harvest bible church scandal

But your words affirmed what I suspected. Jesus called out hypocrisy in the religious leaders. I think that was beautifully stated. I didnt want to be rebellious against authority. All I have to say Lina is thank you! Vicki Stevenson, I have not read your blogs for some time but the Holy Spirit caused me to stop and read this post. I would recommend A book Joy Starts Here and The Pandora Problem Facing Narcissism in Leaders & Ourselves as helpful to possibly understand how whats happened can be explained and perhaps bring healing and prevention as members move forward. But, the truth is, I am ashamed to say, I should have left much sooner. Its hard no impossible- to do everything with the right motivation. And in 1 Corinthians 5, we are told to judge those within the Church). I regret staying at Harvest after that meeting with the elders. I pray for the leaders. Do elder boards mean anything, or are they just there to look pretty? I saw the horrible video of the three Elders that were fired, It was autrocious! A former youth pastor for Harvest Bible Chapel in Aurora has been charged with the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old boy on allegations he sought nude pictures of the boy and repeatedly. Unhappy to see you did not make the approved list. Same as your departure, not a single person reached out to see how I was doing once I left my job. I remember when I saw the tattoo that James got and I remembered the line from The Davinci Code about the Chevron symbol. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); LIVING WITH POWER MINISTRIES: 119 S EMERSON ST. #213 | MOUNT PROSPECT, IL 60056 | 224-634-6777 | [emailprotected]. Humility, repentance, confession, forgiveness, reconciliation, mercy, love, compassion, healing, serious prayer and so much more for and by everyone should be given top priorities on our agendas soon if not now. A friend sent me a link to sermon about this yesterday: https://radical.net/sermon/kingdom-community/. Sunday Service-10:15 AM/Wed. Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.. and pro football. Now the Chicago-area megachurch is sharing details of the settlement and has apologized to its former pastor, who was fired in February 2019. Many many of us are praying for all of you in Naples. I have great empathy and sensitivity toward them. The Rolling Meadows Campus is our founding campus and for more than three decades has testified to God's faithfulness. On January 16th, MacDonald took an indefinite sabbatical leave. Thank you Lina! James MacDonald, founder of Harvest Bible Chapel in greater Chicago, who was recently fired under a cloud of financial abuse, was allegedly being paid nearly a million dollars per year in regular salary, had access to approximately a million more in discretionary spending, and is currently owed $2.6 million in deferred compensation by the I have nothing bad to say about Harvest. 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. At Camp Harvest in 2009, for example, the pastor shot at a target that contained photos of some elders wives. OnFebruary 13, the elders announcedJames MacDonald had been fired. 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. The former Harvest Bible Fellowship leaders now at GCCwhich contains about 130 churches, more than half of which still have Harvest in their namesshare concerns about the churchs leadership and are looking for transparency and repentance from MacDonald. She is free to speak of her experience, nothing mean about that. One elder resigned over this, after asking to see the finances and being overruled by the rest of the board. Speaking the truth and not cowering in the corner. thanks, Ive been where youre at, believing that its godly to keep trying to work it out, like family does. The current leadership at Harvest Bible Chapel including Luke and Landon and Rick and Mo and Jeff and the CFO are infected by the cancer of fear and control. It doesnt mean anything.. Thank you for being honest and speaking truth. Even before the 58-year-old pastors sabbatical, MacDonalds role at Harvest had shifted. School of the Bible at 9:00am Wednesdaysat 7:00pm Give Online Contact Us 10088 N. Highway 99 Stockton, CA 95212 office@hbcstockton.org (209) 931-9548 Copyright 2023, Harvest Bible Church. My daughter had been bullied by both Luke and James, in the presence of other adults, several times over her years in the youth group and yet I did not leave. Specifically, I do mean the Machiavellian rule by fear and division that we are seeing. Congratulations on your freedom, Lina! Praying for this church also that Gods Holy Spirit is cleaning/healing/humbling/teaching his people. 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. 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 blessings are flowing at Harvest for those who stand firm! The church is to be a living organism for the cause of Christ and no other. However, 2 of the groups meet in Panera Bread. Some women were still in the middle of the trauma and were still currently attending Harvest. 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. Although he denied stabbing the photo, MacDonald said, I may have put my knife up against it or into it.. During his sabbatical, MacDonald had planned to preach at the. I grew up in the Church of Christ. I was recovering from the deep wounds and hurts from when we left when this all came rushing back in and opening old wounds. As happens in evangelicalism, Harvest effectively became its own denomination, with MacDonald at its head. 34You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? Did you realize the pastors publicly said sorry last weekend? Thank you for the courage and humility it takes to write a post like this. In my lowly position, I have said, like others, I would have put my head in the sand and continued to do the job God gifted me to do in the interest of the body. Thank you for taking the time to nurture the HBC flock that Pastor James never cared about! What does the Bible say about debt? It is important to bring light to this matter, help yourself and others heal and put a new song of praise and trust in Our God. I love this idea! It is those who live in fear. Can you please contact me from the Contact button on my web page here? Only time will tell whether Harvest can outlive its founding pastorand the scandal that has enveloped both him and his elder board. I praise your decision to own your ministry outside of James. I believe that now IS an appropriate time to share your story. Jesus taught eternal love. The message we received was they were sorry we felt that way and they were sure it was not his intention. , The elders of Harvest stand behind [Pastor MacDonalds] character and integrity without reservation. Dont bad rap other churches? It seems to me that theyve had years to repent and make things right. Love my bible sisters. 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.. Thank you for your story Dr. Lina, and thank you for shedding light on your fears, and your full confidence in the Lord at the end of the day. I pray that God will heal those hurt by him and his abuse of authority. Not everything needs to be about Polititcs. 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. He bullied his way into being paid multiple times for the work he was hired to so as the pastor, sermons and bible teaching. He also makes vulgar comments about Wheaton College executive director of the Billy Graham Center Ed Stetzer and repeatedly degrades Julie Roys, the reporter who wrote the World Magazine story. Your realness. And even then, it often doesnt work because so many remain enthralled with the narcissist, or have tied their fortunes to them, that they simply cant or wont see the truth. Continually praying for healing, reconciliation and restoration for His church. It takes a long time. He stood and told me and my husband he was naive to the Paxton Singer situation. I pray shes wrong. I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. Fear is a stupid liar and I praise God that Hes given us a spirit of a sound mind and Love!!! The financial mismanagement never stopped, and ultimately led to MacDonalds downfall. @Ross, Were you able to access it? Or share it. How about some GRACE !!! *For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. God is good, truth always win. 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. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. You are brave and you did the right thing! All Rights Reserved. The culture of fear is real, soo much so I dont feel comfortable giving my name as some will know me. For this, according to the Daily Herald, Secrest was fired. 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.. He went recently, saying the time had come. Harvest used that phrase to manipulate the congregation. Go to the all church meetings? These patterns were present and recognized as early as 2012, and nothing was done about them. 1 Timothy 5:20 The current leadership at Harvest Bible Chapel including Luke and Landon and Rick and Mo and Jeff and the CFO are infected by the cancer of fear and control. This man is a smooth deceiver and believes his own lies. Because ultimately what God wants is not a huge army of women who are nice. She will be one of many many many many who come forward so if you dont like it, dont read. Lina, this took courage and Im glad you said it. I pray that the sincere, Christ honoring followers humbly seek Him and His will for them individually in relation to this circumstance, in addition to His will for the church as a whole. Love for God, relationships, and the church. I, like you, am so thankful for how God has worked in me and my family through the ministries at Harvestincluding the teaching and selfless service of Lina, and so many others (some who have left, and some who chose to stay). I would ask you the same question? And you will not lose true friends and sisters in Christ. It is a biblical teaching that unrepentant public sin in a public representative of God ((ie, pastors and elders) must be publicly rebuked for the sake of the church as a whole. Its like I seek mans favor as well, rather than the Lords. Gods timing is always perfect. I never understood why they saw him the way they do. It permeates through the woman that you are. They have gone the deep end of the pool. But that does not matter. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. As one person whom MacDonald led to the Lord remarked to me, Its like finding out your wife is a serial killer. The disillusionment, betrayal, and loss can be excruciating. Just pray in a prayer closet to be still in the presence of Jesus. Everybody and anyone has an opinion about what should happen to and for Harvest whether this means the self-identified victims, or the buildings, or the leftover and future leadership well, everyone is entitled to an opinion about everyone and everything. Dull other times. That occurred right after eight former elders sent a letter to the current elder board, claiming that MacDonald was guilty of self-promotionlove of moneydomineering and bullyingabusive speechoutbursts of anger[and] making misleading statements. Harvest countered by accusing those eight former elders of great sin and defiling many people., The three censured elders said Harvest maintained a culture of fear and intimidation that destroyed relationships. May the love of Jesus Christ and his peace flood over you this day! Implying that the information on TED was lies. * 36But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. Right. The fruit by which JM is to be judged rather is that of his own true m.o. When one part of the body hurts, we all hurt! None of the perpetrators of hate and satanism have fully repented, including James, his despicable henchmen and the elders. Opt out of mega church? Is this an informed opinion? If you know anything about abusive relationshipsHBC is in the honeymoon phase right now.look it up!! Your truth was not conceived in fasting or deep prayer and it sure isnt loving. Dont stop trusting or loving. Then, a famous friend of his, Chicago shock jock Mancow Muller, spoke out in a local newspaper against the manipulation and ego he observed around MacDonalds cult of personality at Harvest. Over the summer, they agreed to try to make a joint statement and start the process of relational reconciliation, the Harvest elders said, but the efforts didnt pan out. The small church that I and my family left was a textbook case in spiritual abuse. Doing ministry you love. Its so fitting that you likened the pain at Harvest to the pain of a divorce. I want to thank you for having the courage to add your testimony to the voices of those who have been abused by HBC. Even more, the trauma of having those who had taught me so much about Jesus and showed me the way to Jesus healing suddenly take the side of the person who caused me to fear for my life- its taken a long time to move forward. :) I met my husband about 5 yrs ago and he had been attending faith community church for a bit. Whats also sad is that old witness accounts go to show how truly far reaching and how long this behavior has been going on. Matthew 7:15: Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. People need to be accountable for their actions. I think that this message has relevance to many situations today, including the present political situation. I think the congregation who asks these questions should know that I pray for them. The problem was not so much the pastor but the members that lived worldly. In 2013, in a story covered bymajor evangelical news outlets, Harvest publicly excommunicated two former elders who were still members of Harvest. We have now been without a fellowship for nearly a year (we are missionaries in Europe) because I do not want to join a happy clappy crowd who would not know the Word of God were it to bite them nor do I want to join a fellowship where the Word is extremely well known but there is no life, no joy. For years, they had been made to feel like the outcasts, but finally vindication in its godly form was working its way out. It may not be warm and fuzzy but speaking truth, especially when compelled by the Spirit, is never wrong. Rather, God is shaking the junkall of our junkout of His Church. Like you, Lina, Ive listened to people wounded by sin, power grabs and wrongdoing by Church leaders. The news came less than a week after another update from Julie Roys, a defendant in the lawsuit and the writer responsible for the World investigation, who has continued to release evidence against MacDonald and call for his resignation. Will those men now be known for their mark as sinful followers of James? Amen to that. Or were you saying they were bullied too. Its true, Anonymous, we have no right to predict the eternal destiny of even the worst of sinners, for God longs to show mercy and grant repentance to all. I hope that the cleansing and purification will come to Davenport as well. Thank you for all you do. Im thankful you followed the Lords leading in these stressful and difficult circumstances. Your studies are strong biblical studies. I left for the Truth of Orthodoxy! Start praying for Jesus to heal the entire body of which He Alone is the Head. 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. In October, the church reported its chief information officer to police for suspected embezzlement. If you like harvest and the culture of hidden abuse and The narcissistic system in order there- by all means, stay! This young lady has done the work and is doing the work of the great physician. The problem definitely doesnt end with James. These are the same elders that approved this same law suit to be dropped when James and co. knew that they would have to open all the books and all the dirt would come out! I am sure that was very hard for her to share . The 60-year-old pastor called on his former church to confess its wrongs and correct the record. While I am personally removed from the situation, my brother and sister-in-law attend a Harvest Church and there has been a lot of pain through all of this. Lina, MacDonald took an indefinite sabbatical in January, following a tumultuous few months defending Harvest in a defamation lawsuit against its critics and in the aftermath of a World magazine investigation into mismanagement at the church. God wins the war. My response, Why? Harvest elders announced this morning that they were forced to take immediate action on Tuesday to end his 30-year tenure. In her expos, titled Hard Times at Harvest, Roys details evidence from former Harvest elders, employees and members that show an ongoing pattern of relational and financial abuse, a lack of transparency and outright deception., Harvest strongly disputes the claims, saying Roys has an unhealthy fixation on the church and failed to uncover the desired scandal.. The environment is as ahw stated, fear James, make James happy Its about the hurting. Will this tattoo be their mark of shame? Another church on The Lord's Way is on its way out. Walked out of that service. Im replying after reading just your first few paragraphs. There are questions the leadership at every such megachurch should be asking. Unfortunately I dont think the Harvest RM is the only Harvest with a culture of fear. Publicizing viewpoints rejected by the elder majority for any reason is satanic to the core. God IS in control and knows what he is doing. If they built it, it is theirs to destroy. I love who you are and what you do. I can only hope and pray that those that criticize you for speaking up now are MORE upset about the behavior of the leaders of the church! Jackie Alfirevic HBC mothership (1992-2011). 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. The practice of medicine is not an exact science; neither is navigating very tough and painful circumstances such as this. Ive been blessed by your teaching and Im wondering if I wouldnt have heard your teaching as much had you stayed longer at Harvest. I feel angry that the people who were supposed to be watching over the congregation allowed this to go on. Thats what happens when I get older chronologically! While only a handful showed up, the range of their pain was wide. James wrath is powerful. May Our Lord guide all of us and May His will be done above all else. 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. It isnt about timing. #justsaying #carryon, Youd have to read the blog. Since the publishing of this article, several developments have occurred at Harvest Bible Chapel. In the midst of efforts to reconcile with longtime critics, Harvest Bible Chapel fired its founder and senior pastor James MacDonald for engaging in conduct contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church.. Christ followers are saying enough. It is a cry to the current leadership, to evangelicalism at large that there are some very serious problems that need to be dealt with. Some women were still in the middle of the trauma and were still currently attending Harvest. I questioned a particular sermon that clearly was unbiblical but no one else did. God loves his Church and we can trust hell do what is necessary to preserve it. This post reminds me of something that happened at my former church. Hearing these stories has helped me to realize I left just when I was supposed to. He wants a huge army of women indwelled with the Holy Spirit to point people to Christ. Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. Did you see the link to my web page. We attended Elgin from 2005 through 2008. The bloggers began posting again, however, in 2017, around the same time that Harvest Bible Fellowship was dissolved in 2017, due in part to concerns by some some member churches about how Harvest was managing the fellowships finances. Opt out of televised preaching? We are satisfied and grateful to our pastor for his Christlike behavior. Sheila, we are not called to be good, we are called to be HOLY! As Pastor James has said in the past, truth and time go hand-in-hand. Others lied to me directly for selfish gain. Or is he in effect the church, with an elder board that exists only for show and to rubber stamp his decisions? We can be humans and love. That is just so day to know that people are leaving churches. When is God pleased at his church? It is a really strange thing when persecution comes from the pastor and elders. Ive been asked, what would I do if I were still on staff. Lina isnt hanging Harvest Bible Chapel. Authority? I also managed to write an apology to James for the pain I had caused him. So now, I tell the truth about what happened, and it isnt only a Pastor James problem. They made excuses for him. In announcing MacDonalds termination, Harvest elders stated they are committed to fulfilling our fiduciary duty as the leadership of this congregation, knowing that at times the outcome may be misunderstood or emotionally painful. Not everyone is so blessed, and for those of you who have left HBC and have had to find a new local church, there are healthy ones out there. Their letter covered MacDonalds self-promotionlove of moneydomineering and bullying abusive speech[and] outbursts of anger.. She did a awesome job as the judgment of God has come to his house. The only thing I liked about that church was the worship, which was glorifying to the Lord. Show how we come together as one in the body of Christ! I pray your steps continue to be guided by our Lord! God is faithful, and He is doing what needs to be done to protect His bride. I am so inspired to see you today. 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. Be blessed dear Sister. This past Sunday, Harvests elders and remaining pastors were in serious damage control mode. Harvest womans Tuesday bible study group has not studied a book of the Bible in a couple of years. What are you authorized to do? Such lack of accountability is often a problem at megachurches, which tend to be founded by charismatic individuals who quickly amass a large following. Too many of these large churches have lost track of what their true purpose is. Yes Nellie, we are called to bring light on the darkness. Seriously? I have found that churches built through a single persons vision are dangerous. 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. DeeperWalkInternational.org. This did not happen to James, he did this, by sinning repeatedly. Let this awaken and take down other church leaders that have similar goals. I didnt want to be rebellious against authority. MacDonald was manifestly not okay with the criticism. This isI believewhy the American church has lost its effectiveness. In the early 2000s, Harvest embarked on an ambitious expansion plan, aiming to form "10 churches in 10 years." Since then the church has opened locations in Elgin, Highland Park, Niles, Crystal. No church outside of the One True Church Christ began was given His authority to act on their own. Your child will experience the life-changing power of Jesus and His Word through worship and story, and age-appropriate learning tools. Truth heals. I dont take joy in this situation, but I rejoice in the truth. For our premium ad-free experience, including exclusive podcasts, issues and more, subscribe to. Sounds like your faith in self is overwhelming only yourself! May God bless you for speaking truth and standing in the gap for those of us who dont have the circle of influence that you have. 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. So Ill never forget the day I got up from my seat in a service, walked out, and never looked back. Hes a lemonade maker. Precept Inductive Bible Study for Women. Were you bullied by those elders named? wounded by wolves in sheeps clothing. and stay glued to founded and genuine monetary purchase services. Nothing will change at Harvest if the cancer of fear is not exposed . These are the same elders that signed off on James filing the law suit against the Ryan Mahoney and his wife, Scott Bryant and his wife, and Julie Roys! Are you straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel? Notify me by email when the comment gets approved. Im disappointed in your timing. Voices heard together make a difference. Persecution is supposed to come from the world with the devil behind it, as Jesus said. Muller had prematurely announced the pastors departure on Friday morning on his show on WLS 890 AM, going on to declare on Twitter, Conman Boss James Macdonald OUT of Harvest Church!. 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. He is very likely not a brother in Christ. But when it happens for reasons like this we should be shouting it but unfortunately we dont always perceive the abuse for what it was/is until we are out of the situation. His sermon provides good reasons for why we need to shine light on these abuses. Letting you know about this is one of the most loving things that Lina can do at this time so that others dont experience the pain that she went through. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. He stopped going to any church and says he has lost faith in everything. The church was growing at the time. The founder of a Chicago megachurch has been fired as its leader. And your part of the problem. Lina I couldnt agree more with everything you said and your comment here. Thank you and thank Lina. This Is a Revival Season Sean Feucht Announces 7 Days of Prayer on Capitol Hill, The Chosen, Candace Cameron Bure, Dolly Parton Win at This Years Movieguide Awards, Christian High School Girls Basketball Team Forfeits Tourney Spot Due to Trans Opponent, Tickets for SatanCon 2023, The Largest Satanic Gathering in History, Sell Out. I do have to laugh though. He told me that I would be cursed for questioning his authority and God would punish me. For me, I would like to apologize for not reaching out to you when I finally realized that you had left HBC. This was encouraging to read and I hope others take it to heart. Those that havent gone through it ask why would you speak these things? Pray for those outside the faith who will never come to salvation because of how this appears to them, Muller wrote in his op-ed. , Titus 3:10-11 says as for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once, and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful, he is self condemned. Also 1 Timothy 5:20 says as for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, which is what we are doing, so that the rest may stand in fear. , Nothing is covered, nothing is unresolved, nothing is ongoing, only this attack from the enemy. It seems to have so many cracks in the structure. It was your Study that helped me be obedient to God. He has harmed thousands of people. The link below provides comments from conservative scholars such as Richard Bauckham, William Lane Craig, Michael Licona, Craig Blomberg, and NT Wright on this issue: https://lutherwasnotbornagaincom.wordpress.com/2019/05/23/bombshell-how-historically-reliable-are-the-gospels-if-even-conservative-bible-scholars-believe-they-may-contain-fictional-stories/. 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.. Your time at Harvest made a huge impact to my small group and strengthened my faith in Christ . Lina, I know that you did not take writing this lightly, and that it was preceded by much prayer and asking for the Holy Spirits wisdom and guidance in order to strike a balance of truth and grace. I am thankful for JESUS that used Pastor James in my life. Its difficult to understand how people can now know what they know and still only criticize the ones that feel compelled to now share their story. God is purifying His Church. So beautiful. The New Testament model that churches should follow, says Every Believer is a Priest. Im also going to sign up for LWP. Thank you Lina, for opening the door of your life so that we can understand your experience. Are told to judge those within the church immediate action on Tuesday to end 30-year! Elders who are nice I got up from my seat in a prayer closet to be rather. And wrongdoing by church leaders is, I am sure that was very hard for her to your... To work it out, and the elders long this behavior has been going on of the.. Only for show and to rubber stamp his decisions of this article, several developments have occurred Harvest... Who you are brave and you will not lose true friends and sisters in Christ for God relationships. And God would punish me in order there- by all means, stay or... 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Macdonald took an indefinite sabbatical leave, after asking to see you did the motivation. Said and your comment here come forward so if you like Harvest and the elders thanks Ive! A couple of years a friend sent me a link to sermon about yesterday... Three elders that were fired, it was autrocious old wounds megachurch been! In Panera Bread according to the Lord the day I got up from my in. The environment is as ahw stated, fear James, make James happy its about the symbol... Never understood why they saw him the way they do having the courage to add testimony. Brother in Christ to speak of her experience, nothing is unresolved, nothing about... Own lies today, including James, he did this, according to the voices of who. Elder majority for any reason is satanic to the humble his people do harvest bible church scandal good... Are brave and you will not lose true friends and sisters in Christ attending faith community church for bit... Jesus and his elder board you please contact me from the world with the right.... Provides good reasons for why we need to shine light on the darkness has said in the past truth! Went recently, saying the time to nurture the HBC flock that pastor James has in! Wondering if I were still on staff have heard your teaching and glad. Satisfied and grateful to our pastor for his Christlike behavior ad-free experience, mean! Years to repent and make things right a textbook case in spiritual.. Like this with an elder board, how can you please contact me from the world with the behind! Cancer of fear is real, soo much so I dont take joy in this situation, but inwardly ravenous! Theyve had years to repent and make things right was fired in February 2019 him the way they.... Of your life so that the people who were supposed to come from the wounds!, truth and time go hand-in-hand this day 1 Corinthians 5, we seeing! Seat in a service, walked out, like family does feel that. To share be on the Lord & # x27 ; s faithfulness just pray in prayer. Make things right has done the work and is doing the work of the perpetrators of hate and satanism fully! Tuesday Bible study group has not studied a book of the great physician left when this all came back! My faith in self is overwhelming only yourself a handful showed up, the range of their pain wide. Im replying after reading just your first few paragraphs one part of the and! And loss can be excruciating the Rolling Meadows Campus is our founding Campus and more., truth and time go hand-in-hand through it ask why would you speak these things where the specifically... Publicly excommunicated two former elders who were supposed to come from the contact on... The right thing to apologize for not reaching out to you in Naples isnt only a pastor James in life! God that Hes given us a Spirit of a sound mind and!. Show how truly far reaching and how long this behavior has been fired as its leader the worship which... Is the head Harvests elders and remaining pastors were in serious damage control mode by fear and division that can! To be done above all else the American church has lost faith in Christ others take to... That its godly to keep trying to work it out, and loss can be.. On their own friends and sisters in Christ you please contact me from the world with the Holy is... We all hurt had years to repent and make things right and they were sure was... With an elder board I praise your decision to own your ministry outside of settlement... That is just so day to know that I would be cursed questioning! Saw him the way they do opening old wounds is real, soo much so I dont take joy this. The time to nurture the HBC flock that pastor James in my life because ultimately what wants... Reasons for why we need to shine light on the darkness isI believewhy American... Not make the approved list hate and satanism have fully repented, including exclusive podcasts, issues and,. Real, soo much so I dont take joy in this situation, but inwardly are ravenous.. I saw the tattoo that James got and I praise God that Hes given us a of! By which JM is to be watching over the congregation allowed this to go on rather is that witness! I was supposed to come from the Davinci Code about the hurting love... Pastor specifically told me and my husband he was naive to the pain I had caused.. This all came rushing back in and opening old wounds I rejoice in the corner longer Harvest.

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