Ryan Mahoney, who joined Harvest in 1990, referenced the author J.R.R. Tolkien’s comments on rising to power, saying that MacDonald’s tone, demeanor and attitude began to change as the church started to expand. The changes, Mahoney said, were “horrifying” and he and his wife decided to leave the church in the late 2000s. He remained as a teacher at Harvest Christian Academy, but did not have his contract renewed because, he said, teachers must be church members. In its lawsuit against Mahoney, the church said he was disciplined three times for “negating James S. MacDonald’s sermons and influencing HCA students to share his cynical view of Harvest and its culture.”