Weekly briefing: Harvest Bible Chapel, Chick-fil-A donation to SPLC; Danny Gokey on Great Commission

We've compiled the top stories of the week. Here's what you need to know:

Harvest Bible Chapel releases financial records review exposing misuse of church funds

A legal and financial review of Harvest Bible Chapel's records has revealed that their founding and now former pastor, James MacDonald, was paid over $1 million annually.

The report revealed that the church maintained two private checking accounts that gave MacDonald $3.1 million from Jan. 1, 2016, through Feb. 14, 2019. Approximately $1.2 million was used to fund deferred compensation plans, primarily for the benefit of James MacDonald, all of which was approved by Harvest Bible Chapel’s compensation committee. Another $1.9 million was used for other spending at MacDonald’s direction, the report said.

In response to the report's findings, MacDonald claimed in an Instagram post that the expenses in question were both "elder and auditor approved" and that they "predate the involvement of those now speaking.”

MacDonald also suggested that he might begin preaching again at a different church next year.

Chick-fil-A Foundation donated to far-left SPLC in 2017, tax records show

Chick-fil-A’s charity arm donated $2,500 in 2017 to the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that has labeled many Christian conservative organizations as “hate” groups. Christian conservative activist and commentator Ryan Bomberger raised concerns Wednesday about the past donation made by the Chick-fil-A Foundation. This revelation follows immense conservative backlash to Chick-fil-A’s recent decision to end giving to the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Chick-fil-A confirmed with The Christian Post that the donation in question was, in fact, one of over 300 donations disclosed in the foundation’s 2017 990 form. The spokesperson noted that the 2017 SPLC donation “was made by a volunteer member of the Chick-fil-A Foundation Advisory Board.”

“Each volunteer advisor, in 2017, was offered the opportunity to recommend a grant recipient. The grants were given to a range of organizations, including Meals on Wheels, Atlanta Mission, the Holocaust Survivor Support Fund, Georgia Historical Society and brain health research at Emory University.” — The spokesperson said

Danny Gokey on Christmas, fulfilling the Great Commission through music

In an exclusive interview with The Christian Post, artist Danny Gokey opened up about his new Christmas album, his dedication to fulfilling the Great Commission, and why he and other Christian artists are the "red-headed stepchildren" of the music industry.

Gokey has several chart-topping albums. In June, his album Haven't Seen It Yet hit No. 1 on the Billboard's Christian Airplay chart.

“My music is part of the Great Commission: ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. It’s a goal I continually work toward. With each new record, I’ve tried to reach out to the churched and unchurched. I really try to do that with my music and get the Gospel message out in a way that’s fresh.” — Danny Gokey

Coptic Christian woman wins court case against Egypt's Islamic inheritance law

A Coptic Christian woman has won a major legal victory against Egypt’s Islamic inheritance law that greatly favors men. Christian human rights lawyer Huda Nasrallah announced that a Cairo court ruled in her favor Monday, deciding that, as a Christian, she has a right to the same share of her father’s inheritance as her brothers.

The decision follows a nearly yearlong legal fight that has seen two other judges rule in favor of Egypt’s Islamic inheritance law that grants male relatives twice as much share of a family member’s inheritance as female relatives.

Samuel Tadros, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., called the decision a “significant development” in a Twitter thread, but stressed that “only time will tell about its scope.”

Tadros said that if the court’s reasoning cited the constitutional clause that grants Copts “the right to resort to their own laws in governing their personal status affairs, then this is a huge thing.”

Pray for

Residents of Hong Kong as violence between protesters and police escalate

Families of four Christians killed by Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria

New releases

Albums:

Planetshakers: It's Christmas (Nov. 29)

Various artists: The Gift: A Christmas Compilation (Nov. 29)

Books:

When Faith Becomes Sight: Opening Your Eyes to God’s Presence All Around You by Beth A Booram and David Booram (Nov. 19)

But What About God’s Wrath? The Compelling Love Story of Divine Anger by Kevin Kinghorn with Stephen Travis (Nov. 19)