Superintendent of Harvest Christian Academy Issues Statement About James MacDonald’s Actions with Students

In 2017, former pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel James MacDonald taught Bible classes at Harvest Christian Academy. While there, on January 25 2017, he was recorded harshly confronting and physically grabbing a student during one of his lessons. This video recently surfaced on social media and in a blog post by Julie Roys. Here it is:

I wrote the current superintendent of HCA, Talbott Behnken, to find out what happened as the result of that incident and if such behavior was in violation of HCA’s policies.  Earlier today, he sent a statement that he requested be printed in full.

James MacDonald was fired from Harvest Bible Chapel in February of 2019. Harvest Christian Academy had no authority to fire or discipline the then Senior Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, James MacDonald. That responsibility belonged to the elder board of Harvest Bible Chapel.

Prior to the time of the Bible class situation in 2017, I was not aware of James’s outbursts and issues to recognize that it would not be a good situation for our students. At that time, I believed that James was a gifted Bible teacher and it was a great opportunity for our students. Clearly, it didn’t go as we all had hoped. If I had to do it all over again knowing now what I know, I would not have permitted James to teach Bible at HCA. We have wonderful godly teachers and staff at HCA who pour themselves out for the Lord and our students everyday. These videos are not representative of our incredible teaching staff, our school, or our expectations. The people being hurt are our dear students, alumni, teachers, and staff. James MacDonald is not here to deal with any of the fall-out from his behavior. He has hurt our people enough.

The content of the videos speak for themselves and James MacDonald is responsible for his conduct and words. James MacDonald has not instructed HCA Bible students since early in the spring semester 2017 and will not be permitted to teach students at HCA again. Please direct any further inquiries regarding the behavior of James MacDonald to James MacDonald.

17 thoughts on “Superintendent of Harvest Christian Academy Issues Statement About James MacDonald’s Actions with Students”

  1. This clip was just uploaded to YouTube today and shows two instances of “king James” being abusive to students. Unfortunately the thumbnail and first few seconds make it look like a childish prank video, not what it really is. Just watch the whole thing.

    “James MacDonald, BULLY SIR, YES, SIR”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjPcJqEjg2M

  2. There are ways to ask a student to stay awake in your class without manhandling them. That was not one of them. If he wants to be treated respectfully, he should respect his students. MacDonald appears to have such a high opinion of himself that he has no incentive to be polite to those around him.

    1. Indeed. And it is sad that superintendent Behnken and other HCA administrative staff and leaders enabled such a reckless personality to be anywhere near people wanting to learn.

  5. I must disagree with HCA superintendent Behnken here. The video of Senior Pastor John MacDonald’s behavior is representative of Harvest Christian Academy, as the system itself was built and designed to allow for such poor behavior. Poor theology and a resulting structure with no accountability enables poor, abusive behavior.

    HCA leadership are complicit within a wider structure that enabled MacDonald’s behavior. Want that to change? Change the structure and culture so that the MacDonald’s of the world never step within ten feet of a microphone or lectern or teaching appointment.

    1. Poor theology and a resulting structure with no accountability enables poor, abusive behavior.

      What poor theology? I’m not a fan of using any theological basis to run an organization (especially when it expressly bars women from ever taking a leadership position) but from what I’ve seen of the public side of HBC, their reputation for teaching and exemplifying evangelical “Biblical” theology was as good as any.

      Agreed, they allowed a terrible situation to fester for years until it blew up in their faces, but when you adhere a strict hierarchical structure imbued with Biblical authority, you always leave yourself open to such shenanigans.

      1. What I mean to say is, HBC’s strict hierarchical structure imbued with patriarchal authority and control is their theology, regardless of what they claim it to be. So now they find themselves at a crossroad, and have a real opportunity to institute change through action and accountability.

        1. Ah, yes, I think we’re on the same page. As for the crossroads, they’re not going to chance course, because they don’t believe their theology was the problem.

    2. Poor theology and a resulting structure with no accountability enables poor, abusive behavior.

      What poor theology? I’m not a fan of using any theological basis to run an organization (especially when it expressly bars women from ever taking a leadership position) but from what I’ve seen of the public side of HBC, their reputation for teaching and exemplifying evangelical “Biblical” theology was as good as any.

      Agreed, they allowed a terrible situation to fester for years until it blew up in their faces, but when you adhere a strict hierarchical structure imbued with Biblical authority, you always leave yourself open to such shenanigans.

  6. I read the comments on the Twitter post. One of the commentators referred to him as “King James.” (Why didn’t I think of that?)

  7. Is this the same superintendent who would expel students if their parents left employment at HBC? Did he go along with this policy and enforce it–expelling innocent children in the process?

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