After two consecutive eight-week sabbaticals, Greg Bradshaw is now removed from his pastoral position. He ran the campaign to fire me with Dallas Jenkins. He rallied a group of his own Elders (along with Mo Zachariah and his Elders). He took the lead HBC staff position for himself, added another family member to the staff, and began firing people. He made irrational, unprovable public statements (some egged him on, others begged him to slow down). Long term HBC members reported a personal confrontation with him where he bragged, “I fired James, I fired Rick, I did it.” Greg was quickly unpopular with staff, but having removed ten mostly Senior staff by firing or forced resignation, there was legitimate fear about confronting him.
After just 15 months (without even having to preach), Greg received an eight-week sabbatical. At the end, Greg appeared briefly in an HBC staff meeting and was so conflicted about his own continuance, key staff did not want to remain under his leadership. Greg then proceeded to embarrass HBC in the arbitration with his narrow, irrational vehemence, and multiple lies (exposed by documentation). Post-arbitration, HBC’s Senior leaders relayed to Greg that he would never attend another Elder meeting.
Why then does Eddie Hoagland (for whom I’ve had genuine appreciation) post a video interview where Greg’s removal is couched as a ‘private God moment’? I asked Eddie about this, relaying that misleading the congregation hurt everyone, including the Bradshaws.
I have true compassion for Greg. He came to HBC through a churchplant bankruptcy, was never interviewed, was mainly capable in pastoral care, but did put his whole heart into loving the HBC congregation in Crystal Lake. By connecting with Dallas Jenkins, and being manipulated by others I won’t mention, he was way over his head.
In the April 12, 2019, meeting between Greg and I (with Dave Learned observing), I pleaded with Greg to slow down, but he was on a tear. I begged him to consider that his Michael Vanlaningham-directed view of disqualification was a Bible-thumper legalistic interpretation, not what we ever believed or taught at Harvest in 30 years, but he would not relent.
I begged him to see how his “boxy thinking” (e.g. “it’s either right or wrong,” no other categories, never any nuance) was unmerciful, and it would destroy him and Harvest… but again, no listening. Finally, I warned Greg prophetically that he would not be at Harvest Bible Chapel through 2020, if he did not let go of his false financial judgments. He didn’t, and is now removed. It is truly sad, for the man was rightly loved by the good people in Crystal Lake, because he pastored them well.