Resignations continue among HBC leadership. On March 9, Steve Huston resigned from the elder board, apologizing to the congregation for a “failed system” that gave “too much latitude” and “too much trust,” as well as for not holding MacDonald fully accountable and for not communicating effectively. Huston, former chairman of HBC’s executive committee, also admitted the committee “failed to follow the Holy Spirit” regarding financial matters. Last fall, when HBC sued Roys, Huston told Roys via email that HBC’s elders had “come to the end of our willingness to be lied about and are ready to take every reasonable measure to protect our church family.”
Also on March 9, Campus Pastor Greg Bradshaw admitted “ungodly behavior” occurred regarding spending in the senior pastor’s office. There weren’t “proper controls or good accountability” over MacDonald’s spending, he added.
HBC’s interim leadership team recently announced that donations to the church are down 40 percent, causing the church to decrease its weekly operating expenses by 25 percent.
Some previous donors are now asking for their money back. Scott and Marsha Thompson, who gave more than $72,000 to HBC while they were members, say they want MacDonald to repay them. The Thompsons left HBC in 2013, after reading about the senior pastor’s lavish lifestyle. “I want to see some justice,” Scott Thompson tells a Chicago TV station.
