At a hearing last October, I discovered I’m the cause of disgraced pastor James MacDonald’s alleged PTSD. And according to a psychological evaluation presented by MacDonald’s legal team, this PTSD is to blame for MacDonald allegedly assaulting a 59-year-old woman last March.
“Once the woman in the car in front of him got out of the car and moved towards him in an angry and agitated state, the years of traumatic memories of being vilified by Julie Roys rushed back to him and triggered a fight or flight response,” MacDonald’s psych evaluation states. “Feeling powerless and misunderstood and essentially trapped in his truck, he got out of the vehicle to fight back against his accuser.”
MacDonald is facing felony assault charges for this incident in Coronado, California, which reportedly left his victim hospitalized for 21 days. But at last October’s hearing, a judge bought the prima facie evidence that MacDonald has PTSD and ruled he is eligible for a mental health diversion. If granted, the charges against MacDonald would be dismissed, pending successful completion of a treatment program.
I have thought all along that MacDonald’s alleged PTSD is a bit too convenient. But this week, I received an invitation by MacDonald’s lawyer that confirmed my suspicions.
In a text, my lawyer wrote: “Just talked to MacDonald’s lawyer. His client proposes 2 meetings: The first meeting will be off the record for you 2 to sit down to see if you’re on the same page. The second meeting would be on the record, but you get to ask the questions.”
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Apparently, MacDonald thinks he has some evidence that will convince me of his innocence in some regard. Yet the time to talk was years ago, when I sought comment from MacDonald for the articles I was writing.
But this is so ironic. MacDonald claims I triggered his PTSD, yet invites me to not just one—but two face-to-face meetings! Either he’s a glutton for punishment, or he’s lying about his PTSD. Based on MacDonald’s past behavior, I’m leaning toward the latter.
Either way, I have no desire to be in the same room with a man who argues he can assault a woman with impunity.
In case you’re new to this saga, MacDonald pastored a multisite megachurch in the Chicago area for more than 30 years but was fired in 2019 for “engaging in conduct contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church.”
I had been reporting on MacDonald’s alleged bullying, pattern of “deceitfulness and manipulation,” and alleged mala conducta financiera for months.
But the final straw was when Chicago shock-jock Mancow Muller aired a hot mic recording of MacDonald joking about planting child pornography on the computer of an executive at Christianity Today and repeatedly mocking me. For many, it was a shocking window into the vile heart of this man who claimed to be a spiritual leader. But for me, it was simply confirmation of the bad character numerous sources, once close to MacDonald, had described.
Yet what’s most pertinent to MacDonald’s current claim that PTSD caused his recent violent outburst is MacDonald’s well-established pattern of alleged violence that predates his diagnosis.
como yo informado anteriormente, witnesses say MacDonald once used a butter knife to repeatedly stab a picture of a former Harvest pastor in front of 15 to 20 close associates to “get his point across.”
He also reportedly displayed a “pattern of uncontrolled anger” while teaching high school students at Harvest Christian Academy, allegedly calling them names and threatening them physically.
A former employee at Camp Harvest in Michigan once told me he saw MacDonald shoot a deer at “point-blank range” and said MacDonald didn’t stop shooting until he was out of ammunition.
But the most disturbing story I reported concerned MacDonald allegedly trying to contratar a un asesino a sueldo twice to kill someone.
As bad as those incidents are, recently released depositions from MacDonald’s demanda por difamación against Muller reveal there’s even more.
In the deposition of former Harvest Bible Chapel Chairman of the Board Dave Corning, Corning confirms an incident where MacDonald became enraged and threw books at a former assistant, hitting her in the eye.
Corning also tells of a time when MacDonald allegedly pushed an audio technician off the deck at MacDonald’s house because the man asked MacDonald to pay him. According to Corning, MacDonald injured the man so badly he needed medical attention.
All of these violent incidents happened well before I began reporting on MacDonald in December 2018—and well before his alleged PTSD. The truth is MacDonald has long been a danger to people around him. And it was just a matter of time before someone got seriously hurt.
But now, because of a very suspect PTSD diagnosis, MacDonald may escape prosecution. I pray that doesn’t happen.
On Wednesday, both the prosecution and MacDonald’s defense will put their mental health experts on the stand at an evidentiary hearing.
I pray the truth about MacDonald’s well-established character and behavior becomes clear and the judge rejects MacDonald’s mental health diversion. For decades, this man has been making excuses for the harm he’s caused others. And it’s time he finally receives justice.
Julie Roys es una reportera de investigación veterana y fundadora de The Roys Report. Anteriormente, también presentó un programa de entrevistas nacional en Moody Radio Network, llamado Up for Debate, y ha trabajado como reportera de televisión para una filial de CBS. Sus artículos han aparecido en numerosas publicaciones periódicas.
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About 35 years ago when we attended a Bible Conference was the first time we heard James MacDonald preach. In the middle of his sermon he suddenly told everyone to close their eyes and pray. There was a disabled man making a bit of noise so when our collected eyes were allegedly closed, he pointed to the young man for him to be removed. After that he went on speaking in his maligning way… but that’s for another time.
No surprise. Those of us who grew up in this world, sat as children at the table after services as the grown-ups talked remember how the Big Guy everyone admired was also suprisingly and weirdly irreverant in private–but also made everyone laugh. My pastor dad, embarrassed, would later say, “well, god uses the weaker vessel…” But he never outed them, until, finally in denominational administration, it was his duty to do so (even then, silence prevailed and few knew of consequences–nor would they believe it). Thank you Julie Roys, for holding truth to power every single day.
(I finally left it all several ago, well into adulthood, but I never stop thinking about how light ‘accountability’ in the church truly is. It is, in fact, frightening. Keep up the noble work. I love that MacDonald is blaming you for HIS assault. You are renting free in his head. Well done.)
Lee File i hope your experience didn’t shipwreck your faith. Ive been through the same but “God is true tho every man be found a liar”
One of my questions is how did this man pastor for so long being the way he is? It was because he organized his life and ministry to protect himself. It was probably a living hell to disagree with him in a board meeting. Another question I have is concerning the philosophy of ministry he and other control freak pastors have. Is the CEO ministry model biblical? Is it conducive to a healthy outcome? Now there is no doubt this model can produce numbers. Pastor Driscoll was run out of a church he founded in Seattle and is now has grown a church in Arizona. But does Jesus look for numbers only? I don’t believe He does.