Category: Mars Hill Church

Calling Former Members of Mars Hill Church to Tell Your Stories

Ben Vandemeer has launched an effort to start a healing conversation about Mars Hill Church. With the able support of former MHC leaders Jeff Bettger and Bryan Zug, the effort is titled Mars Hill: Your Story:

Are we ready to talk about our time at Mars Hill Church?
It’s been almost a year already. The headlines have passed. The body of the church, thousands of us, have moved forward… how are you doing?
There’s a tension around the topic, often an unspoken understanding from those who were there and a polite “what happened with that?” from those who weren’t. There are untold stories and they belong to all of us.
Maybe we should start a conversation.
What follows are open-ended questions to help you share your story to whatever extent you are comfortable.
Questions relate to your involvement at Mars Hill, the closure of the church and your transition since then. When a sizable number of responses have been collected, they will be posted online in one place.
All perspectives on Mars Hill are welcome from anyone who was a member or regular attender during any period of time.
This is not an attempt to seek any particular conclusion or call anyone to action. It is intended to record everyone’s feelings and experiences as equally valid.
Our stories matter and collectively they paint a more complete picture than any one source could.
There are no right or wrong answers. You can be as identified or anonymous as you wish and nothing is saved until you hit “submit”.
Frequently Asked Questions: http://goo.gl/u6Guv5

Many former Mars Hill members and staff still read here so I thought it would be good to let readers know about this. Vandemeer, Bettger, and Zug are hopeful that stories come from Mark Driscoll supporters or sympathizers, people who stayed and transitioned to other churches which were once a part of MHC and from female attenders and participants.

Sign Up Now for It's All About Jesus! Daily Devotionals with Mark Driscoll

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then what does a little daily Driscoll keep away?
You can find out by signing up for the catchy sounding “It’s all about Jesus! Daily Devotionals with Mark Driscoll.” MD Ministries proclaims:

The plan at present is to launch Daily Devotionals very soon. Thank you to everyone who sent in some good ideas for what to name this. It is something that I hope to continue doing for a long time and here is the plan:

It’s All About Jesus! Daily Devotionals with Mark Driscoll 

If you register here we will send you a free email once a day, Monday through Friday. It will contain Jesus-centered Bible teaching that you can read in a few minutes.

Driscoll is still liking his new Phoenix home. Word is he working toward a church plant in a northern suburb of Phoenix. His non-profit (Mark Driscoll Ministries) is now safely moved to that area.

MarkDriscollAZ

The address is an UPS store in a mall in northeast Phoenix.

One Year Ago Yesterday: Mars Hill Church Announced Mark Driscoll's Resignation

It was a headline very few people thought they would ever see.
Mark Driscoll Resigns from Mars Hill Church
I am a day late for the exact anniversary of the church announcement, the date on that headline is October 15, 2014. Driscoll submitted his resignation letter the day before.
Resignation wasn’t plan A according to Driscoll. He was supposed to enter a plan of restoration being crafted by his elders. He later told Brian Houston that God warned him about a trap and then told the Driscolls they were released from Mars Hill.
Mars Hill Church may still be a legal entity; no one is talking much about it. I have contacted several legacy churches without answer.
Driscoll toils away in Phoenix; rumors abound about a church plant but if much is happening, it is a well kept secret.
The common folks left behind still don’t know how much money actually went to African and Indian missionaries from the stealthily named Global Fund. They don’t know how much went to pay severances for the executive elders. There is a lot we don’t know. Sutton Turner has spoken out some but even there Mars Hill employed lawyers got in the way of transparency.
I still refer to Mars Hill matters in my teaching, particularly in social psychology and probably will for years. My hope is that Mars Hill will continue to teach for years to come.
 
 
 

New Website is "One-Stop Resource" on Mars Hill Church RICO Lawsuit, Global Fund and Result Source

Marshilllawsuit.com bills itself as a “one-stop resource” for information relating to the planned RICO lawsuit involving Mars Hill Church leaders.
While fund raising is slow going, this site brings together various issues which should help anyone trying to understand why the potential plaintiffs want to bring suit. In addition to the value the site has to those interested in the lawsuit, it summarizes two of the larger controversies (Global Fund and Result Source).
Although these issues have largely faded from public conversation, they are unfinished in that Mars Hill’s major players have been silent on specifics.
Mark Driscoll is now in Phoenix along some former Mars Hill people who are helping with the technical aspects of his website and perhaps to help start a church.

John Piper on Mark Driscoll and Satan's Win in Seattle

Back in April, John Piper appeared on the podcast of Westside Church in Vancouver, British Columbia. His interviewer was Westside’s lead pastor Norm Funk. Yesterday, Piper’s Desiring God ministry posted the section of the podcast where Piper answered a question about Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church. Watch:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/4Yhn_4mmowU[/youtube]
Piper says everybody makes mistakes, and admits Mars Hill’s demise was a defeat for the gospel, Driscoll, reformed theology, evangelicalism and complementarianism and a win for Satan.
Funk asks good questions about people who are demoralized and broken as the result of being — these are my words now — run over by the bus. Piper contends one can’t follow Jesus and walk away from the church. I do wonder here if Piper is mistaking the spiritual body with brick and mortar.
As Driscoll networks with word of faith and charismatic elements of Christianity, the loss experienced by Driscoll’s former ideological mates becomes clearer.