Rocked by allegations of financial impropriety and abuse, Harvest Bible Chapel today announced that founding and senior pastor, James MacDonald, is taking an “indefinite sabbatical from all preaching and leadership in Chicago.” (MacDonald will continue to preach and teach from Harvest’s newest campus in Naples, Florida.) The church also announced it is launching a “peacemaking process,” which will seek to “identify and address our personal failures, sins, and errors in leadership.”
The announcement comes a week after Harvest dropped its lawsuit against me and four other defendants, following a judge’s refusal to keep all documents subpoenaed in the case private. It also comes about a month after my exposé in WORLD Magazine revealed allegations of financial mismanagement and a culture of deception and intimidation at the church.
[pullquote]”James will still run the gang from the prison. There needs to be an objective new appointment of EC (executive committee) . . . They are all pawns of James.”[/pullquote]According to an email elders sent to staff and members, Harvest will be partnering in the peacemaking process with two “highly respected ministries” modeled after a book by Ken Sande called, “The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict.” The email, however, did not name the specific ministries that will be brought in.The elders added that the church would reach out to individuals who “have complaints against us,” and would thoroughly examine the church’s financial and leadership policies and make “whatever changes necessary.” They also claimed that MacDonald had “recused himself fully from any direction of this peacemaking process.”
Former elder Earl Seals, who resigned from Harvest’s board in 2017, expressed dismay about today’s announcement. “James will still run the gang from the prison,” he said in a text to me. “There needs to be an objective new appointment of EC (executive committee) and even old elders like Mark Hopwood and (Mike) Dunwoody have to go. Even recently, Robert Jones stepped back onto the EC. They are all pawns of James.”
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Former campus pastor R.T. Maldaner, whose children were kicked out of Harvest Christian Academy because Maldaner planted a church near Harvest’s Elgin campus, had similar feelings. “I remain hesitant and cautious because James will soul search in Naples, while preaching to a people who haven’t figured out the disqualified nature of the man they have ‘leading them’ in the Word,” he said. “This decision perpetuates spiritual abuse in another geographical location and . . . is no good for the people at Harvest Naples, Chicago, or James himself.”
[pullquote]”I remain hesitant and cautious because James will soul search in Naples, while preaching to a people who haven’t figured out the disqualified nature of the man they have ‘leading them’ in the Word.”[/pullquote]In an addendum to the elder email, MacDonald wrote a short note admitting to battling “cycles of injustice, hurt, anger, and fear which have wounded others without cause.” He added that he has “carried great shame about this pattern” and added that he wants to address “these recurring patterns” and looks forward to a “welcomed time of sabbatical rest.”Dave Corning, who served as chairman of Harvest’s elder board for 21 years said MacDonald’s statement falls far short of the repentance he believes is required. Corning and seven other former elders wrote a letter to the elder board in 2013 accusing MacDonald of being disqualified for ministry because of serious character flaws. “Nothing has changed,” Corning said, “just trying to maneuver around the real issues. Not even close to repentance or godly sorrow. . . . Sad and very disappointing.”
The email concluded by stating that the “lead/campus pastors will continue to lead the day-to-day ministry of the church” and asked for peoples’ support.
The full text of the email is below. As I wrote last week, Harvest leaders and MacDonald have consistently lied and deceived, so I join those who are skeptical about this announcement. Given all that’s occurred, including a baseless lawsuit for which Harvest has still not apologized, what’s required now is not a “peacemaking process,” but confession, repentance, and resignations. There can be no true peace without it.
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45 Responses
I see no mention of James MacDonald being stripped of the power he currently has and as most know MacDonald has a lot of official power. I imagine as MacDonald continues to have this power then many (especially paid staff) will be reluctant to speak out against MacDonald or even bring up important issues that need to addressed.
Just my opinion.
Who is going to take away his power; it isn’t the XLT, EC or Elders. Here is who can take away his power the congregation with their tithes.
Read this statement from the email to the members: Thoroughly examining our church’s organizational, financial, management, and leadership policies and practices, and making whatever changes are necessary to ensure that every area is being managed according to professional best practices and in a way that honors God.
The elders approved all the changes that gave JMac all the power. Isn’t it crazy that the elder board doesn’t even see a complete budget. Not in a pie chart but line by line expenses.
Who would want to be associated with being on HBC elder board?
This is why I don’t go to Church anymore. ?
Great example to your sons James!!
Well, the new upset in Naples certainly convinces me that peacemaking is intended…..
Thank you, Julie for your intense research, your hard work, and for lending your voice, no matter the cost. My husband was on staff at a HB church plant 40 mins away. Our former pastor is very close with JM and modeled his ministry after his, unfortunately. The culture was spiritually abusive and the last straw was a phone call to me from the pastor’s wife demanding that I attend at 7:00 am Bible Study every Saturday morning or my husband’s job was on the line. What in the world?! I could go on and on. We evertually left and moved far away, keeping silent (after unsuccessfully reaching out to a couple of elders, of course). The shunning was unbearable. THANK YOU for standing up for the spiritually abused who feel silenced and shamed, even though the outcome wasn’t exactly what was hoped for, it still brings attention to a major problem in churches today.
Rick donald I want to know how you have stood by James’s side for the past 30 years and said nothing. You have had the power to shed light on all this corruption yet you remained silent! I’m sorry I’m sooooo disappointed in you.
I am not a lawyer. It is my understanding that if HBC and JM pursued the lawsuit, they would have been compelled to open their books in response to the allegations. That would never happen. Perhaps an attorney would be willing to comment on this?
JM – You once preached on unrepentant sin. You said, “God would rather see you in hospital bed then continuing in your sin.” E.g. Bring you low to repentance. I pray you heed your own teaching and repent. God is patient but He will not be mocked.
Are you blocking comments that question your reporting and disagree with your premises?
Obviously the LORD has been sad for many years. Now, only prayer and forgiveness, amongst and between everyone involved, and GOD’S WORD, with direction from the Holy Spirit, will bring about a GODLY SOLUTION. As is so often the case problems like these most often start at the “top” of an organization/institution. May all of the entire group involved with the past, present and, or future of HBF pray without ceasing until the LORD informs you that GODLY changes have been instituted. My prayers, and those of tens of thousands of other GOD LOVING CHRISTIANS, are with y ou.
I’m a new comer to Julie blog. In the past I listened to her on Moody and really liked her show. We need more people like her. God bless you Julie.