Im not sure what is going on with me honestly. This cancer must be excised and as often as is the case in cancer treatment, months of treatment must be involved for health to take place. The whole ordeal was very strange. 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. Pastor James MacDonald preaches at Harvest Bible Chapel. for what its worth, the timing of the writing is His perfect timing. Maybe people could handle hearing it better now than then. It never dawned on me that it would open you up to attack. 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. Church leadership is urging members to wait for the results of this reviewand the changes that will be implementedbefore making the decision to leave the church. The sin that has taken place does not negate the awesome work that God has done, and it pains my heart to hear people act as if it does. Excited for the new study, hoping One of your teachings would be chosen. I will pray for healing in the hearts and lives of those affected by this tragedy. 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. Before the article was even printed, Harvest sued Roys, plus two bloggers whove been critical about problems at Harvest. There are no ongoing issues of any kind. 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. Jesus is still the great healer and restorer. No one asked why I quit attending after 15 years. Leba and Sheila- Keep on being brave- it encourages me to do the same! No one knows why. I too visited Harvest. This is the mercy and grace of God. 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. He lists grievances against Harvest including a false narrative in financial matters, a hostile takeover, shunning our family, the wrongful seizure of the ministry assets returned to him in the recent arbitration, and a vicious but unsuccessful strategy to end our ministry permanently.. I have wondered if Harvest Bible Chapel (the organization) is worth the cost its taken to try and save it? You have to leave before you can see clearly. What I have realized is the weakness and defeatism of so-called Christians who immediately abandon their Church when trouble comes its way. But as every Christian knows, we walk and we live by grace. Often no explanation given, and the band plays on. I didnt want to be rebellious against authority. I didnt want to risk any negative impacts on my own growing ministry. Are you straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel? No unfortunately I have not seen your web page. I feel foolish for allowing myself to be misled for so long. Five years ago, Harvest Bible Chapel, a Chicago-area megachurch with multiple campuses and an average weekly attendance exceeding 12,000, sent shock waves through the Christian community when it publicly excommunicated two former elders and indirectly censured a third. That timeline accelerated, when on Tuesday morning highly inappropriate recorded comments made by Pastor MacDonald were given to media and reported, they wrote. I have multiple thoughts. 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. My faith has been shaken by the situation at another Christian organization. I praise your decision to own your ministry outside of James. Being part of Harvest, and hearing how the utmost leaders were tattooed with the Vertical Church logo, as I prepare the lesson, I cant help but wonder about the tattoo on the bodies of those who accepted the mark of James as their alliance with the Vertical Church of James. This all happens when we gather, grow and go together as followers of Jesus. My blog had indirectly undermined James. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. 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. 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. Thankful we got left when we did. I am sorry that you experienced this fear. 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. And the truth of many at Harvest. Nellie, Your comments are without sound knowledge of the depth of this I am SO glad that Lina has allowed the grace of Christ to free her from the culture of fear that controls Harvest Bible Chapel, and I am impressed by her willingness to speak in such as grace-giving way that will speak freedom to others who are hurting from this. What would Jesus do? Not saying thete arent strong christians in leadership at this church but it does always seem that when pride gets in the way of leadership it hurts that person and everyone around them. May God have mercy on his soul. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. 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. For years, they had been made to feel like the outcasts, but finally vindication in its godly form was working its way out. This is hardly a local issue in the Western church. We have seen this very truth of Jesus teaching publicly demonstrated by Mancow and many other witnesses. Most continue to stay there, as their numbers dwindle. James said it many times himself, chose to sin, While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. 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. []. Torn between right and wrong. This post drips of mercy. Pray for all the lost and unsaved who are not hearing the Gospel and our testimonies right now from our lips because sin has been made the main thing. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Voices heard together make a difference. It was simply not possible. We cant judge the HEART of others, we can judge their actions and behaviors. And where I live that mostly rules out every English speaking church there is! Thanks for writing this, Lina. From elders (Dave Corning, Jon Gaus, The Elephant Debt etc) to nobodies one by one we were all ignored and in many cases bullied. At Camp Harvest in 2009, for example, the pastor shot at a target that contained photos of some elders wives. While I have no say in the future of Harvest, it is ridiculous to think that any healthy future can take place until the cancer is removed. Some women were still in the middle of the trauma and were still currently attending Harvest. We are wounded and grieving. There is NEVER a healthy or spiritual reason for suppressing truth. 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. Nellie, After leaving, others came to us, with similar stories of why they left or quit being involved. All this comes on the heels of another scandal. Dont bad rap other churches? Just goes to show, pride goeth before a fall. If they built it, it is theirs to destroy. As were you, we were grieving and had to pray for help finding that new church. The flock are the casualties in all of this. Do systems of accountability exist in practice, or only on paper? Lean should read it and reply in kind. Besides, pastors charismatic enough to gain large followings frequently have the ability to effectively deflect criticism and keep their elder board firmly on their side. Love for God, relationships, and the church. And your part of the problem. 1.) Do you see any fruit from him of what God speaks of? People need to be accountable for their actions. Matthew 7:15: Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 33Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. I should have walked out but, I too, was afraid. P.S. Ross, Ross, The elders ordered church members to separate themselves from dissenters for fear of their souls; called MacDonalds critics behavior satanic to the core; and accused them carrying out an attack by Satan against MacDonald and Harvest. Im sure I will find much more to comment on, but I hope to leave it at that as an encouragement to you. [], [] While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. Still, even I knew when enough was enough. 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? Thank you for being honest and speaking truth. God bless you. 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. I didnt want to risk any negative impacts on my own growing ministry. When God led me to leave HBC, I remember being so sad and afraid and wondering if I was hearing Him correctly. No shame here for Lina. Hang in there. Pray for James and Christs church that the LORD would accomplish what HE and HE alone is allowing. Mind you, I didnt simply walk out. We are taught in Gods Word that it is Christs love that ought to control us. And come together in prayer, fasting and humility before Jesus that He enables us to be the people He died for. I hope that you are recovering well, for you have added a vital piece of information. Truth is truth. Thank you for adding your voice to the now chorus of voices calling for a time of judgment and reform. But are they? The surprise is not Harvest, but that you publicly hung them. For me, I live with the regret of not taking advantage of the opportunity to come over and get to know you. What is strange about your concern about your own fear is I have been of thee opinion that Pastor James must have been ruled by his own fear-fear of losing influence and the fear of losing his ministry. You are absolutely right about the fear! The culture of fear is real, soo much so I dont feel comfortable giving my name as some will know me. The web page has a Contact button on the bottom and we can email. 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.. 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. A friend sent me a link to sermon about this yesterday: https://radical.net/sermon/kingdom-community/. Fear is dead life a remnant of Satan. Praying for this church also that Gods Holy Spirit is cleaning/healing/humbling/teaching his people. . I also assumed that because of the size of Harvest, those closest to you would reach out. We are all human, myself included. Put faith in Gods justice and judgement upon all, now that sin has been exposed. sheripine@cbcglendora.org. This man is a smooth deceiver and believes his own lies. Otherwise, the church must answer the same question, for that is one of the majors that Jesus gave us. 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. Vicki Stevenson, I have not read your blogs for some time but the Holy Spirit caused me to stop and read this post. Yes Nellie, we are called to bring light on the darkness. The link was in my post above. The beloved drink is both an attraction and a generational divide. We repent, forgive and are reconciled; we do not get even, hold grudges, refuse to forgive, or destroy innocent bystanders caught in the wake of it all. I am aware that there has been some very good ministry done through this church. Congratulations on your freedom, Lina! Will those men now be known for their mark as sinful followers of James? When this happens, there is tremendous spiritual and emotional wounding. Is this an informed opinion? Churches should switch to a different model that is biblically aligned. The Elephant's . Nellie, you know what Lina went through in prep for this how? 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. Sunday Service-10:15 AM/Wed. May God be glorified through this. Thank you for your thoughts and strong, encouraging words. (Galatians 2:11-21) Please have your Passports Ready. My family attended a smaller Harvest church close to Elgin. He better thank God for Grace and cause he is going to need it. Instead, it was MacDonald and his inner circle that were making the decisions, unilaterally. Thank God the early Christians stood firm and did not run away from troubles. I hadnt realized that James had gotten a tattoo that week. Lina, I assumed that you had simply moved on to bigger and better things. I am excited for all God is doing in your life to help other women get closer in their relationship with Jesus. This was encouraging to read and I hope others take it to heart. Lina, a number of years ago I was reading one of your books while waiting for Gordon Z. to join me for lunch. 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!. The elders were given a paper that laid out their duties, that mostly consisted of protecting, encouraging, and blessing the senior pastor. or is it the congregations fault for being weak and gullible? And a few days later James MacDonalds sons, Luke and Landon MacDonald, also announced they are resigning. But that does not matter. What Can Christians Do About Climate Change? 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