Home / About Harvest Bible Chapel / History of Harvest Bible Chapel Harvest Bible Chapel is one church on five campuses, with a rich history of God's blessing and provision.

Birth of Harvest Bible Chapel – September 18, 1988

A group of eighteen people from across the northwest suburbs joined together to form a new church. These people had a vision for proclaiming the authority of the Word of God without apology, for lifting high the name of Jesus through worship, for believing firmly in powerful prayer, and for sharing Jesus with boldness. Harvest Bible Chapel was born on this date with with twenty-seven-year-old James MacDonald serving as the senior pastor.

Rolling Meadows Campus – September 10, 1995

After meeting in Rolling Meadows High School for a number of years, Roy Gromke, one of the founding members and Elders of Harvest who is now with the Lord, discovered the property for sale at 800 Rohlwing Road in Rolling Meadows. The building had previously been a furniture store, a wholesale club, and a home improvement warehouse. Harvest needed to raise $300,000 in six weeks from a church family of 500 people. Those people prayed, fasted, and gave so sacrificially that $392,000 came in within six weeks so that the congregation could purchase their first church building. It was a fantastic provision from the Lord. This property has come to be known as the Rolling Meadows Campus. More than 5,500 people attend this location.

Prospect Heights Baptist Church – August 24, 1997

Harvest was experiencing some tough financial times. The church did not have enough money to pay the bills or the staff. While the elders were exploring a number of options for sources of income, the pastor and people of Prospect Heights Baptist Church (PHBC) were visiting churches looking for a place where God was working. They saw that God was at work at Harvest. So PHBC closed their doors, sold their church building for a million dollars, gave that money to Harvest, and committed to becoming a part of what God was doing here. PHBC's financial gift met all of the monetary needs Harvest had at the time and allowed the church family to build the chapel and the gym at the Rolling Meadows Campus.

First Church Planted – March 12, 2000

The elders felt that God was leading Harvest Bible Chapel to plant churches. Still, the church was afraid to send people away, but God laid Proverbs 11:24 on the hearts of the church leaders: “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer.”

By faith, Harvest sent out 300 people and two pastors. The first church plant held its first service on March 12, 2000. The leadership of Harvest had a vision to plant ten churches in ten years. As of March 2010, there are over 27,000 people meeting in 36 different Harvest Bible Chapels in North America and eight overseas because the Lord honored that initial step of faith. (Learn more about Harvest Bible Fellowship, the church planting ministry of Harvest Bible Chapel).

Camp Harvest – July 28, 2002

Believing that God changes lives at church camp, the leadership of Harvest began searching throughout the Midwest for an existing camp or piece of property that could be developed into a camp. After more than two years of searching with no success, the leadership backed away from the idea of a camp. But shortly after, a woman who supports Walk in the Word offered Harvest her property--650 beautiful wooded acres on a lake in Croton, Michigan--for a fraction of its value. The first day of camp was July 28, 2002. Since that time, the woman who owned the property forgave the remaining debt, and the church now owns Camp Harvest.

Elgin Campus – March 2, 2003

As the Lord continued to bring many people to Harvest , and as many lives were being changed, the church began to outgrow the Rolling Meadows Campus. The Elders started to pray for a new location for the congregation, not knowing the miracle God would accomplish. Harvest Bible Chapel was given an 80-acre property in Elgin, Illinois with a 280,000-square-foot building (three times the size of the Rolling Meadows Campus) and a 900-car parking garage. The property was worth $53 million, and through the work of the Lord, Harvest obtained it for the cost of one dollar! Thanks be to God!

In September of 2007 a brand-new 2,200-seat worship center opened at the Elgin Campus, including a Children's Ministry area. The Worship Center will eventually be able to seat 6,000 and will include a bookstore and food court as the Lord provides. The Mitchell Swaback Athletic Center, which is adjacent to the new worship center, was dedicated in December 2007. More than 3,200 people call this campus their church home.

Niles Campus – April 18, 2004

Harvest was looking and praying to plant churches in the city of Chicago. In April 2004, a group of people in a little church in Niles, Illinois voted to never vote again. They gave Harvest their church, and it became the third campus of Harvest Bible Chapel. It was such an awesome miracle! We look forward to the fulfillment of our passion to see Christ proclaimed in the city of Chicago. Today, the Niles Campus ministers to nearly 1,200 people during the weekend services.

Crystal Lake Campus – August/September 2007

This campus originally began on March 4, 2001, when a group of nearly 200 adults and children from the Rolling Meadows Campus held the first service in Crystal Lake, Illinois in the South High School Auditorium.

In August 2007, the Harvest leadership made a decision to transition this church from a separate church plant to our fourth Chicagoland Campus. The change was effective in September 2007 and a new building was dedicated in August 2008. With nearly 800 adults and children now attending in Crystal Lake, we praise God for the work He has begun to reach the Crystal Lake area and beyond for Christ and His kingdom!

Wicker Park Campus – September 20, 2009

On this date, Harvest Bible Chapel launched their first downtown Chicago campus at Holy Trinity High School in the neighborhood of Wicker Park. This campus has many regular attenders, from college students to families, and is committed to reaching the surrounding community and downtown Chicago for Christ.

We continue to be thankful and amazed at the history of God's provision for us as we seek to change lives in His name through this one church meeting on five campuses with nearly 12,000 people who attend each weekend.