Harvest Bible Chapel's Pastor Sues Bloggers

[n david]

"""Saying criticism of him and his church crossed the line into defamation, James MacDonald and Harvest Bible Chapel are suing two former members and a former Moody Radio host. MacDonald, founder and senior pastor of the Chicago-area megachurch, has been a frequent target of blog writers Scott Bryant and Ryan Mahoney, who left Harvest in 2010."""

"""According to the filing in Cook County Circuit Court, the evangelical pastor and church claim Bryant and Mahoney have been publishing false and misleading statements on The Elephant’s Debt, a blog they launched in 2012. The resulting damage to the church’s reputation has caused 2,000 people to leave in the past few years, the lawsuit says."""

"""MacDonald has acknowledged past mistakes and apologized to some elders in 2014. But he disputes the bloggers’ claims that Harvest “barely survived a bankruptcy in 2006” and that he has an authoritarian leadership style."""

Well, MacDonald filing a lawsuit against a couple bloggers sure helps dispel the notion that he's authoritarian.... :heeheehee

MacDonald is also suing a former radio host who has been working on an investigative article for a magazine article she's writing.

"""Marvin Olasky, the magazine’s editor, confirmed that Roys has been researching the church and has unsuccessfully attempted to obtain on-the-record interviews with Harvest leaders."""

I hope MacDonald and his church lose and have to pay the legal fees for the bloggers and the former radio host.

https://churchleaders.com/news/336690-james-macdonald-sues-critics-of-harvest-bible-chapel.html

[Evang.Benincasa]

What happened when men use to suck it up and move on.

Good grief.

You wouldn't see Brother Stoneking, or other United Pentecostal Church notables caring about what is said about them on a forum, blog, or vlog.
Over the years how much smack has been posted about any well known minister? disgruntled whiners posting their one sided boo hoo hoo and wee wee wee all the way home mantras. You'll never have Brother Stoneking sit down behind a keyboard to launch a defense. Or sending lawyers to sue the eyeballs out of the eye sockets of the opposition. Damage Church reputation? Really? The only ones who believe any garbage are the people who never matter. Because the ones who matter never listen to the garbage.

[houston]

When Jim Yohe asked if LS is gay he heard from LS’ attorney..

[Evang.Benincasa]

When Jim Yohe asked if LS is gay he heard from LS’ attorney..

Really, prove it. :)

I will stand corrected.

[houston]

The proof died with Jim Yohe.

[Evang.Benincasa]

The proof died with Jim Yohe.

Lawyers just don't call for a chat. They call or send letters for the offender to recant. No one calls you with threats (unless they are leg breakers) because that isn't what they are looking for in a situation of "slander". They want the individual to recant the story. If an apology cannot be sent out to those you made the comment to, then litigation is in order. That wouldn't of died with Brother Yohe, everyone and their cousin would of known about the situation. ;)

[houston]

JY received a letter from the attorney, not a phone call. I should have been specific.

[houston]

I have mentioned it before

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com/showpost.php?p=1012284&postcount=53

[Evang.Benincasa]

JY received a letter from the attorney, not a phone call. I should have been specific.


I have mentioned it before

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com/showpost.php?p=1012284&postcount=53

Letter...did what? Again, the offense has to be made right. If Brother Yohe posted it, or wrote about it in a book, it would need to be recanted. What would the letter say? Dear Mr Yohe, please don't call our client gay, because he is not. If you call him gay again you we will sue you for damages? Call our client gay "again??" That isn't exactly how it works. Defamation of character is all about apologies, being made, which would be that the statement was false. But, also how did Brother Yohe make this statement? On FCF? To another minister? Over a pulpit? Exactly what was the words he used? "I think Brother Stoneking is gay?" or "Brother Stoneking seems like a homosexual?" Or "I know for a fact Brother Stoneking is homosexual." Two other statements are merely thoughts about someone, and cannot be considered libel or slanderous. They are one's opinion. But, the latter is a definite statement which is framed as if it was factual. That may pose a problem. Again, letters and phone calls aren't to threaten, they are to set a precedent to action to be taken. It isn't like Brother Yohe built a fence on Brother Stoneking's property line. Then the letter would be that fence must be moved or action will be taken. Therefore in this case a recanting of the offending statement to whoever it was made to must take place or action will be taken. See what I mean?

You mentioning this years ago on the forum really doesn't mean the event actually took place. I'm sorry.

But, like you posted, Brother Yohe is dead, and he would be the best guy to shed further light.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Let's take the event of the topic of this thread.

The only way the pastor has a case of defamation is the evidence of the mentioned bloggers. The only way for the bloggers to defend themselves is to PROVE the statements they made to be factual. Also freedom of speech plays into some of this. Yet, the bloggers would still need to prove that what they are saying about the individual[s] are true, or at least produce witnesses to back up their allegations. Depends how far this case will go. If they want to walk away from all of this, they would have to apologize, but then the pastor could sue for damages. Defamation, slander suits can get sketchy.

[votivesoul]

I imagine at some point soon, the following question is going to be asked:

How much is it going to cost to make the blog go away?

And the answer will be "this much", and that will be the end of it.

[houston]

I imagine at some point soon, the following question is going to be asked:

How much is it going to cost to make the blog go away?

And the answer will be "this much", and that will be the end of it.

:nod

[SiblingRevelry]

Harvest Bible Chapel is also suing their lender, Evangelical Christian Credit Union, because the latter didn't refinance the church's five loans.

Link to the lawsuit: http://thewartburgwatch.com/tww2/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/HBC-Complaint.pdf

HBC's libel suit claims they lost a couple thousand members because of some bloggers. I'm thinking that if a church sheds a ton of members it's going to affect their ability to pay their loans. I worked in commercial real estate wayyyy back in the Clinton administration and while we didn't finance churches, if we learned that our borrower had something happening that was reducing the amount of rents/leases coming in, we'd be concerned.

It won't be clear what's going on until ECCU files its response.

[Jason B]

What happened when men use to suck it up and move on.

Good grief.

You wouldn't see Brother Stoneking, or other United Pentecostal Church notables caring about what is said about them on a forum, blog, or vlog.
Over the years how much smack has been posted about any well known minister? disgruntled whiners posting their one sided boo hoo hoo and wee wee wee all the way home mantras. You'll never have Brother Stoneking sit down behind a keyboard to launch a defense. Or sending lawyers to sue the eyeballs out of the eye sockets of the opposition. Damage Church reputation? Really? The only ones who believe any garbage are the people who never matter. Because the ones who matter never listen to the garbage.


Odd......didn't Art Wilson come on AFF claiming to be Stoneking's legal council before Baron and DA completely exposed him? Southerneastern University thread.

[houston]

No, he didn’t.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Odd......didn't Art Wilson come on AFF claiming to be Stoneking's legal council before Baron and DA completely exposed him? Southerneastern University thread.

That's hilarious, that didn't need to be exposed. It was apparent the minute the joker says he is a lawyer and uses a forum to post a Demand Letter??? How gross, and how ridiculously weak. :lol

[Jason B]

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com/showthread.php?t=30660&page=116

Quite the thread

[Evang.Benincasa]

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com/showthread.php?t=30660&page=116

Quite the thread

Those were the days weren't they Jason?

When disgruntles were given leave to drag preachers around the parking lot until the meat fell off their bones. Oh, Jason, what big teeth you have? :laffatu

[n david]

I wasted too much time browsing through that thread. I didn't read every page, but ashamedly admit I did read quite a few.

[Evang.Benincasa]

I wasted too much time browsing through that thread. I didn't read every page, but ashamedly admit I did read quite a few.

I read through to where Baron recaps about some joker calling him on the train in DC. The caller claims he was with the DC bar and wanted to sell him a diploma? Just kidding, the joker wanted the thread deleted? Stupid. If true the whole sad tale is about Joe Knuckles making believe he is a lawyer calling over the phone, well not really, it was posted that caller was from the DC bar. Too funny. Anyway, still nowhere do we see Brother Stoneking authorizing a law firm to waste time and effort with what anyone posts on a forum. No one cares what is posted about them in the forum world. I remember when the Cohen Reckart posted a picture on his website of Brother Haney looking like a devil. individuals contacted the Cohen to take the picture down. No lawyers (to my knowledge) contacted the Cohen. Yet, alas the thread with DA and Baron and other haters just gleefully stabbing some UPCers