James MacDonald Being “Restored” By Calvary Chapel South Bay
As first reported by Julie Roys, disgraced celebrity preacher James MacDonald is in a restoration process with CC South Bay and Pastor Jeff Gill.
Roys said on Facebook: “You have to wonder what needs to happen for celebrity pastors to stop giving their disgraced colleagues a platform? MacDonald has been disqualified by his former church, has not repented for any of his deception or fleecing of his flock. MacDonald says he’s “sent written apologies where appropriate,” but I don’t know one person who’s received a written apology, including those of us he wrongfully sued. “
I am acquainted with some involved in this process.
They honestly believe that they are involved in a biblical process and are restoring a repentant man.
I think they are wrong and have been deceived by a wolf.
I know that they are not wolves themselves.
Raising hell on social media won’t move them, they believe sincerely that they are doing the Lord’s work.
This will have tragic consequences for all involved…except MacDonald, who will find another mark.
The tragic consequence today is that all those who fought for accountability from a rogue pastor have been defeated from within the church…again.
The pain and stress that they endured is for naught.
Nobody ever worries about restoring the victims…
Okay, one more pontification before i quit… Pastors who egregiously abuse their office CAN repent BUT then they should step down, sit down under the authority of an honest, humble shepherd AND shut up … 😤 🙏
As they always say, “He is a great teacher.”
Again, I’m not surprised. ☹️
Bob S, in my view… the repentant pastor can still teach, but pastoring? Those of you who have been there are far more qualified to judge that than i am, i know…. Case by case?
I recall a pastor who developed a drinking problem, disgraced himself joined AA and went pn to pastor a non denom church, the majority of whom were fellow AA members…. so …..
We have lots of “good teachers” who haven’t soiled the church and the name of Christ.
Those who have should find another place to serve…
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool God. Ever.
Life is nuts. Full of injustice. Our hope is forever and always in God and ‘the age to come”. We are only responsible for our own walk, and will Some Day be examined for it, as everyone else will be.
As a person who experienced a good deal of life altering foul play and injustice within the church, I can truly and abundantly say, that God DOES (eventually) come through. In my case, some stuff was never nor will ever be restored, but having a higher perspective and deep soul freedom is a worthy trade. It’s taken me literally 20 years to get to this place of freedom and peace.
Jesus plainly said that ‘many false teachers” and ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing” would arise and “deceive many”… Strangely, He somehow allows it to go on, but He is not ignorant or oblivious of it….. Wait, I say, wait on the Lord. Ps 27
Equally sad and mad. How/why does this keep happening???
A narcissist will never stop. They will always seek a way to get their way. There’s always someone who will give them one more shot. And even then, they’ll resist repentance and show signs of their sick soul. In the message MacDonald can’t help to make fun of the name Eunice. It’s just another way of revealing a prideful, unbroken spirit.
This kind of crap makes my blood boil. I am so sick and tired of the celebrity culture in the church. Everything about this is wrong. I 100% agree… let’s restore the broken and hurting, not give a platform to the abuser. Is there no humble teacher that has not abused the flock that CCSB could have brought in to teach a mid-week study? It’s embarrassing.
Authentic? That’s like Mark Driscoll being endorsed for church leadership and marriage ministry.
Good thought provoking comments on this topic
Paige. 👍 👍
This is sick. I think that not only should they be out of the pulpit, but they should get a general labor job where they can learn humility and serving others. But as pointed out by Pineapple Head, narcissist are going to do what they can to be at the center of attention and try to get their way.
He followed in the same footsteps of his budd Mark Driscoll. Shameful!
Is this more fruit from the legacy of Chuck Smith? He did similar despicable speedy “restorations”? Who said Smith wouldn’t have lasting legacy.
PASTOR FOR HIRE
Qualifications: great speaker, charming when in the spotlight, draws crowds and money
Must be able to pay lip service to Jesus and demand obedience of the crowds.
Biblical-based qualifications are applied only to those lower on the business pyramid, never the stars.
I want to weep for the Bride- so deceived by wolves and fools who claim to be shepherds.
EricL,
This has “David Hocking” written all over it…
Yup, Chuck was quick to “restore” the superstars, but encouraged the dumping of any assistant pastors who had even a whiff of being in the presence of sin. Awful legacy that I had hoped would end with him, but I guess it goes on…
The comments on Julie Roy’s FB post are great. “I’m tellin’ Joe”
Yes, scripture says God will send a strong delusion so they would believe a lie because love of the scriptures will was cold
God has sent these frauds as a judgment and as a test to see who of is in the church can test the spirits if they be of God
Did not Paul warn us that when he departed that grievous wolves 🐺 will come and overtake or destroy the flock !!
Tim just might be on to something… Hmmmm
Even I, as disgusting as I am, am disgusted.
Interesting, last month I attended the church in Long Beach, CA where Dave Hocking pastored for many years. I started attending there right before he moved on to greener pastures. When Hocking left for Santa Ana in the early 80’s, the LB church went wobbly for many years as they had lost their big name pastor. It’s such a different church now. Much smaller. But I like a lot of what they are doing. One big change: they are bringing on a woman elder!
MacDonald and CC are a perfect match for each other. Wolfs travel in packs.
I couldn’t disagree more with leadership of Calvary Chapel South Bay choosing to do what they’re doing with James MacDonald in light of everything that happened with him at Harvest Bible Chapel and how unrepentant he has been after all of that. I sincerely hope that this doesn’t escalate to James MacDonald speaking at Calvary Chapel pastors and leaders conferences. I don’t like any of this at all.
If you don’t believe there is anything to be sorry for you don’t repent. If you are your own God, you are perfect. Calvary is nothing more than a cult. I keep asking myself how I stayed so long. Mike Kestler is still cheating, lying, and having affairs. He believes he is the almighty. I have his lies written down, submitted to a court of law. I wish I could be there on his judgement day.
Is J McDonald going on staff at CCSB or starting a CC, or is this a one-off speaking engagement giving him credibility in the So Cal region? Is CCSB affiliated with CCA or CGN?
just one of his lambs,
MacDonald says he is in a restoration process with “real elders” from CCSB.
My guess is that he’s using them to gain credibility for something else.
CCSB was dual affiliated, but affiliation doesn’t mean much on the Left Coast and I know these elders don’t care what either side thinks.
I wonder how much of check old MacDonald cut to these folks…
It’s all business anyway, so they are leveraging their respective brands to get more giving units in the seats.
“The tragic consequence today is that all those who fought for accountability from a rogue pastor have been defeated from within the church…again”
Utter foolishness and I suspect an opportunistic move by CC South Bay. No doubt it will boo$t attendance.
” . . . speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. . . ” ~ 1Ti 4:2
Pineapple … wasn’t that a Brethren church?
This will sound silly, but I just watched Aquaman with my son. Arthur Curry didn’t desire to be king, and he didn’t want to fight. He also didn’t think himself “worthy;” he just wanted to save his world and this was the only way to do it.
Wpuld that self-styled leaders have an attitude of humbleness, and realize that they could serve and help save in other ways, rather than thinking themselves “worthy” to lead. Leaders will be judged more harshly, and the first shall be last…
Pstrmike: Yes, Grace Brethren Church of Long Beach. I believe they still hold the affiliation.
Two things. This first one is in answer to the question from the quoted writer, “You have to wonder what needs to happen for celebrity pastors to stop giving their disgraced colleagues a platform?” My answer is not in defense of what they are doing or in who they are defending, but it’s from the perspective of someone who was in honest ministry; one guy give another guy a chance (right or wrong) because they hope that if/when they screw up, they will be afforded the same grace/opportunity. Not the case in every case, a consideration.
To Em’s statement from 3/3 11:44am, “the repentant pastor can still teach, but pastoring?” IMHO, guys at that level are no longer pastoring. They just aren’t. They are speakers who also get to be the Steve Jobs of their churches.
I think the gifting of pastor and the gifting or preacher/teacher/speaker, are not opposites, but it is very rare for someone who is considerd to be a great preacher to also be a great shepherd of people (directly), and I think the reverse is true. Someone who is great at actually shepherding people usually isn’t considerd to be an amazing speaker. But then I think that’s the way it shuls be. No one has it all, and no one should. That’s why we are called a body with different parts. Unfortunatly, most people in the church today only admire the big-mouth part.
CC South Bay is the same church where Steve Mays used to pastor before his death. Am told Steve’s widow, Gail Mays has suffered from these clowns.
Pastor Jeff could not bring James on board without the pope’s approval and blessing. No surprise that Pastor Jeff happens to be one of the pope’s biggest fans on social media (really sad)! Very wise that the pope test the water with a loyal sycophant like Pastor Jeff before the pope decides rather to introduce James at the pastor’s conference or not!
Honestly Michael is there any Calvary pastor that can out preach James?
Ms update,
My information is that the issue with Steve Mays widow is more complicated than you wrote…there was nothing nefarious that I can see.
There is no pope of CC.
As I wrote, these men believe they are doing a righteous thing.
I disagree.
Jeff Gill is live on Pastor’s Perspective right now. This show is a Costa Mesa asset and the buck stops with Brian. Is Gill and MacDonald going to be part of the CGN Fellowship?
Lets go over this one more time.
The only “disciplinary” action that CGN or CCA can do is remove a pastor from the database.
Gill’s been around a long time.
Trust me when I say that CCSB expected the backlash and trust me when I say that they don’t care.
We all have sinned and need repentance, God forgives us all . Forgiveness began at the cross. God loves us all ….We can pray about this . Let God judge not man . Who would pick up the first stone .
I would not only throw the first stone, I would buy a bag of rocks and pass them out to anyone with an arm to do likewise.
You are a theological dunce, but I blame your teachers.