Month: October 2014

Washington State Attorney General May Examine Complaints from Mars Hill Global Donors

According to this report at the blog Sola Sisters, the Washington state Attorney General may investigate the questionable practices associated with Mars Hill Global.

According to former Mars Hill attendee Dean Watkins:

I just got off the phone with someone from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. They have spent some time trying to figure out how to have accountability for the Global Fund issue. As a church, Mars Hill is exempt from filing with the Secretary of State. But under RCW 19.09 “Charitable Solicitations,” whether or not an organization is exempt from filing with the Secretary of State, they must still comply with the law.

The chain of procedure is for Global Fund contributors to first go to the Attorney General’s office, who would then forward to the IRS, if upon examination they felt there was enough evidence to warrant doing so.

For Mars Hill attendees, both former and present, if you at one time contributed to the Global Fund, and you are concerned that the money might have been used incorrectly, please follow the link and file a complaint online. Also, if you do file a complaint please be aware that it will become public record. In the complaint you may even want to mention some of the desired outcomes.

A complaint form can be found at the AG’s website according to the blog post:

If you are a Mars Hill attendee or former Mars Hill attendee who contributed tithe money to the Global Fund, and you would like to request that this fund be examined, please follow this link – General Consumer Complaint Form. Please also feel free to forward this link to those you know who might have also contributed to the Global Fund.

 

Michael Peroutka Should Elaborate on Reasons He Quit the League of the South

I heard early yesterday that former League of the South board member Michael Peroutka and leader of the theocratic Institute on the Constitution quit the organization. In an article dated today in the Baltimore Sun, Peroutka is quoted as saying he quit the League. He declined to give reasons.
Update: Somehow I missed this section from the Sun article (comments in italics added on 10/18)

Peroutka, a Millersville Republican, said he left the group prior to Labor Day because he discovered statements members made on the subject of being opposed to interracial marriage were “contrary to my beliefs.” He would not elaborate.

I saw the article as soon as it was posted the night before; perhaps this section was added. In any case, I apologize for the omission.
Peroutka’s “discovery” is suspicious. The League has made no secret about white separatist views and Peroutka has been going to and speaking at League of the South meetings since at least 2004 when the organization endorsed his candidacy for president. 
After defending the League of the South early in his campaign for Anne Arundel County Council, Peroutka now suddenly announces he is no longer a member and he doesn’t want to talk about it. To me, that is not sufficient. Peroutka needs to further explain his reasons for first defending and then quitting a group which defends white separatism, especially since that group does not hide those views. Although Peroutka says the move was not for political reasons, without a more plausible explanation there is no reason to believe him.
Peroutka also told the Sun that he was taken out of context when he led the audience in singing the song “I Wish I Was in Dixie” at a League of the South meeting. He called the song the “national anthem.” The entire video is on You Tube (see below). He wasn’t taken out of context. That he continues to spin the situation is an indicator that he is still not being straightforward.
Peroutka even wrote League of the South president Michael Hill when he won the GOP primary for county council and asked for League support. Perhaps the League didn’t come through.
Furthermore, I have heard from a source close to the situation that Peroutka continues to support candidates who have ties to the League of the South, most notably the GOP candidate for sheriff Joe Delimater.
David Whitney, the co-teacher at the Institute on the Constitution, is still listed as chaplain of the Maryland-Virginia chapter of the League of the South.
It is quite possible that Peroutka quit the League in order to preserve his connection to Ken Ham. Ham is supposed to present his creationist position on behalf of Peroutka’s Institute on the Constitution this coming weekend. Ham’s organization denied Peroutka was a member of the League and refused to address clear evidence that Peroutka did belong to it. Perhaps, Ham threatened to back out if Peroutka remained a member.
If Peroutka wants this move to be taken seriously, he needs to do better than he has so far and explain his departure from the League.
Watch Peroutka lead the League of the South in Dixie, or in Peroutka’s words, the national anthem.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/mPhRtS0WdcU?t=50m36s[/youtube]
 
 

ECFA Tells World Magazine Mars Hill Global In Compliance With Guidelines; Purges Another Page From Website

Yesterday, prior to Mark Driscoll’s resignation announcement, Warren Smith posted an article at World magazine which summarizes many of the controversies surrounding Mars Hill Church.  In it, Smith tells of statements made by Dan Busby, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability about Mars Hill.

The ECFA’s Dan Busby told me in July that his group reviewed Mars Hill Global and found it to be in compliance with ECFA standards. In September, a week after Driscoll announced his sabbatical and the church announced its review of his behavior, Busby said, “ECFA will let the church complete their review. Then, ECFA will be in a position to determine if our separate review of the same issues is warranted.”

The ECFA’s statement regarding Mars Hill Global is useless without explanation. Essentially, the ECFA is asking the public to accept their word. No explanation or rationale was provided as required by their own principles (now purged from their website).  Just a couple of days ago, ECFA promised:

ECFA’s only public relations contacts are its President (or his designee) and Board Chair. While they will protect confidential and proprietary information, they will communicate publicly that a Compliance Review is in process or has been completed, what the Standards of concern are or were, and the final decision once the Compliance Review has been completed.

Another page (which is also now missing – see cache) promised that all allegations which involved their guidelines would be investigated.
ecfacomplaintsFAQ
 
I have raised several issues about Mars Hill’s lack of compliance with ECFA guidelines and the ECFA has never suggested mediation. All I have gotten is an assurance that everything is as it should be without explanation. I don’t know of anyone who has leveled a complaint with the ECFA who was pointed to mediation.
Since I raised the issue of a public statement with Dan Busby, there has been no response from the ECFA except to purge two pages from the ECFA website. I know of no direct response to the hundreds of people who have signed the ECFA/Mars Hill petitions which request increased transparency from both groups. It is amazing that people would have to beg for an organization to live up to its name.
 

What now Mars Hill? What will the season of severance be like?

Now that Mark Driscoll has resigned, it is natural to wonder what happens next at Mars Hill Church.
Succession
In the summer of 2012, the church leadership considered what might happen in case Driscoll could not continue as pastor. While it is not clear if this plan was adopted, it was proposed that Dave Bruskas take over as preaching pastor and the Board of Advisors and Accountability make a decision to either hire a replacement for Driscoll or give more autonomy to the lead pastors at the  remaining Mars Hill locations. A meeting of the Full Council of Elders was also recommended as part of the plan.
Governance
For now it appears that the BOAA will remain the final authority of the church, although I have heard that the Board of Elders is considering making recommendations to the governance. Any such changes would require the BOAA to vote itself out of authority. A vote to return the church to governance led by a internal board of elders would be a sign of significant change at the church.
Identity
Since Driscoll had declared himself to be the brand at Mars Hill, it is unclear now what distinguishes Mars Hill from other churches. Make no mistake there are many talented and caring people still at the church, but an identity crisis might be in store for the church.
Severance
In light of the statements from the church and Driscoll, it is unclear whether he resigned with or without reason. If he resigned because the BOAA planned to demote him from president of the church or as primary preacher, then, according to those familiar with the terms of his arrangement with the church, he could choose to resign immediately with written notice (which he gave on Tuesday). Otherwise he has 180 days after Tuesday’s written notice until his employment officially ends. However, at any time during that period, the BOAA can ask him to leave earlier if they decide that would be best. In either case, according to the terms I have seen, Driscoll is entitled to 12 months of base salary and benefits post-employment.
Driscoll’s base salary at present is known only to the BOAA. Despite the fact, that tithes and offerings of non-voting members pay the bills, executive compensation is one of the most carefully guarded secrets at Mars Hill. According to internal memos I have reviewed, Driscoll’s base salary and housing allowance for 2012 was somewhere between $500 and 565k with another $100k raise recommended for 2013 (I don’t know if that raise was approved). It seems very likely that raises since 2012 have lifted the current figure much higher. If my sources are correct, then the church will not realize any savings from Driscoll’s resignation for at least a year.
Finances
The church is in financial trouble. However, I have been told by those familiar with the situation that the church has been assisted in recent days by significant financial help from some deep pockets. If donations stay about the same or continue to drop, the next cliff could come by the end of the calendar year.
Board of Elders Report
There are other unanswered questions which I suspect will be of interest to stakeholders. For instance, what does the Board of Elders report say? What did they have to say about the allegations? Will there now be an investigation of the BOAA as promised by Mark DeMoss? In my judgment, at the least, an executive summary of the BOE report should made available.
Allegations Against Board of Advisors and Accountability
A careful examination of the BOAA letter does not reveal the BOE’s assessment of the Driscoll investigation. The BOAA only reported the opinions of the independent members of the BOAA. Remember, only Matt Rogers (one of the BOAA members) did any interviewing or investigating, and he had already made up his mind before the investigation. The other three members did not investigate. The report may have come to conclusions which were rejected or altered by the BOAA. Although overlooked of late, the credibility of the BOAA was called into question by nine sitting Mars Hill pastors. Members and the public (those podcasters and non-Seattle fans) need to know they are hearing truth from those now leading the church. Until the charges by the nine pastors are investigated, a cloud sits over the BOAA’s public statements.
More Charges?
After Driscoll’s resignation, some additional people may feel comfortable coming forward. I personally know people who feel that way. If disqualifying factors are learned during the year long severance period, would that change the terms of separation between Driscoll and the church?
There are other matters of concern for members, former members, and other interested stakeholders. I hope readers will raise some in the comments section and, for members, with their remaining pastors.
 

Mark Driscoll Resigns From Mars Hill Church (UPDATED)

UPDATES: See updates at the end of this post.

This was just posted on Mars Hill’s The City and Mars Hill’s website:

Pastor Mark Driscoll’s Resignation

Mars Hill Church
From Mars Hill Church:

On Tuesday, October 14, Pastor Mark Driscoll submitted his resignation as an elder and lead pastor of Mars Hill Church. The Board of Overseers has accepted that resignation and is moving forward with planning for pastoral transition, recognizing the challenge of such a task in a church that has only known one pastor since its founding. We ask for prayer for the journey ahead.

As is well known, inside and outside of Mars Hill, Pastor Mark has been on a leave of absence for nearly two months while a group of elders investigated a series of formal charges brought against him. This investigation had only recently been concluded, following some 1,000 hours of research, interviewing more than 50 people and preparing 200 pages of information. This process was conducted in accordance with our church Bylaws and with Pastor Mark’s support and cooperation.

While a group of seven elders plus one member of the Board of Overseers was charged with conducting this investigation, the full Board of Overseers is charged with reaching any conclusions and issuing any findings. In that capacity, we believe it appropriate to publicly mention the following:

We concluded that Pastor Mark has, at times, been guilty of arrogance, responding to conflict with a quick temper and harsh speech, and leading the staff and elders in a domineering manner. While we believe Mark needs to continue to address these areas in his life, we do not believe him to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.

Pastor Mark has never been charged with any immorality, illegality or heresy. Most of the charges involved attitudes and behaviors reflected by a domineering style of leadership. We found some of the accusations against Pastor Mark to be altogether unfair or untrue.

Other charges had been previously been addressed by Pastor Mark, privately and publicly. Indeed, he had publicly confessed and apologized for a number of the charges against him, some of which occurred as long as 14 years ago.

We commend Mark for acting upon the vision God gave him to start Mars Hill Church and for his ministry of faithfully teaching the Word of God for the past 18 years. We commit to pray for him, for Grace, and for their children as they transition from ministry at Mars Hill Church.

We would ask for patience as we now make plans for the first transition of pastoral leadership in the history of Mars Hill Church. We have asked Pastor Dave Bruskas to serve as the primary teaching pastor while we work on long-term plans and decisions. Our elders and board members will work closely with the church staff to support the ongoing operations of Mars Hill in the days and months ahead.

Finally, Mark Driscoll was not asked to resign; indeed, we were surprised to receive his resignation letter. While he can speak to his decision as he chooses, we would point to just two things from his letter. He noted that he had concluded “it would be best for the health of our family, and for the Mars Hill family, that we step aside from further ministry at the church.”

Secondly, he specifically wanted to convey “to the wonderful members of the Mars Hill family, how deeply my family and I love them, thank them, and point them to their Senior Pastor, Jesus Christ, who has always been only good to us.”

Mars Hill Board of Overseers

Michael Van Skaik

Larry Osborne

Jon Phelps

Matt Rogers

Watch for more news related to this announcement, including the church’s plan for a post-Mark Driscoll future.

Resignation letter from Mark Driscoll:

October 14, 2014
Michael Van Skaik
Chairman, Board of Advisors and Accountability
Mars Hill Church

Dear Michael:

By God’s grace I have pastored Mars Hill Church for 18 years. Today, also by God’s grace, and with the full support of my wife Grace, I resign my position as a pastor and elder of Mars Hill. I do so with profound sadness, but also with complete peace.
On August 24th I announced to our Mars Hill family of churches that I had requested a leave of absence from the pulpit and the office for a minimum of six weeks while a committee of elders conducted a formal review of charges made against me by various people in recent times. Last week our Board of Overseers met for an extended period of time with Grace and me, thereby concluding the formal review of charges against me. I want to thank you for assuring Grace and me that last Saturday that I had not disqualified myself from ministry.

You have shared with us that this committee spent more than 1,000 hours reviewing documents and interviewing some of those who had presented charges against me. You have also shared with me that many of those making charges against me declined to meet with you or participate in the review process at all. Consequently, those conducting the review of charges against me began to interview people who had not even been a party to the charges.

I readily acknowledge I am an imperfect messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many things I have confessed and repented of, privately and publicly, as you are well aware. Specifically, I have confessed to past pride, anger and a domineering spirit. As I shared with our church in August, “God has broken me many times in recent years by showing me where I have fallen short, and while my journey, at age 43, is far from over, I believe He has brought me a long way from some days I am not very proud of, and is making me more like Him every day.”

Prior to and during this process there have been no charges of criminal activity, immorality or heresy, any of which could clearly be grounds for disqualification from pastoral ministry. Other issues, such as aspects of my personality and leadership style, have proven to be divisive within the Mars Hill context, and I do not want to be the source of anything that might detract from our church’s mission to lead people to a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

That is why, after seeking the face and will of God, and seeking godly counsel from men and women across the country, we have concluded it would be best for the health of our family, and for the Mars Hill family, that we step aside from further ministry at the church we helped launch in 1996. I will gladly work with you in the coming days on any details related to our separation.

Recent months have proven unhealthy for our family—even physically unsafe at times—and we believe the time has now come for the elders to choose new pastoral leadership for Mars Hill. Grace and I pledge our full support in this process and will join you in praying for God’s best for this, His church, in the days and years ahead. Grace and I would also covet your prayers for us as we seek God’s will for the next chapter of our lives. Therefore, consider this written notice of my voluntary termination of employment.

Finally, it would be my hope to convey to the wonderful members of the Mars Hill family how deeply my family and I love them, thank them, and point them to their Senior Pastor Jesus Christ who has always been only good to us.

Sincerely,
Pastor Mark Driscoll

This was first posted at Religion News Service.

There had been rumblings of a resignation for several days but nothing that could be confirmed. The church has a plan in place in the event of a Driscoll resignation. The situation is so fluid that it will be interesting to see if they follow it.

According to those familiar with Driscoll’s employment agreement, this “written notice of my voluntary termination of employment” is important because it triggers a very generous termination package of one year of base salary and benefits.