Has Pastor James MacDonald been discussed?

[Alcyone]

I can't find anything on him by searching but I thought I remembered reading about him here. This MacDonald is not to be confused with Stacy's husband, who is James McDonald. This is a different guy; he started a church or a denomination of churches. A friend of mine is using some materials from his ministry and I am alarmed. His church seems really negative about psychological help and social services. In fact, on their website they explain that psychology should not be integrated with Scripture because Scripture alone is sufficient. If psychology oversteps its bounds and actually starts explaining the cause of human behavior, rather than merely observing it, then psychology has done a bad, bad thing because God reserves the sole right to explain causes and to offer solutions.

Anyhow, that all sounded like a huge bunch of BS and my friend really needs psychological help. Anytime I mention getting help, she starts talking about church stuff (which always centers on how all problems are caused by sin). I can't find much else about exactly how fundie this MacDonald and his Harvest Bible church are. Is he in over-the-top cult territory or more of a garden variety fundie?

[Creaky Mom]

He's Baptist Calvinist/Reformed and fundamentalist. The women can work, be educated and dress normal but that's about all. He's complimentarian. And hardline nouthetic counseling from what you have described. Some of these churches can be culty and easily fall into spiritual and emotional abuse. I don't know what the culture is like at Harvest aside from being huge, but the newer hip Bapt Ref are known as Calvinistas - in your face, hardboiled and hardnosed and the fact they eschew secular counseling is not good. I knew James years ago - he was driven and never very humble. I also know he would never intentionally hurt someone.

However, nouthetic counseling is the misguided notion that nobody has any answers to life's problems except preachers with bibles. It is dangerous. Counselor wannabes can take some course - not very long. Some do, some don't. It's all very pathetic - no examinations as I recall. You can track more down online and find critiques. No medical training. Ultimately the problem will be sin, hers.

She needs to be directed to a reliable outside counselor and get into a mainline church accepting of secular counseling. There are Christian counselors out there, if that's what she wants, who are fully trained and qualified. She won't get help or support where she's at.

[Creaky Mom]

Found this on a blog about spiritual abuse survivors.

"Get counseling from a healthy, balanced biblically based counselor (not a Bible Thwacker, my phrase for Bible Thumper who thinks he/she is a counselor, but really only damages people further by throwing a Scripture on every problem the injured person presents). You might want to call New Life Ministries at 1-800-NEW-LIFE. They will direct you to a good Christian counselor in your area, one whom they have thoroughly screened."

[maybeizfundie]

I think I've only ever heard him in sermons rebuking folks like Benny Hinn/TD Jakes/Joel Osteen, never looked too deeply.

Interesting that he recommends New Life Ministries because they are definitely not against psychology or medication, though they are an openly Christian and theologically conservative ministry.

[Creaky Mom]

I think I've only ever heard him in sermons rebuking folks like Benny Hinn/TD Jakes/Joel Osteen, never looked too deeply.

Interesting that he recommends New Life Ministries because they are definitely not against psychology or medication, though they are an openly Christian and theologically conservative ministry.

This wasn't from James MacDonald. I found this quote and link to New Life Ministries on a blog by people coming out of Driscoll's church in Seattle. New Life was recommended by ex-MarsHill members. From what I know of his theological background, I highly doubt that MacDonald would recommend New Life.