CHICAGO (RNS) — Former Harvest Bible Chapel pastor James MacDonald is suing Chicago radio personality Erich “Mancow” Muller for defamation after Muller used his radio show to — in the host’s words — “bring down the cult of MacDonald.”
MacDonald was fired from the Chicago-area megachurch in February after Muller aired clips of a recording of purported remarks by MacDonald in which he allegedly insulted critics, including freelance journalist Julie Roys and several people associated with Christianity Today.
Both Christianity Today and Roys (for both World magazine and her own website) have reported on controversy at Harvest surrounding MacDonald’s leadership.
In the lawsuit filed Thursday (Dec. 12) in Cook County Circuit Court, MacDonald is seeking more than $50,000 in damages. The suit accuses Muller and Cumulus Media — which airs “Mancow” on WLS 890-AM — of multiple counts of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, eavesdropping and more.
As a result, according to the lawsuit, “MacDonald sustained injury to his reputation, humiliation, anxiety, embarrassment, mental anguish, the termination of his position as Senior Pastor of HBC, and monetary damages.”
It points not only to the recording Muller aired but also to instances on his show when Muller called the pastor a “con man” and “big fake,” as well as allegations Muller made…
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