After failed reconciliation attempt with Harvest Bible Church, James MacDonald says firing was unbiblical

Christian Post ^ | 11/27/2020 | Leonardo Blair

[Tax-chick]

The first person to bring up King David loses. It’s like Hitler.

[BillyBoy]

>> Leather is great and much tougher than skin, but without a helmet, doesn’t increase crash survival chances very much. Wearing a leather biker vest to an indoor bible study is just plain vanity (”look at me! I’m a biker!”) <<

I argued that exact point a few months ago when this goofball was fired, and it sadly seemed to be lost on some FReepers ("well, he and the other elders are motorcycle enthusiasts in real life, and they go out for a ride after the Sunday service, how do you expect him to dress??")

There's nothing wrong with a pastor having a passion for bike riding, and dressing accordingly when he's on the road (there's some prominent Orthodox bishop in Hungry -- I can't find the photo right now -- who looks far more badass than this James MacDonald character when he's in black leather on a bike)

There's nothing wrong with having a service specifically aimed AT biker culture, either, or inviting the pastor out to ride with them. Catholic priests do it fairly often to be "hip" and "with it". Here's a photo of one such event:

But there's something VERY bizarre about a pastor dressing like he's at a biker bar DURING a religious gathering, or in his formal role ministering as a representative of Christ. The priest and the the bishop I mentioned in the above paragraphs wouldn't be caught dead doing that indoors during a Sunday litugry. And IF they did, they'd probably get promptly suspended.

There's always been something fishy about this "James MacDonald" guy (and the latest claim that he "never met" most of the elders at HIS church who voted to remove him)

[vpintheak]

Those of us familiar with scripture, know that an “overseer” (read Pastor) is to be above reproach.
If this guy was caught on tape saying this stuff, he is far below reproach and is bringing the entire body down.
Pretty disgusting.

[vpintheak]

You seriously think because he is dressed like that, it makes him a bad pastor”?

Look beyond the cloths Billyboy. This guy seems to have become enamored with his position and lost his way and his right to be a pastor.

[Lee N. Field]

Are they still searching a permanent new pastor? If they are, why not say so publicly?

https://harvestbiblechapel.org/

Right here: https://harvestbiblechapel.org/search/.

One of the top priorities of the Harvest Bible Chapel Elders in 2020 is the prayerful search process for the next Lead Teaching Pastor. Please see the search overview on this page.

Yes, it can take a long time.

[aimhigh]

Here's an article outlining the problems.

Final staff letter about James McDonald

[BillyBoy]

I think we have a serious identity crisis problem in the U.S.:

"Pastor"

"Nun"

Pretty disturbing pattern if you ask me. A few decades ago, nobody would dare try any of that in public and claiming to be representing so-and-so. By their fruits will know them.

[BillyBoy]

>> Can someone offer a Bible citation for anything to do with firing a “Senior Pastor”? If not, the question of what is “biblical” and what isn’t should be off the table <<

I would say that's true of probably 90% of the threads on FR trying to come up with a "biblical" response to something. For example, during Mitt Romney's candidacy, some FReeper demanded to know the "biblical" passage stating it is OK to vote for a Mormon, and said he couldn't vote for Mitt unless there is "biblical proof" saying is acceptable to vote for Mormons. I noted there's no "biblical" section telling its OK to eat cheetos either, but gosh darn it, I eat them anyway. Being written 2000 years ago, the Bible is silent on the matter of eating cheetos. Guess cheetos are "unbiblical".

[Tax-chick]

Maybe Cheetos are “nonbiblical,” and so are “Senior Pastors,” and so is voting.

I’ve been following the MacDonald story at JulieRoys.com, and the guy is an absolute disaster. He’s avoided court so far, but Julie Roys interviewed Mancow Mueller a week or so back, and it looks like this time all the mess is going to come out under oath.

[vpintheak]

Crying shame.

[vpintheak]

Jesus Himself wore the finest of clothes and only associated with the finest of people. Yep.

[BillyBoy]

Jesus dressed as a court magician while ministering, so he could come across as “hip” and “with it” around the average Hebrew. Nope!

[BillyBoy]

Couple of thoughts:

1) You'd think this MacDonald character would lay out and keep out of the public spotlight after this whole charade, but nope. And everything he says or does to argue his side about his "unfair" firing makes things look worse. He "didn't know" most of the "Elders" who voted to fire him? Seriously? I know its a megachurch with hundreds of staff, but what kind of competent pastor doesn't even BOTHER to even meet the people hired to runs things at HIS church?

2) Mancow makes a great case what a snake MacDonald is, but one wonders why Mancow would continue to attend the church and give the guy the benefit of the doubt it was as blantantly obvious that MacDonald as big a liar and conman as Mancow says. I wouldn't stick around for another week if I had a "pastor" who was out spending millions on glitzy gifts to his pals or engaging in character assassination against good people.

[Tax-chick]

1. I think there had been turnover among the “elders” as anyone who asked questions was “purged” and some outwardly compliant men checked their options and then bailed out. The bigger picture, though is the circular reasoning that, if they agreed to his removal, they “didn’t even know him.”

I think he’s just delusional, now, perhaps refusing to speak to anyone who doesn’t tell him he’s all that plus America’s Sexiest Man. A couple of years ago, he dropped a lawsuit against reporters when he realized their lawyers could subpoena documents. But now he’s decided to go after Mancow Mueller, and the countersuit means he can’t back out.

2. I don’t understand it either. Some people are strangely influential, though, and once a mark is “hooked,” our own drive to “not be wrong” does a lot of work.

[StoneWall Brigade]

PING

[vpintheak]

LOL! Ok, I see we are at an impasse here. Lets leave it here. Too many other important issues to worry about, rather than arguing about these little things.
Have a blessed day FRiend.

[BillyBoy]

Sounds like the title “Elder” for those guys is misleading then, if the “Elders” of Harvest had only been there a few monthes. I would suggest they call them “Newbies” instead ;-)

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

Maybe they were new to the position of “Elder” rather than new members of the church?

I think it’s like a Board of Directors - though I’m not sure how they’re chosen and can’t be bothered to look it up - and the group actually had the power to fire the “Senior Pastor” all along. The surprise was that they r’ared up and did it.

It’s such a bizarre story.

[Tucker39]

I heard him locally on Lancaster, PA WDAC at 94.5FM. Amazing how different he looks, from what I may have imagined.