Harvest Chapel: Growing List of Pastors Leave

http://theelephantsdebt.com/the-next-step/

The Void

Are we alone in our concerns regarding the leadership of James MacDonald? Over the past few years, many long-standing elders and highly influential staff members have departed Harvest Bible Chapel. While the circumstances of their departures are unique to each of them, each has his own story to tell.

Pastors and elders who have publicly spoken through this website are highlighted in red; and their stories can be found under “Your Story.”



Dave Corning: For approximately 20 years, Dave Corning served Harvest Bible Chapel as the Chairman of its elder board. His wife, Betsy Corning, is the published author of Entrusted with a Child’s Heart: A Biblical Study in Family Life.



Dr. Ron Allchin: For many years, Dr. Allchin faithfully served the congregation of Harvest Bible Chapel as an active member of the elder board. At present, Dr. Allchin works as the Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Center.



Dr. Joseph Stowell, III: For 18 years, Dr. Stowell served as the President of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. During his time at Harvest, he was both a Teaching Pastor and a highly visible member of the elder board. Currently, Dr. Stowell serves as the President of Cornerstone University.



Joe Stowell, IV: From 1998 to 2008, Joe Stowell served as an elder and as the Executive Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, in which capacity he oversaw budgeting and strategic planning. At present, Joe is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating officer of ELIC.



Rod Vansolkema: During the 2000s, Rod Vansolkema was one of four Stowell family members to be employed by Harvest Bible Chapel. After serving as the Pastor of Young Adult Ministry, Rod was the first of the Stowells to leave the church.



Matt Stowell: From 1998 to 2008, Matt served as a pastor of student ministries before eventually rising to become the director of the worship department at Harvest Bible Chapel. At present, Matt serves as a pastor of church life at Salem Chapel in North Carolina.



Gordon Zwirkoski: Prior to founding FiveStone Churches, Gordon Zwirkoski invested 20 years at Harvest Bible Chapel. During his tenure at Harvest, Zwirkoski served on the elder board, before stepping off to co-found and direct the Harvest Bible Fellowship from 2001 to 2010.



W. Bing Hunter: For many years, Dr. Bing Hunter served “on the Ministry Management Team” of Harvest Bible Chapel. He also served as the Pastor of Adult Ministries before leaving for Phoenix Seminary.



David Jones: From 2001 to 2010, David Jones served Harvest Bible Chapel in a variety of capacities. In addition to his work as the research assistant to James MacDonald, Jones also served as the Director of Training for the Harvest Bible Fellowship.



Sam Jindoyan: Four four-and-a-half years, Sam Jindoyan served as an Elder at Harvest Bible Chapel. He and his wife are both NANC certified Biblical counselors, and they are currently ministering at The Orchard Evangelical Free Church.



Jim Jodrey: From 1995 to 2010, Jim Jodrey served in a variety of capacities. He was a Campus Pastor charged with overseeing operations, stewardship and benevolence. At present, Jim is the Associate Pastor of Harvest Community Church, a ministry once associated with the Fellowship.




Dave DeHaan (see “Your Story”): From 2002 to 2006, Dave served as Pastor of Single Adults. When the Elgin campus opened in 2004, he served as a Family Pastor and as a Campus Pastor for the new HBC location. Dave is currently an associate pastor at New Covenant Bible Church in St. Charles.



Rob Green: From 2003 to 2009, Rob Green served as the Pastor of Assimilation and Counseling at Harvest Bible Chapel. He is married to Anne Green, formerly a worship leader at HBC. At present, Rob works with Joe Stowell at ELIC in Colorado.




Ty Gooch: From 2002 to 2009, Ty Gooch was the Associate Pastor of Adult Discipleship at Harvest Bible Chapel. He is presently the Senior Pastor of Fellowship Life Bible Church, a FiveStone Church located just outside of Elgin, Illinois.




Josh Caterer: For most of the first decade of the new millenium, Josh Caterer served as a leader within the worship ministry department of Harvest Bible Chapel. In that capacity, he authored several songs that were regularly performed at Harvest.



Dan McGhee: For five years, Dan McGhee served as the Senior Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel-Detroit West. In 2012, Dan and his elders became the first church to leave the Harvest Bible Fellowship over their concerns surrounding the Elephant Room 2.



Jonathan Gaus: In February of 2006, Jon Gaus planted Canyon Bible Church, formerly known as Harvest Bible Chapel – Prescott. In 2012, Canyon Bible became the second church in the Harvest Bible Fellowship to sever its ties with HBF over its concerns related to the Elephant Room 2.


Arvid Svendsen: Arvid Svendsen is the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church, formerly known as Harvest Bible Chapel – New Lenox. In 2012, Cornerstone became the third church to disassociate itself from the Harvest Bible Fellowship due to circumstances surrounding the Elephant Room 2.



Mike Bryant: Mike Bryant’s service with Harvest Bible Chapel began in the mid-1990′s. In 2006, he planted Harvest Bible Chapel – Grayslake, and faithfully served within the Fellowship until 2012, when he was removed by the leadership of HBF for privately voicing his concerns over the Elephant Room 2.

If you wish to view and download all of the supporting documentation, please click here.

If you share our concerns and are presently wondering what to do next, please click here.