I had asked one of the one of the people on the reconciliation team earlier that day, I said, Im going to go into a meeting with James McDonald and I need I need to have the letters I need to know. How do spot a safe pastorand can. And it was a pretty tough meeting. Again, James is is now saying, oh, all of that had approval. Christians should stop feeding these people. And I sat down on the couch in my office and cried. I think, how is it that we had the word of God sitting in front of us, which is pretty clear about what to do. I hope you have a great day and God bless. But again, reading those letters, and it does have a different impact when you read the actual letter than someone summarizes it. I dont know how many people had heard of it. So, Julie Roys decided to do what she does best - investigative journalism - in order to find out the truth in the world of m. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. And when he sees he cant save it, it sounds like then he was trying to lobby for being able to resign, and a lot of emotional manipulation being used that weekend from from what youve told me. . Yet another American megachurch is immersed in accusations of wrongdoings. But so much else not owned. Well, you know, we laugh about it. Longtime leader of the Chicago-area megachurch Harvest Bible Chapel James MacDonald has been ousted as senior pastor in light of unsavory remarks he made on a hot mic that were aired on local media Tuesday. And in those letters like Jacob Ross, who was the bodyguard of James McDonald. Hear the dramatic and sovereignly orchestrated story of how MacDonalds actions finally came to light at Harvest. And and that would be my word to James McDonald. As I saw it, this letter of unconditional support was a huge and somewhat desperate PR move on James MacDonalds part, to say, hey, look, all our leaders stand with us, I must be okay. That this was all a plot by him that he was vengeful, towards James McDonald. You dont know how I got ahold of them. Hes asking for money. And the demands that James McDonald made to try to go home a day early. He could have apologized a long time ago, but nothing publicly. I need to repent. Theres 30 men in the room. The Asbury Revival Is Over. This man has been your pastor for decades. Plus, the school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities and strong financial aid. So what happened? And again, youre one of the people who actually apologized for that. So you werent part of the lawsuit. Shame on you for reading scripture! Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? And whats so tough in this whole thing is that there are wolves among the sheep. But by the time we were done that night, the decision that night was two things. Please dont read something into a story thats not there. But would he have been able to save face do you think? It does. I knew letters were coming to the elder board per First Timothy 5. He was like he started appealing the process. I think of a few things Julie. I wish Id never done it. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? No, its not how it went down, Julie. Thanks for a thoughtful, educated, godly response. Thank you for taking the stand that you did. James MacDonald (born October 4, 1960) is a Canadian-born evangelical Christian pastor, television evangelist, and author. However, an email that I got, that Duitsman had sent out and then it was leaked to me, said that what Duitsman was upset about was the fact that the elders were admitting that they had failed. Pastor James will provide answers in upcoming featured video posts. But he said even the way said that he said, we got out of that meeting, we looked at each other. No One Knows. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. It was really it was a painful meeting, it was a was an eye opening meeting as well though. Thats right. Thanks! Thanks that is hilarious!! How come its always wives submit to your husbands and never husbands love your wives? Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. She keeps demanding I tithe to her and she will ask god to bless me. I mean, here he is in Haiti, thats just been wracked by an earthquake, unbelievable poverty and devastation. This is not my judgment but that of his elders from HBC. Theres still one more thing I want to ask about. Thats a Tuesday night. Then the board announced its executive committee would be resigning over the next few months. TRR reached out to Visconti numerous times for comment about his partnership with MacDonald and his provocative social media posts, but Visconti did not respond. H arvest Bible Chapel and founding pastor James MacDonald have announced that they plan to drop their lawsuit against The Elephant's Debt bloggers and Julie Roys after a court today denied. And marital and sexual satisfaction plummet.. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. I called him. This is a story that directly contradicts what MacDonald published in recent videos and statements on his webpage. Whats the point of arguing the point, you know, like, okay, youre gonna say you dont remember that part. What Happens Now? None of my sources said it was wrong. Because your article seemed to conflate all these things. And I said, Listen, I get it. And there was just this push against a public rebuke. And I knew that I needed to do something publicly. . Gary Weigel, if you total all the expenses including vet bills, it might be more than a tithe. I look back at those meetings. I just knew the Lord made it clear I had to do it. And everybody had to say, right? But James McDonald, he did not like to fly with the commoners, from what I understand. Also, in addition to those, you have the letter that was written by eight former elders at Harvest, who brought them in 2012, to the elder board, and within 24 hours, were excommunicated for bringing charges against James McDonald. Yeah Cynthia. Youre better off reading the Bible at home with your cat. Yes, and I would add that baked into the command for husbands to love their wives is the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? And I got the text. But one of the circumstances hes talking about, hes talking about something specific where Id stood up for him in a meeting years ago. It was demonic. Other posts decried abortion, transgenderism, and Christians who are apolitical or nice.. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! And there was a group and we had two prayer meetings of people who had been former elders, staff people who have gone on the record with me. And, again, this is five days after I published my expose of Harvest and World Magazine. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Later that night, or first thing you know, into the wee hours of the next morning, the communication was out to the people of Harvest, and it was over. Well, youre welcome. Can you say what was in that letter? And then out of the blue, I get slapped with a lawsuit from James McDonald before I published anything. Pastor Platforming James MacDonald Says Strong Women with Weak Husbands Become 'Toxic' By Julie Roys December 22, 2022 5:39 pm CST 26 Comments Pastor Ryan Visconti of Generation Church in Mesa, Arizona, is attracting attention for his partnership with James MacDonald and provocative social media posts. . Okay. Hes talking about James McDonald, but not calling him out by name. On that Haiti trip. You know, while while I was an overseer, I didnt know it. We brought up several things from the letters with James McDonald that night, and he was just dismissing everything we brought up. In June, he posted a picture with 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake. One is, I dont want people to give up on the church. Today the guys share their conversation with journalist, author, and speaker Julie Roys. Rick, Donald actually had talked to me after the meeting and said, how much that meant to James. Maybe if the shoe was on the other foot and the men were the ones being abused we might hear them singing a different tune. And she immediately said, Ill write a letter. Julie Roys is a veteran investigative reporter and founder of The Roys Report. This wasnt anything else. I know its your hope too, Dan, and I just want to thank you. . So this is going to be a fascinating podcast. Jacob Ross, all the credit card that James used for personal expenses. If theres other passages we should be talking about, lets talk about them. But I knew I needed to do it. And I was muted on my phone. And theres Ephesians 5 about exposing the unfruitful works of darkness having nothing to do with those. Tim, thanks I should have read before commenting and exactly! And my wife, my wife and I looking at each other and going are we really doing this? Can you share what was in it? And it was just a deep sadness, deep sadness. And again, Im going from memory, but also from what Ron Duitsman recently said. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. I acknowledge my sin to you. So for Jim McDonald to say that he didnt remember like, Im not buying it, right? Despite being disqualified from public ministry by his former megachurch for a "pattern of sinful behavior," James MacDonald is preaching at Generation Churchan Association of Related Churches (ARC) megachurch in Mesa, Arizona. Well she finally called Julie Jezebel Roys I invited Julie to appear in a public forum before and interested audience and answer for the many many lies she has told about me and my family as well as her bullying of anyone who opposes her or stands with us. And what happened in all the backroom meetings, private conversations, and phone calls leading up to that fateful event? Just look at King David . To myself, I said, and do our job. Gary, Otherwise just say what you really mean in your question: Im better than you because I would never support I think he might have and the reason I say that is that weekend, so you know, here we are on Tuesday, Tuesday, the fifth. If hes ok with lying it places doubt on the gospel. But it happened to me in the meeting where I raised a couple things and James McDonald is like, I dont remember that. What Happens Now? He wasnt bringing it to the elders and through a discussion with a couple of the pastors, chose to give it to the elders, which we were thankful for. I just thought, yeah. Im Julie Roys. But to also say, this was this was my fault, too. Like this had been a months long drawn out battle. That didnt happen. And you know, Rick Donald was one of the people. We did not hurry. Voice of James MacDonald Believed to Be Featured in Vulgar Comments. Its funny how things turn out, and this situation isnt wrapped up, yet. We can put it up on the Harvest site, and Ill read it to the congregation on Saturday night. You know, Ive been here the whole time. But, at whatever time it was, you know, midnight in India or something sitting in the lobby, I sent an email, put my name on it, heres my statement. You know, theres, I would say, round two, but I my guess is there were lots of small rounds in there, of people being silenced and bringing charges and, and the board looking the other way. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Dan also was in numerous meetings with James McDonald prior to his firing. That was positioned as an attack from the start. It wasnt an argument. And Im just trying to smear him. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. She said a survey of 20,000 women for her book, The Great Sex Rescue, found that when men make the final decision in the marriage, even if they consult with their wife first, chances of divorce increases 7.4 times . There was just enough false doctrine so that it was swallowed up with the truth. The devil is at work. So those letters, and I just, I had to thank you, Dan, because those letters may have never reached the full elder board had you not push the issue. What really caused Harvest Bible Chapel to fire James MacDonald? Yes, I agree. . And you got all of them. George of course evangelicalism is [anti-Christ] fundamentalism. Only Gods opinion is what counts. James MacDonald and His Earlier Attacks on Julie Roys. So thats why I think its so important to get the truth out there and to just keep speaking the truth. We turned out to have six witnesses who wrote 28 pages with innumerable charges. Pastor James MacDonald. What is the point of bringing this pastors political views into the story? Julie Roys knows she published many false statements about me, false statements now proven such in a court of law, yet she has retracted nothing. And when I look back at it, thats what I think. Six people who I doubt wherever actually all in the same room. Is that how it went down? Again, youre seeing it from a total other perspective where Im the bad guy, James is a good guy. It was in the very, very early days of its launch. According to an independent audit of Harvest Bible Chapel, disgraced celebrity pastor, James MacDonald, siphoned off millions in church funds to support his lavish lifestyle. I asked Sandy Song to potentially write a letter. He knows! Thank you. Tragically . Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. But by the middle of day, right, we were talking about how we were clearly going to have to have an elder board meeting that night. We had a group of Pastors who interviewed him and he gave us free tickets to his Straight Up conference. I knew what the topic was. He scared me in bible college I wanted nothing to do with him. I am so sorry to report that he has not changed. And then if you could, please share the podcast on social media so more people can hear about this great content. I dont know whether its the way way down or the way back Id have to reread the letter, but I mean, they stopped and went to the DR,. In October, Harvest along with lead pastor James MacDonald filed a defamation lawsuit against the author of the World article, Julie Roys, for "asserting false allegations" during her eight . The elder board is still in the dark. Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. When Christian leaders continue to teach that abuse does not constitute biblical grounds for divorce they are wrong, Vernick wrote. And I know its cost you personally. . That was a very common part of how Harvest approached things like that. . But according to a recent email by MacDonald, he's a victim of defamation by an "envious child"and needs your money "to rebuild." "Tragically . Yeah, I can share some of it. I mean his letter, not just talking about the abusive behavior of James, but the things he did with the money going on African safaris with the church money. . So I asked the other elders, I said, I need to repent. My strength is dried up, as by the heat of summer. She wanted me to look at it. And in case you dont know, Dan Marquardt was one of three former elders at Harvest, who stood up to James McDonald in 2013, and was excommunicated as a result. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. I at least heard of it from somebody by that point. If not, youre probably looking at what Paul latter in the chapter describes as an immature child. And why do you do it in front of everybody? No One Knows. (God) says, the prudent see danger and take refuge. Then let me just ask you from the start, why are you doing this? Marin, The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. We had to deal with it. So I appreciate it. And I, I look back at those meetings that I was just describing, Julie, I dont I dont say this lightly. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. He had joined, I think a year into, into Harvests history. And I remember reading through that scripture and reading through Hebrews 13:17, about elders overseeing and giving an account, and Galatians 1:10 about am I trying to please man, am I trying to please God? We dont know what it would look like tomorrow. And Im just grateful that finally, the board, open their eyes. Jennifer Judson University is shaping lives that shape the world. I had all the letters at that point. It looks like these contemporary churches are just fundamentalists in different garb. And so I was pulling into the garage, and I knew I knew, as soon as I pulled in the garage, you know, I was, I was gonna go drive up to whatever floor and go to the meeting. The text included the hashtags #gossipslut #gossipmonger #filthygutterwebsite #cancerinChristsbody., MacDonald also tweeted the invitation, referring to me as Julie Jezebel Roys.. James MacDonald (@jamesmacdonald) June 14, 2021. Ron Duitsman, Chairman of the Board, who agreed to fire James, now appears to be out there, saying that after James got fired, that the elders were were spinning what happened in a false way. So were in the meeting. I knew I had to do it. Its so interesting. But its a story that needs to be toldand rememberedgiven that MacDonald is trying to relaunch his ministry in Chicago. At the end of that weekend, before James MacDonald got fired in February 2019. I stepped away from my computer a couple of times. We will talk through it. Subscribe here for Pastor James' twice-weekly email devotionals straight to you inbox, plus occasional updates regarding his ministries, events, and personal news. I also knew that I needed to talk enough so that it wasnt like, well, this whats whats going on with him? And this was a spiritual battle. It was a Wednesday or Thursday night on the Rolling Meadows campus. In June, Visconti also posted a picture of him and his wife with James MacDonald and his wife. If you went back to when the Elephants Debt was launched, I think this is telling. Roys detailed evidence from former Harvest elders, employees, and members that . And had those letters not reach the board, its hard to say where James McDonald would be today. I just know I got them. We knew I needed to do it. Sin has real consequences and sometimes those consequences are permanent. So far, I feel the leadership of my current church embodies this well. I was literally sitting in a hotel lobby waiting for a pickup at one oclock in the morning to catch an overnight flight back from India. Think Ill go preach at my cat nowhe has huge ears & better discernment than those willfully cowering in the open cage of the corporate state-church. But for us not to act would be unbelief. Vernick, however, believes abuse is grounds for divorce. It is grounds for separation but not divorce., This view is popular in fundamentalist Christian circles. It was so much easier to read and understand. It didnt sit right with me when I heard about it, that the church was suing you, and the Mahoneys, and the Bryants. And we got to a Saturday meeting then on the ninth. I dont see that as absolving James McDonald. I had been investigating Harvest for months. . While we were doing that, I was in my office at home. And everyone who stayed just drank the Kool-Aid. I shouldnt be doing this. He was an incredible communicator both orally and his deportment was engaging. And so what Id like to do is just rewind a couple of years to fall 2018. So I mean, again, this was round. After you guys. In 2018, Roys' journalism exposed the now-former senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel (HBC) James MacDonald for his aggressive leadership style and abuse of the church's finances. A different impact when you read the actual letter than someone summarizes it more thing I want to about... Site requires that people use their full name when commenting, rick Donald was one the. 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