A Few Sincere Questions

At last month's Harvest University conference, James MacDonald gave a message containing some practical admonitions to 2,000 Harvest Bible Fellowship pastors and ministry leaders. Portions of the message were good and helpful, but one rather disturbing portion revealed MacDonald's thinking on how he handles disagreement. Please note that these comments were not said accidentally or in obscurity. These statements have not been twisted or pulled out of context. On the contrary, MacDonald chose to highlight this portion of his message on his blog. Note carefully the section beginning at 14:43.

I sincerely urge ministry leaders, particularly in the Harvest Bible Fellowship, to carefully consider the following questions:

- Out of all the verses in Scripture, why would MacDonald want those two verses to be his elders' favorites? Would you really have these two verses be your elders' favorite? Should two verses about rejecting factious men be elevated over the many verses about the importance of sound doctrine? Or the many verses about gentleness and love?

- Do these verses really describe someone who simply disagrees with the pastor (as MacDonald implies)? Or do these verses actually describe a false teacher dividing the church with false doctrine? Do you think it's mere coincidence that this message was preached just days after Mike Bryant and HBC Grayslake were removed from HBF simply for disagreeing with James MacDonald?

- Should we really be so pessimistic about the Lord's ability to change someone? Should a man be a pastor of God's flock if he is resigned to people "being as they have been"?

- How do you feel about MacDonald "releasing you" to build a catapult in your church's parking lot and load it regularly? Does this strike you as a healthy pastoral admonition? Are these the words of a shepherd or of a CEO?

- Does James MacDonald have the right to "release you" to do anything? Do you consider him a fellow pastor, or is he above you - with the authority to tell you what to do as you lead your local assembly?

- If you are to take seriously MacDonald's admonition to catapult factious men into other churches, what implications does this have for the body of Christ as a whole? If a man is truly factious (as Scripture defines it), should we not warn other churches rather than catapulting factious men into them?

- Did MacDonald have the right to call for loyalty to himself by using the words of Jesus in John 6? What is more important, loyalty to a man or loyalty to the Lord? Do you have the courage to do the right thing when the two conflict?

Lastly, perhaps you would consider making this passage your elders' favorite:
Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
(1 Timothy 6:9-12)