But dont shame others who speak up. The evangelical megachurch system, where multilayered ministries form around a single persona, leaves ample room for mismanagement and abuse of authority. Yes, I was there for ex-communication video. I am surprised by your editorial on Harvest. Im praying for you. And come together in prayer, fasting and humility before Jesus that He enables us to be the people He died for. I have nothing bad to say about Harvest. Thank you and thank Lina. 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. Is it perfect? No one wins here-except our enemy. hi liz, not really looking for a vote here. MacDonald later admitted doing so but claimed it was all in good fun and misinterpreted. Why kick him and the church while their down Lina? I have only read the first few paragraphs of your post and needed to stop there to send this reply. And the truth of many at Harvest. I too visited Harvest. Thank you Lina, So many of his followers would still want him as a preacher. At the moment were seeing the effects of a down cycle away from God. Its where I was led to Christ. You said, out of fear, I complied. He was a ruler of his churches. After telling us that the elder board always made every decision by full consent, we learned that the former head of the elder board found out about major church initiatives from his seat in the congregation. you managed (a wording that says, you knew it was not right, but did so out of self protection) and humility because as Mancow is now saying, James had alligator tears of his hurt to make you feel guilty. ! And the lies werent just shared by James. God loves truth. My blog had indirectly undermined James. Just pray in a prayer closet to be still in the presence of Jesus. maybe its time for all of us to wake up. If you like harvest and the culture of hidden abuse and The narcissistic system in order there- by all means, stay! God is purifying His Church. I enjoy both of you Christian ladies for the different gifts you both bring. Can you imagine how God feels when he sees his churches ( all denominations, we are in this together). I believe this is God working to expose sin just as Jesus warned Luke 12:2-3 The fruit by which JM is to be judged rather is that of his own true m.o. No, I dont as well as many others. No one asked why I quit attending after 15 years. 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! There are always two sides to every story not really believing your story and if someone is a Christian you would talk about this with some Church leaders not blow it all out in public its sad that it was done that way that isnt what a Christian would do it is what a secular person would do. I havent seen the video but abuse of power at any level is sickening!! Long story short he kicked my husband and I out of the church. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Looking sideways (practical love): I am so glad Lina has spoken up. For a great many, it's time for the cult of personality of James MacDonald at Harvest chapter to close and the actual Bible to be opened again., Today on his edgy radio show, Muller said while he felt MacDonalds firing had to happen, he also had wanted nothing to do with any of it and now my part is done., I feel like God was using me in this, he said. whos fault is this? 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. My experience was decades ago and in another state. Or share it. Ive always appreciated your candor and honesty, and I think the Lord has gifted you with a strong sense of discernment. On Tuesday, Chicago shock jock and one-time friend of MacDonaldMancow Muller aired a series of clips featuring someone who sounds like MacDonald making offensive comments. Bless you! Thank you for your courage and for responding. 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. God help those who cant see their need to be set free or judge those whove found it in Christ Jesus. 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. Thank you. Ezekiel 22:27: Her princes [leaders] within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. I would ask you the same question? I questioned a particular sermon that clearly was unbiblical but no one else did. No shame here for Lina. I didnt want to risk any negative impacts on my own growing ministry. It is now operating at James MacDonald Ministries. Free of James fear. People in leadership are there one day, and then poof! I have wondered if Harvest Bible Chapel (the organization) is worth the cost its taken to try and save it? 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. Sarah, I am so sorry for whatever happened to you. While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. When a person is afraid of the reaction of their pastor or preacher it is time to move on. Harvest dropped the lawsuit; MacDonald took a leave of absence; Roys revealed that MacDonald had lied; and then, finally, MacDonald went on a public vulgar, slander-laced tirade against Roys and Christianity Today. Seriously? While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. May God be glorified through this. I applaud you for your courage to leave the church and let the fall out damage by James to you as a person and your career ministry, to be in Gods hands. As a nation, something painful will bring us back. Many many of us are praying for all of you in Naples. Sign up for our newsletter: But your words affirmed what I suspected. Churches should switch to a different model that is biblically aligned. see My Dream Church https://sites.google.com/site/mydreamchurch/. Others, too, could see the attitude. Pastor James MacDonald, of Harvest Bible Chapel, was given the boot last week by church elders after "highly inappropriate . One person (not from Harvest) asked if I needed to call the church to cancel my membership. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. I am airing on the side of no. Specifically, I do mean the Machiavellian rule by fear and division that we are seeing. And your part of the problem. In our case we have been pulled away from our church as well because of how we have been treated for our daughters actions. http://www.issendai.com/psychology/sick-systems.html. see My Dream Church https://sites.google.com/site/mydreamchurch/, I would love to chat and learn more of what you are doing. Ill let the others fight that fight today. I cant imagine a person alive who couldnt look at their life and say the same thing in some area of their dealings with people. Opt out of televised preaching? At this point, Im not sure what else your thread can accomplish. That timeline accelerated, when on Tuesday morning highly inappropriate recorded comments made by Pastor MacDonald were given to media and reported, the church wrote. But, the truth is, I am ashamed to say, I should have left much sooner. We are wounded and grieving. People need to be accountable for their actions. Thank you for all you do. Yet, with the growing numbers leaders, it is coming out, many followed along with James out of fear to personal, family, career damage. Vicki Stevenson, I have not read your blogs for some time but the Holy Spirit caused me to stop and read this post. Ive been asked, what would I do if I were still on staff. Like the unsaved around us we fight for positions of prestige to lord it over one another. sheripine@cbcglendora.org. Come together at part of the body of Christ called Harvest Bible Chapel and pray that Gods will not ours be done. If they built it, it is theirs to destroy. I knew he wasnt perfect, but then, neither was I, I reasoned. * 36But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. I assumed that you had simply moved on to bigger and better things. and stay glued to founded and genuine monetary purchase services. It seems to have so many cracks in the structure. Sunday Service-10:15 AM/Wed. Structure: the structure of My Dream Church is based on the New Testament Body Of Christ Did you know that Satan and his minions come to Harvest? She did a awesome job as the judgment of God has come to his house. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. How dare you question her about why? Why? I kept thinking people would wake up and see the truth and understand that my leaving was not a betrayal to James but a stance against his leadership style, and the leadership style of the XLT, and James sons, and most of the remaining elders. Right. Thank you for sharing. At Camp Harvest in 2009, for example, the pastor shot at a target that contained photos of some elders wives. An eight-month investigation into pastor James MacDonald and Harvest Bible Chapel, his Chicago-area megachurch, culminated last week with the publication of a World Magazine article by Julie Roys. Now that all MacDonald men are gone and the elder board has been cut down to 9 men until a brand spanking new group of men are approved of, I am curious to see where this train goes. Thanks for sharing Lina. It is not with the powerful; it is those whom the powerful make to feel like theyre nothing. Its like I seek mans favor as well, rather than the Lords. Matthew 7:15 People meant evil but God works it out for our good. I am sure that was very hard for her to share . I saw the horrible video of the three Elders that were fired, It was autrocious! Thank You for writing your blog. Wake up and take some serious deep reflection you follow a man not Jesus that is extremely dangerous my suggestion to you.., workout your salvation with fear and trembling my sister in Christ. This post drips of mercy. Im grateful that the sin of James and the elders/staff who allowed his tyranny to prosper is finally coming to light, so that the abuse can come to an end. 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. Count on it. There is no question in my mind that what I did see and experience increasingly at Harvest was a culture that functioned and was sustained by fear and the desire to please James at any cost. We are stunned at the response of our pastor and a ministry leader who have declined to meet us as God directs us in Matthew 18. Because she is helping expose evil and proving that is is deep and wide and on going. Do you not remember that God used His Chosen to reveal the sin of not only churches, in the New Testament, but also to Kings in Old Testament. this isnt meant to hurt you but to support those who need it. As happens in evangelicalism, Harvest effectively became its own denomination, with MacDonald at its head. I didnt want to be rebellious against authority. So your opinion is to fire everybody? Then the board announced its executive committee would be resigning over the next few months. I hope that you are recovering well, for you have added a vital piece of information. Others have gone before you in challenging HBC to help pave the way and have paid the consequences for their courage. I do have cds and dvd of contemporary Christian artists. But that does not matter. For years, I kept believing the deception fed to the congregation by the elders. God is a for-others being he can not lie, therefore, he can not be for Himself. Two top Harvest Bible Chapel pastors today announced they're resigning, following a "season" of difficulty sparked by the termination and scandal involving disgraced celebrity pastor, James MacDonald. He told me that I would be cursed for questioning his authority and God would punish me. 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. I never understood why they saw him the way they do. He is doing a new thing, and I will stand with my brothers and sisters in Christ and praise his Holy name through it all. James MacDonald was forced out Tuesday night as senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, a church he founded in Rolling Meadows some 30 years ago. I am delighted to hear that. We warn the people of Harvest Bible Churchto separate themselves from these false messengers. Again I dont blame James MacDonald. Truth is truth. 37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Amen sister!! The more I think about the demise of Harvest Bible Chapel and James MacDonald, the more I believe that fear is the cancer at the root of it all specifically the fear of James MacDonald. Your time at Harvest made a huge impact to my small group and strengthened my faith in Christ . Mind you, I didnt simply walk out. But a true Christian focuses on Christ and His Word. 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. Criticism of MacDonald begun to surface on The Elephants Debt, a blog founded in 2012, run by Ryan Mahoney and Scott Bryant, former members era of Harvest Bible Church. Well said Lina. I think that was his recruitment tactic. Well said. Those that have gone through it ask themselves, should I speak up?. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. All this comes on the heels of another scandal. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. They have gone the deep end of the pool. I am a 60 year old grandfather who wants to get a tatoo around my ankle of all six of my grandchildrens names. There are questions the leadership at every such megachurch should be asking. She did not claim it was her trurh , but opinion. Im a prostate cancer survivor and had radical prostatectomy in 2005. [], [] While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. Did they not find that video shocking? 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.. New to Harvest and my faith in Christ, I didnt know what was going on and still kinda of unclear of all the details. Yet Jesus was not the mission even though the pastor spoke of Jesus. 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 should have walked out but, I too, was afraid. Harvest Bible Chapel of Naples, whose leadership recently turned over after scandal rocked its Chicago parent megachurch, is the most . Pastor James made it political when he compared the era of President Trump to the era of Stalin the era of Hitler. James has all the characteristics of a false teacher. Im not sure what is going on with me honestly. Yes, there are a lot of hurting people at Harvest. The church has responded by hiring Lawrence Swicegood, the executive director of communications at Gateway Church, who was also hired by Harvest Bible Chapel when facing its scandal involving James MacDonald. 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. I didnt want to be rebellious against authority. Jackie Alfirevic HBC mothership (1992-2011). And where I live that mostly rules out every English speaking church there is! That is, so many think that the church is the pastors ministry and they dont adequately facilitate the ministry of believers. 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. Thank you for taking the time to nurture the HBC flock that Pastor James never cared about! Christians! Lina, thank you for your honesty. Each weekend, services include live, vertical-focused worship. Publicizing viewpoints rejected by the elder majority for any reason is satanic to the core. Many were kicked out and shown the door. Lina, a number of years ago I was reading one of your books while waiting for Gordon Z. to join me for lunch. Thank you for speaking out, Lina! During his sabbatical, MacDonald had planned to preach at the. In Jesus precious name. Hang in there. As a former elder for three years at the Elgin campus ( it wasnt a true elder board then and it still isnt now ), I couldnt agree with you more, that all the infected parts have to excised! (It wouldve done no good to tell them how they erred when previous months didnt get it done.) James said it many times himself, chose to sin, out of fear you complied I was counted as one of the privileged ones and considered it a great honor to know James personally and even be considered as part of his inner circle at that time. I have always wondered why you left Lina but didnt know you personally to ask. Even before the Garden of Eden seduction, he foresaw the need for The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Your leaving (however late you feel it was) was His provision for others, much like Joseph sent ahead to Egypt years ahead of his brothers and father. 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. There is no timing to sharing pain. Why do you say you have a lack of music?. Yes, God has this in hand, but that doesnt mean He wont ask His children to do the hard work of calling out sin in unrepentant believers. James ended up sending me a copy of the new approved blog post, and out of fear, I complied. @Ross, Were you able to access it? Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. 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