is it the pastors doing? Though MacDonald initially opted to step away from all preaching and leadership roles at the churchs Chicago-area locations, in his January 16 sabbatical announcement he suggested he might still preach at a Harvest congregation in Naples, Florida, which led to another saga. The people of the church are those we feel we can trust and love. What does the Bible say about debt? He was a very good speaker and teacher of the Bible but was forced to resign from our church a few years back. I volunteer in the childrens ministry and the youth ministry as well, pouring into children and youth. This isI believewhy the American church has lost its effectiveness. P.S. . So many people have recently asked me why I left Harvest Bible Chapel when I did. Therefore Lina did what God moved her to do in His Boldness and Courage, being fear had silenced her. Others lied to me directly for selfish gain. 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. So Ill never forget the day I got up from my seat in a service, walked out, and never looked back. A former Harvest staffer was also reported to police last fall after being accused of embezzling $270,000 from the church. It permeates through the woman that you are. I agree with Nellie. May God be glorified through this. Dan was a part of this elder board with these 7 elders and he details only some of the fraud . Thank you for this. Im also going to sign up for LWP. The bloggers began posting again, however, in 2017, around the same time that Harvest Bible Fellowship was dissolved in 2017, due in part to concerns by some some member churches about how Harvest was managing the fellowships finances. Our focus should be on Christ and Christ alone, not James MacDonald. You are absolutely right about the fear! They are not calmly declining either. There are questions the leadership at every such megachurch should be asking. Thats what happens when I get older chronologically! I have wondered if Harvest Bible Chapel (the organization) is worth the cost its taken to try and save it? Before the article was even printed, Harvest sued Roys, plus two bloggers whove been critical about problems at Harvest. I have only read the first few paragraphs of your post and needed to stop there to send this reply. This is why Jesus did not come to this present church environment. Theyre gone. Love you! Praise and Worship is congregational: The resources are pulpit curriculum and bible words to talk about. I have always wondered why you left Lina but didnt know you personally to ask. I left for the Truth of Orthodoxy! I havent seen the video but abuse of power at any level is sickening!! I think the congregation who asks these questions should know that I pray for them. 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.. How about some GRACE !!! Hence the Response Statement Regarding Pastor James and Anne Green yesterday on HBC in the news. God loves truth. On January 7, 2019, Harvest elders announced they decided to drop the lawsuit against Julie Roys and four other individuals. I have since moved on and seen God do some pretty amazing God-sized miracles in my life and ministry (evidently, God does work outside of the walls of Harvest Bible Chapel!). I was recovering from the deep wounds and hurts from when we left when this all came rushing back in and opening old wounds. The church is to be a living organism for the cause of Christ and no other. I will only say that if it is right and important to address a culture of fear within the church, it is equally important to address the same for our country. What she shared was the kindest message I have ever seen. Sheesh. Or share it. God has said that those who are give much is required. Nor do I want to be part of a fellowship where the whole counsel of God is not taught nor eschatology ever mentioned. He just got into the worlds standards for a preacher. For me, I would like to apologize for not reaching out to you when I finally realized that you had left HBC. And I do want to state that MANY of us have made every effort to address the problems prior to leaving. My coworker who was Catholic and going through a painful divorce, was led to Christ by me. Dont you think this influences decisions made by the leaders, both now and before? This problem is not isolated to Harvest. Speaking the truth and not cowering in the corner. It is not with the powerful; it is those whom the powerful make to feel like theyre nothing. OnFebruary 13, the elders announcedJames MacDonald had been fired. 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. Thank you for your vulnerability. I regret staying at Harvest after that meeting with the elders. 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. Why kick him and the church while their down Lina? 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. 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. Dull other times. May God have mercy on his soul. It was not supposed to be that way. (images of wife beating and mental control come to mind) 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. Swicegood released a statement saying that much of what has been alleged "is simply false, misleading and hateful." He added that the . 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. 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. She approached this with sensitivity, wisdom and grace. 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. Were you bullied by those elders named? If you ever make that offer again, Ill be there, but please post on Twitter. Pastor James teaching seemed so Biblical. 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Often it was the leadership that lost track and influenced the group. Such lack of accountability is often a problem at megachurches, which tend to be founded by charismatic individuals who quickly amass a large following. He bullied his way into being paid multiple times for the work he was hired to so as the pastor, sermons and bible teaching. 102 reviews of Faith Church "I have been to a few churches in my day. We left a church where the pastor specifically told me, I am in charge! He said this while glaring at me and enunciating each word. Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. Muller, who has attended Harvest for five years and developed a friendship with MacDonald, wrote in a Daily Herald op-ed that hed seen the best the church had to offer: MacDonalds punchy sermons renewed Mullers faith, brought his family back into Christian community, and taught him the truth of the gospel. sheripine@cbcglendora.org. It never dawned on me that no one from HBC would reach out. www. Still, things seemed off. This comment to Harvest and James is your opinion and you have every right to it. Jackie Alfirevic HBC mothership (1992-2011). Lina, I was brushed off. How are you so sure she didnt pray about this? 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. As one person whom MacDonald led to the Lord remarked to me, Its like finding out your wife is a serial killer. The disillusionment, betrayal, and loss can be excruciating. Horrified. Matthew 7:15: Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. My precious, from a far, friend who I have watched since your first speaking engagement at Harvest. It wasnt that we saw corruption in our church. The culture of fear is real, soo much so I dont feel comfortable giving my name as some will know me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that you know each other. People in leadership are there one day, and then poof! Hearing these stories has helped me to realize I left just when I was supposed to. God is a for-others being he can not lie, therefore, he can not be for Himself. , Titus 3:10-11 says as for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once, and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful, he is self condemned. Also 1 Timothy 5:20 says as for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, which is what we are doing, so that the rest may stand in fear. , Nothing is covered, nothing is unresolved, nothing is ongoing, only this attack from the enemy. The Harvest and James MacDonald Controversy Explained, Did Pharaoh Have Free Will? 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. Seriously? Free of James fear. You are a fraud and a liar! HARVEST EN ESPAOL is available in person on Sundays at 11:00 AM in Cornerstone. Im disappointed in your timing. 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. May Our Lord guide all of us and May His will be done above all else. Did you see the link to my web page. I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. Because ultimately what God wants is not a huge army of women who are nice. I was a woman ruled by fear. Yes, there are a lot of hurting people at Harvest. For a different church model, see My Dream Church https://sites.google.com/site/mydreamchurch/. The public scrutiny continued with pushback against MacDonalds decision to preach at a Harvest affiliate in Florida during his sabbatical. 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. So now, I tell the truth about what happened, and it isnt only a Pastor James problem. Those who would shame someone for standing on the side of truth and grace have missed the mark. Ive never been able to foster the same level of trust and thats the residual I wrestle with. Thank you for all you do. Thanks for finally being honest. 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. Please see my link. We believe that disciples of Jesus profess that He is Lord, practice His Ways, and persevere in both their profession and practice. 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. Do you realize the elders are already choosing to step down? We dont know if He will allow Harvest not to crumble. Dont find that in the Bible. 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. Harvest responded by suing both bloggers, their wives, and Julie Roys. That is, so many think that the church is the pastors ministry and they dont adequately facilitate the ministry of believers. Yet Jesus was not the mission even though the pastor spoke of Jesus. The only hope is to totally exposed and excise it so that all will not be consumed. I was just starting out at Harvest in September of 2011. Now the Chicago-area megachurch is sharing details of the settlement and has apologized to its former pastor, who was fired in February 2019. 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. Dont stop trusting or loving. 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. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. Then, on February 8th, Roys revealed material obtained under subpoena that backed up critics claims that Harvest Bible Chapel inappropriately took money from HBF. In 2019, Harvest initially did not release these assets, assuring the congregation, none of Harvest Bible Chapels or Walk in the Words donations or assets have gone to James, and we will not be giving him anything in the future since his termination was with cause. The year prior, Walk in the Word brought in close to $8.5 million, with 2,000 stations airing the show. Sitting in the pews, I could not see how deep the cancer was at HBC. I also trust that you did seek wisdom from the Lord on what and how to speak into this. Ted Haggard bemoans his "exile" in a new HBO documentary. James is (was) a powerful force which could and did destroy people with his power and influence. And no other choosing to step down are give much is required problems prior to.... She approached this with sensitivity, wisdom and grace I want to be part a... In person on Sundays at 11:00 am in charge to it know each other from Lord... 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