James MacDonald

James MacDonald

4 Sermons
James MacDonald (October 4, 1960 – N/A) is a Canadian-born American preacher and televangelist whose calling from God led him to found Harvest Bible Chapel, a Chicago-area megachurch, guiding it for over 30 years with a focus on biblical authority and evangelism. Born in London, Ontario, Canada, to parents whose details remain private, he grew up in a supportive family that relocated to the U.S. Converted at 18 in March 1978 during a ministry event at Word of Life Island in Schroon Lake, New York, he pursued theological training, earning a B.A. from London Baptist Bible College (1984), an M.A. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (1988), and a D.Min. from Phoenix Seminary (1996). MacDonald’s calling from God was affirmed with his ordination in September 1985 by a council of local pastors, leading him to plant Harvest Bible Chapel in 1988 with 18 members in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, growing it to over 13,000 across seven campuses by 2012. His sermons, broadcast via Walk in the Word from 1997, called millions to faith through radio and TV, peaking at 2,000 stations, while he authored works like Vertical Church (2012) and Act Like Men (2014). His ministry faced controversy, culminating in his 2019 firing from Harvest over allegations of harmful conduct, followed by a 2023 felony assault charge in California after an altercation, which he contests. Married to Kathy since 1983, with three children—Luke, Landon, and Abby—and seven grandchildren, he continues limited preaching through James MacDonald Ministries from Naples, Florida, despite ongoing legal and ecclesiastical challenges.
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