Last week, New Life Covenant Church invited disgraced former pastor, James MacDonald, to speak at its men’s retreat. And today, the multi-site megachurch reportedly welcomed MacDonald and his wife into fellowship, bringing them on stage and praying publicly for them.
Kim Matthews, a woman who had recently started attending New Life Covenant with her family, said she witnessed the event this morning while attending the church’s 10:00 a.m. service in Humboldt Park. Another person reached out to me on Twitter and said he witnessed the same thing.
I contacted New Life Covenant for comment, but no one responded.
According to Matthews, a New Life Covenant pastor she didn’t know came on stage this morning after the sermon by former senior pastor, Wilfredo “Choco” De Jesus. (De Jesus recently stepped down from his role at the church to become general treasurer of the Assemblies of God.) The New Life Covenant pastor then invited MacDonald and his wife, Kathy, to join him on stage.
Matthews said the pastor told the congregation that the elder board at New Life Covenant had unanimously voted to welcome “Pastor James” and his wife into the church. She said the pastor then asked the congregation to extend their hands toward the MacDonalds, which they did, as the pastor prayed for the MacDonalds’ “healing.”
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Matthews, who said she’s read the many accounts of MacDonald’s wrongdoing, said she was shocked by what she witnessed and left the church as quickly as possible after the service because she was about to cry.
“I was so upset, I was seeing red,” Matthews said. “I was sick to my stomach in church. I couldn’t believe it.”
[pullquote]“I was so upset, I was seeing red. I was sick to my stomach in church. I couldn’t believe it.”[/pullquote]MacDonald has filed for arbitration against Harvest Bible Chapel—the Chicago-area megachurch that fired him in February for conduct “harmful to the best interests of the church.” The former celebrity pastor has been accused of numerous offenses, including misusing church funds to cover personal luxury items and trips, bullying staff, making highly inappropriate comments, and maintaining a pattern of deception.Last week Harvest Lead Ministry Pastor Greg Bradshaw said that Harvest and MacDonald remain in the “arbitration preparation stage.” He also said that Harvest had had no contact with New Life Covenant concerning MacDonald speaking at New Life Covenant’s men’s retreat. I reached out to Bradshaw and a Harvest elder for an update but have not yet heard back.
MacDonald and Pastor De Jesus have a relationship that dates back to at least 2014 when De Jesus spoke at one of the Harvest’s Summer for the City events. I have repeatedly reached out to De Jesus for comment but he has not responded.
Matthews said she and her family came to New Life Covenant church after hearing De Jesus speak this summer at Highpoint Church in Naperville, IL. She said that since her husband is African-American and she is white, the family was looking for a more diverse congregation.
“We thought we’d found it,” she said. Now she said her family is looking for a new church and added that she’s shaken that she had initially embraced a church that would embrace an unrepentant, disgraced pastor.
“If they put this guy in charge . . . he’ll take the whole thing down,” she said. Matthews added that she doesn’t think most of the congregation at New Life Covenant knows about the wrongdoing MacDonald has committed.
Personally, I’m as stunned as Matthews that New Life Covenant has welcomed MacDonald into fellowship. First Corinthians 5:11 is very clear about how to treat unrepentant sinners who claim to be brothers: “But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.”
New Life Covenant has a global, weekly attendance of 17,000 and maintains more than 110 ministries.
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82 Responses
Cheapest grace I’ve ever seen.
Not the Gospel.
Is this NewLife that Mark Jobe started?
I’ve not been following…..has there been repentance? I think praying for healing is appropriate. I’d be curious to hear what was shared at the men’s conference.
No evidence of repentance at all. MacDonald misappropriated millions from Harvest and now he wants more and has filed for arbitration against the church. He hasn’t apologized to any of the people he’s abused. This is egregious.
And James MacDonald’s former church still hasn’t stated that they believe James is disqualified from ministry. Nor have they named his specific sins against the church.
Some HBC Congregants who have spoken with Elders say a DQ statement is coming soon. Hope so.
New Life attenders would do well to call their own leaders to holiness & discernment.
Thank you, Julie, for citing First Corinthians 5:11. Time after time, I have witnessed professing Christians fail to hold fellow believers accountable who are guilty of scandalous sin and refuse to repent! It’s always, “business as usual, pretend everything’s hunky-dory.” God only knows how the American church’s failure in this area has hurt our witness and grieved the Spirit. Thank you again. Stay strong. Doo Wop Coke Fan
How the heck Jule do you know James hadn’t repented did God tell you. You dont know squat. Christians shouldn’t act like you toward other Christians, God forgives but you don’t and you call yourself a Christian. Your disgruntled get over it and quit bashing people
Dear Big D,
How about you use your real name since I’m using mine? Seems fair.
As for how I know James hasn’t repented…
1. He’s suing Mancow.
2. He has not apologized to me, the authors of The Elephant’s Debt, or their wives for suing us.
3. He hasn’t apologized to his congregation for misusing millions of their dollars to support his lavish lifestyle.
4. He hasn’t made restitution for the millions he misused.
5. He hasn’t apologized to Josh Weidmann whose picture he stabbed multiple times in front of witnesses.
6. He hasn’t apologized to Betsy Corning for using her picture as target practice.
I could probably list 20 or more reasons, but I’ll leave it at that. However, for more reasons, see MacDonald’s own sermon on repentance: https://julieroys.com/video-james-macdonalds-repentance-doesnt-appear-to-meet-standard-he-expressed-in-sermons/
“Healing” is the buzzword. Accountability regarding the Biblical qualifications of being an elder apparently already forgotten. Pretty much happens almost everytime in evangelical circles.
No. Marc Jobe is New Life Community Church. This is New Life Covenant Church. I wondered the same thing.
thanks for clarifying!
I wonder how much $$ he got for speaking at the men’s retreat? At least he can get better looking clothes and a razor. Say, does anyone know if HBC changed its name? I keep hearing on Moody Radio about a concert to be held at Harvest New Beginnings.
Good thot! Sadly, he’s trying to be ‘hip’ – it’s not working….
No!
No, its New Life COVENANT.
Birds of a feather flock together! I just don’t know anymore. Independent organization’s (mega churches) accountability are often greasy. I want to say they’re not biblical but I’d probably be wrong.
No Mark Jobe’s is New Life Community Church. This is New life Covenant Church that is within the Assemblies of God
Are they charismatic?
Yet again – I’d love to know how many peons (regular members at Harvest) were subjected to church discipline and excommunicated. Why not James? He’s committed egregious levels of theft and abuse. He should be subjected to the same level of discipline that Harvest would enact on its members.
Also, not trying to be a jerk, but the leadership at New Life Covenant isn’t diverse. Just because there’s no white people doesn’t make is diverse.
Can’t even describe what I’m thinking and feeling right now. What is happening to the Lords church? If we aren’t in the last days right now we will never be.
John 13:35 Jesus said, “They will know you are my Disciples by your love for one another”.
Jesus statement here recognizes people are watching! They are watching from inside the church and outside the church. He says the measurable is love. I’m trying to see how love is best demonstrated by criticizing this man and his sin. That is between him and God! Our primary responsibility here on earth is to love! The bar starts with our enemies and moves on from there.
How easy it is for us all to cast the first stone. I’m reminded of another Jesus moment that had something to do with a speck and a plank.
Love always wins! God will take care of the rest!
This is unbiblical sentimentality & part of why the church is a mess right now. Here’s what the Scriptures say:
1 Cor. 5:9-13: “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you.'”
1 Tim. 5:20: “But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.”
Hello, Here I am reminded that God has as much wrath as He does love. We cannot ignore, nor be complacent about the sins of our brothers and sisters in Christ. When WE are unrepentant, according to Scripture….WE must be called out. I believe that our misunderstanding of the word “judgement” being “judgmental” and “judging others…” contributes to how we respond.
More shenanigansism from Pentecostalism. James MacDonald unrepentant bully crook will either use Pentecostals to lunch himself as a tongues tongues speaking, hands on healing, visions seeing charismatic charlatan preacher or just spend some time there to wash himself a bit with a new PR to relaunch himself later into Evangelicalism.
Looks like New Life Covenant (NLCC) is the Hispanic version of Harvest (HBC) where a dictatorial Pastor lead his puppet elder board. “… that the elder board at New Life Covenant had unanimously voted to welcome “Pastor James” and his wife into the church”. HBC should actively warn NLCC of James McDonald’s behavior in his dishonorable discharge and show that they are serious in not letting him continue his fraud on others “All that is necessary for the forces of evil to take root in the world is for enough good men to do nothing. All that is needed for the forces of evil to succeed is for enough good men to remain silent. All it takes for Evil to prevail in this world is for enough good men to do nothing.” .
Harvest New Beginnings is in Oswego, and is in NO WAY connected, nor ever was, to HBC. It is a part of G.A.R.B.C.
God forbid we dare live out Galatians 6:1, oh wait it just disappeared from my Bible, never mind…crucifixion may proceed.
Whether it’s the Old Testament or the New Testament, I believe that I am called to love God with my our heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love others as myself. It means both doing right and being right with God. Love doesn’t mean I allow people (Christian or non Christian), to do or say anything that is against God’s vision for the world without taking action in both prayer and behavior. I believe that how many people use tolerance or non judgment in our culture today is akin to apathy. I believe that love requires that I pray for my own heart to changed by God’s mercy–by any means necessary, and the same for all other people. Am I entirely ready to have God remove all my defects of character? Have I humbly asked Him to remove my shortcomings?
Pertaining to Christians, in the words of the apostle Paul, “Who is weak without my being weak? Who is lead into sin without my intense concern (2 Corinthians 11:29)?” Let’s remember that it’s one thing to be knocked out of our lane and commit a sin, and quite another to have a practice of transgression–deliberately doing what is wrong.
This guy is a wolf . He must be low on cash he needs another congregation to fleece .
No, Mark’s church is New Life Community. The church that has welcomed the Mac Donalds is New Life Covenant.
I, for one, do not care if James Macdonald/his wife joins a church. That is not the issue.
The issue here is that you have a Representative of a hospital / soul care facility who has demonstrated serious ethical and moral character problems/issues for many years and has made some bad choices that negatively affected a lot of people.. …..and this Representative of hospital / soul care facility now wants to be able to teach Health Care Ethics at University of Chicago .
In addition, this same Representative led the hospital into tens of MILLIONS of Dollars into Debt, while he himself earned Millions of dollars in revenue from the very same “now financially hurting Soul Care facility.” He was banned from the hospital industry due to character issues and he made a lot of….many bad choices, and now he wants to be a public teacher? Over what ? Teacher over Hospital Ethics?
He is the wrong person !! For me, that is the problem !! He lacks qualifications of both character and competence due to his years of bad choices.
The Naples Florida “we are Pro-James” ( read 1 Corinthians 3:3-4 about this ) crowd will say, “but you are wrong here….James MacDonald never worked at a hospital !!”
And I reply:
“You are right: James MacDonald worked for the Lord, and led his church to financial Ruin, while living the celebrity life earning millions from tithes and offerings from middle class who had NO Idea that they were being conned by a man who admired TD Jakes views on money !!
Look here. I now know and realize that we are way past the day when we could say,
“here is what the Bible says about the qualifications of an elder/teacher, etc..etc. And James Macdonald flunks the character test repeatedly.”
I now know most churches emphasize Person and “Celebrity” over God’s Word. I see that, and I understand that happening at New Life Community, and soon to be at Naples Florida.
But for crying out loud, if the same people are going to keep saying James Macdonald should be a Preacher, please, please stop complaining if somebody in the Secular arena lacks morals and still wants to teach !!
If these same people are going to look the other way and elevate James MacDonald to the role of preacher with all of his many disqualifications, then please don’t complain if you see a Non-Christian org or entity do the very same thing !!
The fact that New Life Covenant Leadership, which includes a “Treasurer” of the Assemblies of God denomination, invited a disgraced pastor who led church into 42 million dollars into debt while he himself and his family members lived extravagant lives and earned MILLIONS of dollars from same church is very disturbing .
James MacDonald’s leadership caused him and his immediate family members to become multi-millionaires,while his former Harvest church which fired him is now multi-millions enslaved into DEBT .
Does Assemblies of God denomination approve of inviting a disgraced pastor to teach Christian men at a so-called Men’s retreat ?
Does the Assemblies of God denomination approve of the exorbitant, wealthy lifestyle of James MacDonald ?
After all, James MacDonald told elders, “I would rather lose thousand than to disclose my income” ( paraphrase ……google: “Elephant’s Debt” )
Does the Assemblies of God denomination approve of the pattern of multiple witnesses who went on record warning others about the un-biblical character of James MacDonald?
Does the Assemblies of God denomination want their present and future leaders to act like James MacDonald?
Does the Assemblies of God denomination approve of encouraging churches to go into bondage into debt, while at the very same time the so-called “LEADERS” are paying for trophy Alaska bears to be killed and stuffed , all paid for by the tithes and offerings of the congregation?
Does the Assemblies of God denomination approve of the “Health and Wealth” gospel that was embraced by James MacDonald at the Elephant Room conference in which TD Jakes showed up?
Does the Assemblies of God denomination approve of teaching that deny the orthodox position of the Trinity?
If the answer to any of the above questions is “no”, then that only raises the next question of:
Then why does a prominent, NATIONAL Leader ( “General Treasurer” ) invite a disgraced pastor to teach men from his church??
Why?
https://ag.org/About/Leadership-Team/General-Treasurer
Wilfredo “Choco” De Jesús has served as general treasurer of the Assemblies of God since 2019. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Team. De Jesús oversees the Division of Treasury.
He served as lead pastor of New Life Covenant Church in Chicago from 2000-2019. During that time, the church grew to 17,000 adherents globally through church campuses, plants, and more than 75 ministries that reach the most disenfranchised: the poor, homeless, prostitutes, drug addicts, and gang members. Prior to this position, De Jesús served as district youth director for the Midwest Latin District (1989-1996) and as executive assistant to the CEO of Chicago Public Schools (1997-1999). He was nominated to serve as a Chicago alderman in 2009 and ran for mayor of Chicago in 2010.
De Jesús is the first Latino to serve on the Executive Leadership Team. In 2013, he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world and recognized for his leadership and influence within the evangelical and Latino communities. De Jesús is the author of Amazing Faith, In the Gap, Stay the Course, and Move into More.
De Jesús holds a doctorate degree from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, have three adult children and four grandchildren.
It should bother us when the Assemblies of God (AG) Chicago church belonging to a National Leader of the “AG” reaches out to a disgraced pastor who was fired for joking about weaponizing child P000rn, bullying many many people, and countless other acts……….Is this the future trend of the AG denomination? To be like James MacDonald ? If the answer is yes, and the National Leader of the AG denomination wants his denomination to be Harvest Bible Church version 2, then I fear for all the sheep who will be fleeced and have their faith destroyed by wolves !!
No – that’s new life community vs covenant – praying Mark is not led astray like these sell-outs