Harvest Insider Tells What Really Happened with James MacDonald

Guest Bios

Show Transcript

What really caused Harvest Bible Chapel to fire James MacDonald? And what happened in all the backroom meetings, private conversations, and phone calls leading up to that fateful event?

In this episode of The Roys Report, former Harvest elder, Dan George, joins Julie to tell the real story of MacDonald’s firing.

This is a story that directly contradicts what MacDonald published in recent videos and statements on his webpage. But it’s a story that needs to be told—and remembered—given that MacDonald is trying to relaunch his ministry in Chicago.

Hear the dramatic and sovereignly orchestrated story of how MacDonald’s actions finally came to light at Harvest. And learn how MacDonald almost escaped being exposed—and how six scathing letters that revealed MacDonald's true nature almost failed to reach the elder board.

Dan George

Dan George served as an elder at Harvest Bible Chapel over a period of 10 years, actively serving on the elder board from 2010 through 2015, and rejoining the board in late 2018. Dan resigned from the Harvest elder board in March 2019, calling for reform. Dan and his wife, Kim, subsequently left Harvest, but remain committed to the integrity of the Church and caring for those who have been hurt in the Church. Dan currently is an executive and leadership coach and the founder of Front Seat Leadership.

Show Transcript

SPEAKERS

JULIE ROYS, DAN GEORGE

JULIE ROYS  00:00

What really caused Harvest Bible Chapel to fire James McDonald? And what happened and all the backroom meetings, private conversations and phone calls leading up to that fateful event? Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And today you’re going to hear from a former insider at Harvest, former elder Dan George. Dan was one of the elders who fired James McDonald. He was in the many meetings leading up to McDonald’s termination. And he was the elder who insisted that scathing letters written by former and current staff at Harvest actually reached the members of the board. As you’ll hear in this podcast, there was a strong push to suppress those letters by those loyal to James McDonald. And had those letters not reach the board, it’s hard to say where James McDonald would be today. Dan also was in numerous meetings with James McDonald prior to his firing. And you’re going to hear all about what happened in those meetings and the strong arm tactics that McDonald used to try and get his way. So this is going to be a fascinating podcast. But it’s also an important podcast, because as you may know, James McDonald is aggressively trying to rewrite history and relaunch his ministry. So it’s critically important that the truth be told. But before I dive into my interview with Dan, I just want to take a minute to thank the sponsors of the Roys report, Judson University and  Marquardt of Barrington. There would be no Roy’s Report without Judson University. So I’m deeply grateful for their faithful support. Judson is a top ranked Christian university providing a caring community and an excellent college experience. Plus, the school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities and strong financial aid. Judson is located on a beautiful 90 acre campus just 36 miles northwest of Chicago. Judson University is shaping lives that shape the world. For more information just go to Judsonu.edu/visit. Also, if you’re in the market for a car, I encourage you to check out my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC dealership where you can expect honesty, integrity and transparency. The owners of Marquardt are friends of mine, Dan and Kurt Marquardt. And in case you don’t 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. So that tells you something about the backbone and the integrity of Dan Marquardt. For more information on Marqu