs correction and improvement in how to relate and communicate, plus share however God is blessing him.

So . . . I think of this > he should not make himself like he is the center and centerpiece of things failing and now it is he who can do what is needed to get things straightened out. But God is the One who does all which really is good, in us.

Joyce Meyer makes a project of sharing how she has put herself through her own mill and gotten correction. She seems to be growing, though maybe she is too into centering messages around how an individual needs to be concerned about one's own self getting correction and blessed. We need to get into all-loving prayer, caring about others getting real correction, too, helping one another, and caring about sharing as family, versus only or mainly about how to get ourselves blessed.

But what she says can work on to or fit in with how Jesus would have us caring about others as ourselves. She does talk about this, too. She said may be that all she does in the pulpit could be not as much as we can accomplish in our personal loving and caring with people we know.

This seems like growing and maturing, to me. If it is, maybe James needs to go to and feed on some of her ladies conference messages.

I myself have offered to wear a janitor's mop so I can get into my lady friend's groups. But James doesn't have to wear a wig; men go, too.

 

[bèlla]

Church culture the way I've observed it in some congregations is more akin to gurus than servants. I understand the meaning of that word because of my previous experience with other religions. There is a measure of reverence and infallibility I could not embrace.

The depth of faith and trust many place in leaders they've never met or heard in person is startling. There is a marked difference in sitting under a pastor's leadership and turning on the radio. You don't experience their character in the same way. I often witnessed greater faith in the servant than the Lamb.

 

[Endeavourer]

I recently came across the long sorry saga of James MacDonald's leadership of Harvest at www.theelephantsdebt.com.

Julieroys.com is the blog of the journalist he sued.

It seems he has far different standards for himself and his two sons (also pastors there) than he does for others. If you cross him, he reads your name of the pulpit and tells everyone not to fellowship with you anymore. However, he engages in the behavior of abusing other people at will and without any repercussions.

Apparently Titus' words "A man that is an heretic, after two admonitions reject" are just for others and not for him, as he has been admonished over his angry and controlling nature many times.

 

[miamited]

Hi JC,

The new 'mega' church model has a lot of pitfalls. One of which is that an effort quickly becomes about how much money can be gathered to 'build a bigger fellowship'. Various and sundry 'ministries' begin to crop up like so many mushrooms in the grass after several big rains. I believe that the people involved do at least start with a true heart for God's people, but the monetary needs begin to drain away resources and more and more is asked for from the congregants and there often comes a tipping point where everything has just gotten so out of hand with 'modern' church going.

A large fellowship that I visited in Ft. Lauderdale had a dozen 'limousine' size golf carts to shuttle people from one end of the parking lot to another. The worship center was filled with all the latest gadgetry and sound and lighting. I honestly felt like I was entering some computer geek show in some huge auditorium and then the music just about blew out your eardrums. The worship center is made just completely dark for some kind of 'christian' performance. Somehow,I can't reconcile that with the early church model.

I know that the beginnings of that fellowship came from a heart set on serving God, but at some point when you get to where there are 15 pastors on staff, a lot of the personal touch of a christian fellowship seems to get lost for a lot of folks. It just seems to become more about the 'show' and the excitement that can be drummed up in people with fancy video imaging and loud raucous music.

I'm not so sure that's really what God wants of us in setting out to praise and worship Him.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

 

[Pioneer3mm]

Hi JC,

The new 'mega' church model has a lot of pitfalls. One of which is that an effort quickly becomes about how much money can be gathered to 'build a bigger fellowship'. Various and sundry 'ministries' begin to crop up like so many mushrooms in the grass after several big rains. I believe that the people involved do at least start with a true heart for God's people, but the monetary needs begin to drain away resources and more and more is asked for from the congregants and there often comes a tipping point where everything has just gotten so out of hand with 'modern' church going.

A large fellowship that I visited in Ft. Lauderdale had a dozen 'limousine' size golf carts to shuttle people from one end of the parking lot to another. The worship center was filled with all the latest gadgetry and sound and lighting. I honestly felt like I was entering some computer geek show in some huge auditorium and then the music just about blew out your eardrums. The worship center is made just completely dark for some kind of 'christian' performance. Somehow,I can't reconcile that with the early church model.

I know that the beginnings of that fellowship came from a heart set on serving God, but at some point when you get to where there are 15 pastors on staff, a lot of the personal touch of a christian fellowship seems to get lost for a lot of folks. It just seems to become more about the 'show' and the excitement that can be drummed up in people with fancy video imaging and loud raucous music.

I'm not so sure that's really what God wants of us in setting out to praise and worship Him.

God bless,
In Christ, ted[/QU]
Good comment..
- About mega church.
- Focus is on "money, power and status."
Maybe similar factors - we see in political arena?
---
You can't blame only one side.
- People like mega church model!
---
As you indicated, "beginning/early stage" probably was not like that. Then it changes.. different focus/priority.

Blessings,

 

[miamited]

Hi pioneer,

As you indicated, "beginning/early stage" probably was not like that. Then it changes.. different focus/priority.

Blessings,

Try to make sure that when you reply, you are outside of the last [/quote] marks.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

 

[Pioneer3mm]

My comment/post became part of your
post..my mistake.
Sorry about that, Ted
----
Here is my post again..
----
Good comment..
- About Mega church.
- Focus is on "money, power and status."
Maybe simliar factors - we see in political arena?
---
You can't blame on one side.
People like Mega church model!
---
As you indicated, "beginning/early stage" probably was not like that. Then it changes..different focus/priority.

Blessings,

 

[miamited]

Hi pioneer,

I know. I've actually lived the experience. A local fellowship where I was born again was a rather large, comparatively speaking, baptist fellowship for the area. The pastor was a wonderful and caring teacher and as they grew they added on more pastoral staff. One day, and I'm not sure the idea originated with the senior pastor, the congregation was approached with the idea of changing the name of the fellowship to remove the word 'baptist' from our identification. I was all fine with that. Personally, I'm one of those who puts some stock in the old Imperial's song, 'Oh Buddha':

It's not going to be of any importance whatsoever, when God separates the wheat from the chaff, that someone was a baptist, methodist, or any other of the dozens of 'christian' denominations.

Anyway, the fellowship did begin to grow by leaps and bounds and added services until there were 2 and then 3 and finally 4 services being held in the building. Then they began establishing 'satellite' congregations all around town. They had long since lost the 'choir' and gone to the 'praise team' music structure and then put in theater seating and the satellites were generally served by video transmission of the teaching being given at the 'main' campus.

All of this 'reincarnation' took about 10 years to fully accomplish, but it seemed to have started with what I believe was a sincere and godly issue about changing the name of the fellowship. The complaint was that when new people came into our area, they didn't want anyone put off that it was a baptist church. That new people to the area, whether raised methodist or catholic or presbyterian or whatever denomination, would look at our fellowship as all encompassing as just simple believers.

Financially they were doing great! There were also a ton of congregants all around the city. But for me, there was something lost in the impersonality and distance now between the shepherd of the flock and the people. I thoroughly enjoy a rousing anthem sung by a choir and being able to sing so that I can hear myself singing and not being drowned out by a stand of huge speakers stacked up on the 'stage'. Just turning the music down to an enjoyable listening level that allows others to sing praises to God would be a great start for many of these mega churches. There are plenty of christian concerts that I can go to if I just want to watch a performance dedicated to God by those performing on the stage and not necessarily being participated in by those standing out in the crowd.

Those are the biggest issues that I have with mega churches. Loss of personal identity and closeness to the larger group and the pastoral staff. Waaaaay overdone sound and raucous noise in the 'performance' of music. Yes, I understand that there are some who appreciate such a worship service and likely, in the next generation, it will become closer to the norm. I always try to remind myself that when it comes to how fellowship and worship is practiced, it has always changed after a few generations and that there isn't really any reason why that won't continue. I've now become the 'old folks' that like it the way things were. LOL!

Although, in my defense, I still appreciate and enjoy and have no problem with incorporating a lot of the newer praise music into the congregational music choice. I really like me some Michael W. Smith and a good dose of Phillips, Craig and Dean. Mercy Me and Casting Crowns and Newsboys make me want to lift my hands and give praise to God just as much as Amazing Grace and Great is Thy Faithfulness and It Is Well With My Soul. For me, it's more the volume that tends to push out congregational participation in singing our praises to our God.

Oh, and one other thing that I really dislike that applies to both old and new style congregations is the playing of background music during prayers. Have we really become a people that need some ear candy entertainment as we talk to God? I don't understand why the sound people and the light people and the video folks can't all take their hands and thoughts away from their specific jobs for a minute and also join in corporate prayer. As soon as the prayers have been offered, then everyone goes back to what they were doing. Must 'church' be that moment by moment scripted that we can't all pray together?

God bless,
In Christ, ted

 

[JCFantasy23]

He has now been officially let go:

February 2019 Elder Update | Harvest Bible Chapel