Harvest Bible Chapel — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Jeff Bucknam

Founded Unknown

Denomination Non-denominational

Service Times Check website — multiple services

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.harvestbible.org

Pastor Credentials Dr.; Lead Teaching Pastor since July 2021; formerly Canadian megachurch

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Not stated in detail on homepage; 'Disciples of Jesus profess that He is Lord' affirmation.

Caution

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Expository preaching tradition; 'opening the Bible together' emphasized.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

'Men of God' ministry.

Strong

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Not stated on available sources.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Lead Pastor Dr. Jeff Bucknam (male) since July 2021; all visible elders/board members are male. Board chair Kevin Boldog.

Lead Pastor Dr. Jeff Bucknam (male); all-male elder board led by chair Kevin Boldog

Caution

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Elder-led with regular public elder updates (monthly transparency). Twelve members in eldership training as of Feb 2026 — strong accountability post-scandal.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Expository Bible-centered preaching — 'practice His Ways, persevere.'

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Great Commission implied; 'Harvest en Español' and 'Uniquely Planted' ministries.

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

'Uniquely Planted' programming and Spanish ministry present; no overt DEI language detected.

Caution

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Non-denominational (Harvest Bible Fellowship was MacDonald's old network; since dissolved). No current external accountability denomination visible.

WARNING!

Assessment

Harvest Bible Chapel was founded by James MacDonald in 1988 and grew into a major megachurch. MacDonald was fired in February 2019 amid financial misconduct and bullying scandals. Dr. Jeff Bucknam became Lead Pastor in July 2021 to rebuild. Address differs from batch (actual: 800 Rohlwing Rd, not 6400 Stallion Dr). The church has been through significant upheaval. Under Bucknam's leadership, the church is attempting restoration. The post-scandal recovery context is important — verify current health and direction locally.

#non-denominational#post-scandal#rolling-meadows#chicago-suburbs#megachurch#needs-review

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

Post-MacDonald governance reform is strong. Monthly elder updates show accountability. However, non-denominational status keeps denominational score red.

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source harvestbible.org
[2] Live source harvestbible.org/ourelders/
[3] Live source churchleaders.com/news/395723-harvest-bible-chapel-jeff-b…

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.