James MacDonald Fired, Intense SBC Abuses and 'Miracle Workers'

[bannerad]( FEBRUARY 19, 2019 [RELEVANT THIS WEEK]( THE BEST OF RELEVANTMAGAZINE.COM [Hero-5.jpg]( STORY OF THE WEEK [James MacDonald Fired From Harvest Bible Chapel After Shocking Alleged Comments]( [rn-x.png] In the wake of a long run of scandal, megachurch Harvest Bible Chapel has fired founder and senior pastor James MacDonald. Among a slew of other instances, MacDonald was caught on tape conspiring to plant child pornography on Christianity Today CEO Harold Smith's computer. That's not even the worst of it. [READ NOW]( WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW [• Over 100 Youth Pastors Accused In the Houston Chronicle’s Report on Sexual Abuse In the SBC]( If you didn't read the three-part report on sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention from the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News, put it at the top of your list. The exhaustively-researched report names over 100 youth pastors in its examination of abuse in SBC youth ministries, and that's not half the story. [• 3 Things True Love Is Not]( This time of year, we understand if you're wont to think about love and romance. While popular culture and media certainly present their own ideas on what the ideal relationship looks like, Scripture points us toward a different reality. Don't fall for a myth; lean toward the truth. [• Hillsong Has Released a Response to the Criticism They're 'Anti-LGBTQ']( Following Chris Pratt's appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in which he talked about his church, actor Ellen Page responded by saying Pratt's church, an affiliate of Hillsong, had explicit anti-LGBTQ stances. It's not that simple. Hillsong has released a statement regarding the comments. [• Review: God’s a Deadbeat On ‘Miracle Workers,’ But It’s Not a Takedown of Faith]( Last week, Miracle Workers debuted on TBS as one of the weirdest shows to hit cable so far in 2019. One bizarre aspect of the show: Steve Buscemi plays a deadbeat version of God that follows a long tradition of culture depicting the Creator as a bit of a sad sack. Here's what that tells us: [• 5 Things You Never Say to Someone With Depression or Anxiety]( Stepping into a space where someone is struggling with mental health takes bravery and sacrifice, but that doesn't mean you've already earned a gold star by showing up. There are some things you should avoid doing when occupying that challenging place with someone. [• What Christians Can Learn From Colin Kaepernick]( Last week, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick settled his collusion case with the league after he claimed the league's owners conspired not to sign him following his criminal justice protest during the national anthem. Politics aside, there's a lot to learn from Colin's stance, and the fact that he still hasn't backed down. [• We Found the Worst Christian Parody Video of All Time]( At last, we've unearthed our Ark of the Covenant. Our Holy Grail. Our lost Fountain of Youth. The crack RELEVANT team of internet archaeologists has uncovered quite possibly the cringiest church video we've ever seen. That's saying something, we know, but you have to see this to believe it. MOST SHARED [Hero-17.jpg]( GOD [5 Things You Need to Know About Prayer]( [bible.png]( LIFE [The One Thing No One Tells You About Getting Married]( [Hero-4.jpg]( CULTURE [Why Are All These Movie Stars Mad at the Oscars Now?]( [rn-logo.png]( © 2019 RELEVANT Media Group. All Rights Reserved [Cover-96.png]( [SUBSCRIBE]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?](    Don't want to receive these emails anymore?  [unsubscribe from this list](    [update subscription preferences]( RELEVANT Media Group · 55 West Church St. · Suite #211 · Orlando, FL 32801 · USA