This post is some inside baseball for those who remember the end of Mars Hill Church. If you know nothing of that story, you might want to do some catching up.
So here is a little background for the post. Mars Hill Church was co-founded by Mark Driscoll. Driscoll was a lightning rod for controversy and attracted a large social media following and many detractors. Near the end of 2013, he did a radio interview with Janet Mefferd during which she credibly accused him of plagiarism. Driscoll was dismissive of Mefferd and it started a war which I entered. I thought Mefferd might be wrong but soon agreed with her and found citation errors of various sorts in more of Driscoll’s books. All of that led to various disclosures to me by Mars Hill insiders of problems heaped to the Seattle sky. Eventually, the church planting network co-founded by Driscoll — Acts 29 Network — removed Driscoll and Mars Hill Church from membership. Finally, Driscoll resigned while being investigated by his elders, and then the church closed, splintering into several smaller churches.
At the end when Driscoll resigned, a committee of then current elders were investigating formal charges filed by around 20 former elders. After conducting many interviews, the elders wanted to place Driscoll into a plan of restoration but he resigned. When he resigned, the governing board of Mars Hill (a super board including some non-member leaders) said Driscoll was not disqualified from ministry but did not release a report from the investigating team. In fact, the report of that team was one of the most carefully guarded secrets I have ever seen. There were more leaks about the Mueller report. I tried to get that report as did others, but no one would even discuss what was in it. Given how leaky Mars Hill Church had become, it was a surprise that the report didn’t slip out.
Well, yesterday someone who said he read the report (pretty good chance he’s right), disclosed at least one key fact. Here is what former Mars Hill Church Communications Director Justin Dean said in a tweet.
Yes the report said he was not disqualified as an elder but was found to have a pattern of arrogance so they wanted him to step down from management, get help for the arrogance, but still be the preaching pastor… then the 15 lead pastors would be in charge.
— Justin Dean (@justinjdean) June 22, 2019
Mark Driscoll has given several narratives about the end of his time at Mars Hill. He rarely mentions the name of the church but has mentioned his previous “two decades of ministry.” Blogger Wenatchee the Hatchet has a detailed look at six different narratives of how the end went down.
At the time, the governing board said he was qualified but gave no explanation about their assessment in light of what Acts 29 had said. Also, after Driscoll abruptly resigned, the elders investigation committee read a statement which said Driscoll resigned instead of entering a restoration plan he had previously agreed to follow.
Now Dean tells me that the church leadership was going to let Driscoll keep preaching but step away from management. He would no longer run the show and make decisions. At that point, he resigned. He said God told him a trap had been set and that he was released to leave. He said God told him and his wife this. Odd that God didn’t tell any of the elders or other leaders about this.
Since Driscoll didn’t go through his restoration plan, I have no idea what that signifies for his ministry after Mars Hill. He planted a church in Phoenix and rarely mentions Mars Hill.
Wenatchee the Hatchet put together 8000+ words on this last night so if you want the long version, you can go check that out. Let me give you the digest from WtH:
If in Driscoll’s understanding of church governance and ecclesiology leadership is from the throne down and not the pew up, and if Justin Dean’s account is accurate that the Mars Hill Church governing board offered Mark Driscoll a restoration plan in which he would stop being in a managerial role and would preach, then the most plausible explanation for why Mark Driscoll resigned that takes all of his accounts as factual, face-value accounts is this: he decided that a church as a corporate entity in which he was not seated on the throne (as president and CEO) was not a church in which he would be a member.
WtH provides the receipts but Justin Dean opened the door to consider this. Remember, Driscoll once told his communications staff that he was the brand. If the brand doesn’t control the brand, then is the brand really the brand?
Image: James MacDonald (left) Mark Driscoll (right)
//Remember, Driscoll once told his communications staff that he was the brand. //
Yikes. This is just bad news. If your Church’s “brand” is a person, that is destined to end poorly.
These white-washed septic tanks just have an unquenchable lust for power, with plenty of greed as well. It should come as no surprise that sons of the Devil like Driscoll would rather play king to a small little church than serve others. This is the opposite of the attitude of Jesus Christ. Beyond that I have always been curious how Warren started covering the whole Mars Hill Debacle. So it was the plagiarism that drew you into covering this and led to insiders fed up with the situation leaking all those internal documents?
Apparently Driscoll and Mars Hill had their own, unique understanding of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9? Or, rather perhaps they just conveniently ignored Scripture if it would not support or it got in the way of the MH Business Empire! Very sad the complete lack of integrity and character displayed by Driscoll and the MH Elders!
It’s from John Milton’s _Paradise Lost_, not the Bible, but “Better to reign in hell than to serve in Heaven.” fits Mark Driscoll’s attitude, too.
Mark Driscoll not only WAS disqualified from ministry–he IS disqualified from ministry (like his partner-in-crime James MacDonald). Unfortunate that neither the Mars Hills Elder Board nor the Harvest Bible Chapel Elder Board used “DQ”. It speaks to the Elders’ lack of discernment–and to their fear. My guess is that it may have something to do with a legal agreement. Someone needs to get a hold of the contracts that Elders sign with these celebrity megachurch pastors.
Speaking of the Driscoll/JMac bromance, what happened to the money from their “joint venture” Churches Helping Churches? No one knows, and the IRS for sure needs to investigative.
Mark Driscoll not only WAS disqualified from ministry–he IS disqualified from ministry (like his partner-in- crime James MacDonald). Unfortunate that neither the Mars Hills Elder Board nor the Harvest Bible Chapel Elder Board used “DQ”. Speaks to the Elders lack of discernment and fear. My guess is that it has to do with a legal agreement. Someone needs to get a hold of the contracts that Elders sign with these celebrity megachurch pastors.
Speaking of the Driscoll/JMac bromance, what happened to the money from their “joint venture” Churches Helping Churches”? No one knows, and the IRS for sure needs to investigative.
I wonder if Driscoll ever preached on Philippians 2:1-11 ?
Him and those like him appear to be all about self, ego, and pride.
“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11 NASB
https://www.bible.com/100/php.2.1-11.nasb
I was stunned when I first started following the whole Driscoll train wreck, because it so closely resembled the church situation I had just come out of. Different country, different theology, but exactly the same MO.
Since then I have learned how prevalent this bullying, authoritarian type of ‘leadership’ is in christian circles. I’ve also realised how commonly this scenario is, and how repetitively it plays out. If you can’t gain (or you lose) ultimate authority where you are, simply move and start another church where you can.
I consider the problem intrinsic to organized religion itself. By their fruit shall ye know them.
I consider the problem intrinsic to organized religion itself. By their fruit shall ye know them.
That’s the why Steve Strang of Charisma media readily put Driscoll on the cover of His magazine. The super apostles of the false apostolic- prophetic movement ( NAR) are unwittingly filled with those who are divorced from the new covenant life in Christ and are a part of the disintegrating church. The most important thing is “ influence” at any cost in order to “ run the world.” Simply look at their idolatrous and adulteress support of those in worldly or “ spiritual” political power.
People who have departed from Christ are those who have trampled under foot the blood of the covenant. ( Hebrews 10:29)
Scripture directly teaches Jesus Himself is our New Covenant. ( Isaiah 42 & 49) And that Jesus blood is specifically new covenant blood. ( Luke 22:20) One can’t be a new creation in an old covenant..
The false apostolic prophetic movement leadership ( NAR) goes directly against Jesus Christ new covenant blood in their teachings as Scripture promised God would send a strong spiritual delusion where even the elect could be deceived in the last days.
The love of Christ controls authentic disciples of Jesus. Self importance, “ branding” and a lust for worldly power is a symptom of the spirit of Anti-Christ.
Ministry tends to attract narcissists, and they are rarely held accountable because people are constantly warned against “judging”, because people are ignorant about what they’re hearing, and people are too apathetic to demand change. Then there’s the sliver of folks who want to be in the realm of a “star”, and close their eyes to anything negative. Every mega church I’ve ever looked at fills this category. The bigger they are, the more prone to corruption..