CHICAGO (RNS) — The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, a Christian financial watchdog group, has suspended Harvest Bible Chapel, a Chicago-area megachurch, after church leaders admitted “a lack of financial control and oversight” under the church’s former pastor.
Harvest recently fired its founding pastor, James MacDonald, for conduct its elders called “contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church.”
ECFA announced last week an “indefinite suspension” of Harvest’s membership in the group. It pointed to “new information” that led the council to question whether the church was in violation of several of its financial standards.
“The investigation has been and will remain ongoing during the suspension as we work to determine whether Harvest Bible Chapel should be terminated, advised of the steps necessary to come into full compliance or whether they are in fact in compliance with our standards and should, therefore, be restored to full membership,” ECFA President Dan Busby said in a written statement.
ECFA requires member organizations to demonstrate compliance with its Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship.
The council is concerned that Harvest may have violated its standards regarding governance; financial oversight, which requires member organizations to “prepare complete and accurate financial statements;” use of…
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