I wrote Unpacking Forgiveness after my family was deeply wounded at Harvest Bible Chapel. The thesis of that book is that biblical forgiveness can only truly be unpacked in a gospel-centered way — and biblical forgiveness certainly does not mean cheap forgiveness. If you take my FORGIVENESS QUIZ you will gain an introduction to the direction of my book. Be assured that Christ is sufficient for whatever wounds you have received.
In 2002, I was a church planting pastor for Harvest Bible Chapel. If memory serves correctly, ours was the fifth church plant.
Our time with Harvest ended suddenly in late 2004 and our departure from Harvest was deeply, deeply painful for our family. Our Christmas card in 2004 featured a picture of our four children next to a roadside. It was where we were post-Harvest in the fall of 2004. We had invested everything we had in a church plant — only to see our lives turned upside down. We had little idea what was next.
Which is to say, to those who have suffered deep wounds at Harvest — we can relate!
Since Harvest, I have served The Red Brick Church for the last 14 years and it has been a wonderful time of building into lives in a small church context. We love the lambs here.
I have not spoken or written publicly about Harvest. We did our best to move forward in a way that is honoring to Christ. That included meeting with James MacDonald and with another former leader to be sure we did our best to honor Christ. I’ve crossed paths with James a couple of times since then and our interaction has been cordial.
But obviously — since I left Harvest in the late summer of 2004 — Harvest was very much on my heart and mind when I wrote Unpacking Forgiveness in 2006-2007 time frame.
My prayer for all those who are hurting through this situation is that forgiveness would be unpacked in a Christ-centered way. Those who fear that biblical forgiveness minimizes sin, don’t understand biblical forgiveness.
If you have been deeply offended, accept Jesus invitation to find rest in Him. His yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
For those who don’t want to order another book, this page of forgiveness links offers links to many different posts I have written over the years.
As for our family, there have been many happier pictures since we found ourselves at a crossroads in the Fall of 2004. The picture to the right is of a favorite of our son (Christopher) and his pretty bride’s (Meredith) wedding in 2017.
This stirs up so many emotions in me, though-even as your close friends- my husband and I still don’t know the story of what happened at harvest. Only that you were hurt and battled to respond in a God-honoring way.
We are so proud to call you friends. And so thankful for the way you used your wounds for good, not harm. Forgiveness is still one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read. To God be the glory.
I respect how you handled such a difficult and hurtful time in your life. How difficult it is to see all that has been transpiring. Humanly, a time for many to lash out and even ride the train of “I told you…” but you have taken the high ground and God has and will continue to honor you. I look forward to reading the book.
Pastor Chris- thank you for being transparent and sharing your heart. It has been so encouraging to see how the Lord has used this Valley of Baca experience to raise your ministry to beauty from ashes! We pray for James and trust God will be glorified and Christ honored as He begins the work of reconciliation.
Thanks so much Shannon!
Thanks so much Dave. Very encouraging to hear.
Absolutely, I pray that James, Luke, and Landon’s families will find true healing — and, of course, for the many other people that are hurting. So much is at stake, we need to keep on for Christ.
Thank you so much for this Chris. I went through a similar situation with a church in 2006,7 as well. I’m actually pastoring that church now years later. Although I can’t say things are perfect, God’s truth is working as He promised it would. Our family served Christ in Mexico City for 19 years before being directed back this way. Your book on forgiveness was one of the biggest blessings and now I know why. May God bless you as you continue and may He grant real forgiveness and reconciliation in many situations like this one, Soli Deo Gloria.
Great to hear from you Mike! Thank you for your encouragement.
Hello. I called the Chris Favry show today with a question for you: What to do when it is not Pastor James who has hurt me, but other members in the body of Christ who have expressed disapproval, anger, criticism, even hatred for me because I have chosen to remain at Harvest. You see, Pastor James has never personally offended or hurt me. But because I continue to attend Harvest and also pray that the Lord will do something to His praise and glory with Harvest into the future, I am being mocked and ostracized by many others in the body of Christ.
While your definition of “victims” seems to apply only to those who have been hurt by Pastor James, I am an unacknowledged and “unrecognized victim” of the “majority victims”. Nobody seems to recognize that there are others like me who have been deeply hurt by of the unkindness and anger of those who hate us by our continued association with Harvest and Pastor James. I looked for wisdom and compassion from friends in other churches and through 2 local radio Pastors but discovered that we who remain at Harvest are guilty by association and by being “cultists” and followers of “MacSatan”.
Having grown up with atheist parents who I forgave shortly after Jesus found me at age 35, I had no problem forgiving those who mock me and hate me because I go to Harvest.
So while I have given up on finding compassionate, understanding brothers and sisters outside Harvest in the body of Christ towards me, I wonder what ministers have told their congregations about how to respond to us, the Harvest remnant, if they thought about us at all. Did you tell your congregation to pray for those of us who are fasting and praying and seeking God’s will for Harvest? Did you suggest that if anyone has contact with the remaining Harvest members, we would appreciate their words of compassion and reminders of Scriptures of God’s promises to His faithful?
This has been a rough time for me. But with God’s help, if I cannot withstand the friendly fire of those who say they are also in the body of Christ, how will I ever stand in times of real persecution?
Thanks for reading this. And please tell the members of your congregation that we who are still members of Harvest pray for all our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ every week when we get together to pray for His Church. And you are loved.