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In Illinois...

In 1988 a group of eighteen people from across the northwest Chicago suburbs formed Harvest Bible Chapel, with twenty-seven-year-old James MacDonald as the senior pastor. As the church grew, it became apparent that it would require a larger building. In 1995, after meeting in Rolling Meadows High School for a number of years, the church obtained property at 800 Rohlwing Road in Rolling Meadows. This property has come to be known as the Rolling Meadows Campus.

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 elders of Harvest Bible Chapel sought the Lord's favour to plant ten churches in ten years. By October, 2012 God has blessed that desire exceedingly and abundantly beyond all could have imagined - there are now 83 Harvests around North America and the world proclaiming the authority of God's Word to more than 35,000 people in attendance.

In Canada...

In early 2000, a small group of twenty or so people were gathering under the name Hope Community Church. With no pastor and no building of their own, the group faced the prospect of closing down the ministry. Instead, God birthed in them a vision for a greater ministry that would impact not only Barrie but the whole of Canada. Through a series of God-orchestrated events and meetings, Harvest Bible Chapel, Barrie came into being in January 2001. The church was established under the oversight and with the support of Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The first senior pastor, Todd Dugard, assumed his full-time responsibilities at the church in September, 2001 after five months of training in Illinois. 

In September of 2005, Harvest left her home at Emma King Elementary school and moved to the newly constructed facility of Timothy Christian School. Now in our seventh year at the TCS facility we look forward to what God will do as we continue to serve him together in Barrie and the surrounding areas.