Mark Driscoll’s Church to Host Church Governance Seminar

Yes, that Mark Driscoll.

In the comments, feel free to suggest other workshops which should follow that one. James MacDonald on transparent, controversy-free church leadership should get you started.

Here’s what you will learn on Feb. 28 in Scottsdale, AZ:

HOSTED BY PASTOR MARK DRISCOLL, THE TRINITY CHURCH

SESSIONS TOPICS INCLUDE

How the Church and pastors’ families both suffer under bad governance
A survey of Church governmental models
The biblical standard of singular headship and plural leadership
Theocratic government: a “kingdom-down” not “pew-up” unity focused model
How to embrace apostolic influence
How to implement a God-centered theocratic Church government

They aren’t hiding it. Megachurches in the Driscoll and Gateway image are little theocracies and kingdoms. They are definitely not “pew-up.” There is a lot of confusion about who the gods are.

The description of need for the workshop is priceless:

In an age of multi-site church planting, bad press for Bible-teaching churches, negative social media, lawsuits, disgruntled former leaders, and board conflicts, being a pastor is perhaps more complicated than ever. And too many times, church health is on the backburner, until a crisis happens.

It is so complicated in this age where everybody is wrong but the pastor. If only there was a right form of church government which could rescue a pastor from these disgruntled people and negative outsiders.

 

32 thoughts on “Mark Driscoll’s Church to Host Church Governance Seminar”

  1. “The structure and function of a church’s government ultimately determines its success or failure, and governance also determines the health and well-being of the pastor and their family.”

    Gee wiz, I thought the Holy Spirit determines success or failure. Nope it’s all about control.

    Having survived decades of NPD abuse I’ve come to the conclusion that you can either love something or you can control it, but you have to choose.

  2. When I saw the conference subtitle (“Practical help for pastors from pastors”), I immediately got this spark of inspiratoin:

    * Church planting vs. pyramid schemes multi-level marketing: Know the difference (and avoid criminal charges)!

  3. Let’s do a little crowd sourcing:

    Warren – If you can get to Scottsdale on the 28th, I will spring for the conference $. I would like to see your report posted here, but not required.

    If Warren is up for this adventure – I see that some sort of transportation will be needed (air miles?) , a room and ground transport. What else are we missing?
    — CJ

    1. As much as I would love to, classes are going on at that time. If any reader plans to attend however, please contact me via email. warrenthrockmorton @ gmail. com

  4. And you thought only the Pope was infalitable! Mark is launching a whole new wave of Pulpit Perfection!

  5. “How to put some spark into your youth ministry” by Jerad Fogle
    “A fresh look at the not-so Dark Ages” by David Barton
    “100 Reasons I like Mark Driscoll” By special guest Joseph Smith, after being raised from the dead for this conference by Holy Prophet Robert Gates

  6. “The biblical standard of singular headship and plural leadership”

    “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

    1. I agree with the plural leadership part. I have no idea what “singular headship” means, but if Christ is not the head of the/a church, I do not want to be a part of it.

      1. For too many so-called leaders the phrase “singular headship” means that one man is at the top of the hierarchical ladder and everyone else must submit to him and his “Godly authority”. (Think of Mark Driscoll’s infamous comment that he was the bus driver and you either got on his bus or you got thrown under it.)

        Many people use the argument “anything with two heads is a monster” to justify this position. But as you rightly observe, Jesus is the head of his church, so it is these people who create the monsters.

    1. I have a PDF of one of the Acts 29 conferences, notes on a church discipline talk. At the end they had a comment card for visitors to Acts 29 churches that directed you to please place it in one of the circular plastic-lined feedback bins.

    2. At least they are getting bold about their abuse of the flock! These guys have lost any shred of common sense. When God gives someone over fully to their own pride their arrogance swells until it ultimately causes their downfall. Driscoll no longer has a mega-church or wide media exposure like he used to. The people who fall for this, both wolves who attend the seminar and the sheep getting fleeced at the old Glass and Garden church I used to drive by all the time, should know the scriptures better themselves. Anyone who does can see right through this. The post above looks like things I used to read in the Wittenburg Door or a sarcastic post in the Babylon Bee.

  8. Ted Cruz on “How to Win Friends and Influence People”
    Bernie Madoff on Accounting and Investment
    Bernie Sanders on Hairstyling
    Franklin Graham on “Staying Focused on the Gospel”
    Our old friend WhatUp is offering a seminar on “Creating Constructive Blog Discussions”
    Paige Patterson and Bill Hybels co-teach “Treating Women with Respect”
    Tim Clinton and Ravi Zacharias teach on Academic Integrity

    “Transparency in Church Finances” had to be cancelled because there was not a big enough room to hold all of the teachers.

  9. Ted Cruz on “How to Win Friends and Influence People”
    Bernie Madoff on Accounting and Investment
    Bernie Sanders on Hairstyling
    Franklin Graham on “Staying Focused on the Gospel”
    Our old friend WhatUp is offering a seminar on “Creating Constructive Blog Discussions”
    Paige Patterson and Bill Hybels co-teach “Treating Women with Respect”
    Tim Clinton and Ravi Zacharias teach on Academic Integrity

    “Transparency in Church Finances” had to be cancelled because there was not a big enough room to hold all of the teachers.

  11. I was at first thinking, naah, I dunno that I wanna picket this.

    Then I saw how much it cost and I was all, uh, lemme think about that some more.

    So I’m going to think about it some more, because $150 per head for a one-day conference of talking heads is *obscene*.

      1. I have to get over this cold I picked up last week in Massachusetts first, and it’s not happening so fast.

    2. There is a rule of thumb about exciting new business models. When everybody wants to make money doing [x], the best way to make money is by selling dreams to the rubes who think they can also make money doing [x].

      1. The people who made the most money from the California Gold Rush were the ones selling picks, pans, and jeans.

  12. “SESSION TOPICS INCLUDE: How the Church and pastors’ families both suffer under bad governance”

    C’mon Warren. April Fool’s Day is still 62 days away.

      1. That is because they simply could not care less. They are in it in order to take advantage of others. It is useless to tell these guys to repent. They do not actually believe in hell or that Jesus is their King. They see a system that they can exploit with their own selfish ambition. End of story.

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