(CP) – Harvest Bible Chapel’s longtime pastor James MacDonald is stepping away from ministry and leadership responsibilities for an “indefinite sabbatical” as the church elders initiate a “peacemaking process” amid recent scrutiny of the Chicago-area megachurch. In an email message sent to HBC members that was posted on the church website Wednesday, the elders said that they had tried to address criticisms coming from outside for the past several years but such efforts have not been adequate as it pertains to their own failures.
The Executive Committee of elders privately met Monday which “led to the decision to be part of a peacemaking process that seeks both reconciliation and change where needed.” The latest development has come about following an investigative report from Julie Roys, formerly of Moody Radio, in the December issue of World magazine. In the article, Roys detailed how the church, under MacDonald’s leadership, had moved around ministry entities in order to redirect funds for suspicious purposes and also reported on an alleged culture of fear and intimidation where MacDonald was allowed to treat people abusively. READ MORE
