With Jimmy Evans as the hook, the Amarillo Globe-News today published a story about Mark Driscoll’s new church.
Evans is a pastor at The Trinity Fellowship in the Amarillo area.
Along with Perry Noble and Robert Morris, we can add Jimmy Evans to the list of pastors who have taken a one-sided view of the situation in Seattle. Where is the effort to reach out to the former members and elders of Mars Hill?
One can read the report of elder charges here. This matter was never resolved. A group of elders investigated the charges and came back with a finding that Driscoll needed to be under the care of those elders. He resigned rather than submit to the very elders he appointed and the process he created. Along with Noble, Evans’ concern is for Driscoll.
Evans said he’s looking forward to witnessing how the Lord will work in Mark Driscoll’s life and new church.
“It is exciting to see God’s redemptive power working in this situation, and I’m humbled to be a part of it,” Evans said.
Stay in touch! Like Warren Throckmorton on Facebook:
Perry, I appreciate your heart in all of this, but do wish you had done your homework and exercised due diligence by finding out what really happened at MHC! I’m afraid you are in the dark about the truth of what transpired and why The Acts 29 network, Paul Tripp and 30 former elders believe that Mark Driscoll disqualified himself and needs to make some things right before stepping back into pastoral ministry! I appreciate your ministry, read your books and value your leadership wisdom.
I expected mixed reactions to Driscoll’s announcement. My guess is that the same polarization will pick up about where it left off. Who Matters in Perry Noble’s Christian Army?
I doubt many would deny that there is a trail of loose Mars Hill ends from Seattle to Phoenix.
Mars Hill Church had millions in assets. Much of that money was given by people who are now disillusioned and skeptical about organized church. They deserve an accounting of their funds. They have reason to believe Mark Driscoll could secure that for them. I believe they are correct and will believe that unless Mark Driscoll provides evidence to the contrary.
More important than the money is the damage done to the trust of former members. To them, Driscoll’s assurance that he is healing up seems self-absorbed. It seems as though Perry Noble cares more about Driscoll’s return to ministry than the people who lost their confidence in church. Noble’s concern is clearly for Driscoll but I hear nothing about the people in Seattle who have desired all along to hear from Driscoll and makes things right.
At 4:00 into the clip, Noble mentions the former members:
Some people have said, Perry, he hurt people. So have you. So have you. Do we want to talk about the people he’s hurt, or do we want to talk about the people maybe you’ve hurt. Cause did he hurt people, did he misuse his power? Did he abuse people? I don’t know. But I think he’s got ministry left in him, I think Jesus still loves him, I don’t think God removed his calling from Mark’s life and um, he may have hurt people but you know what, he’s learned from it and he’s going to step into this season of ministry with a brand new focus and I praise God for that.
Noble’s concern is about how Driscoll is doing: since Driscoll allegedly has learned from his experience, all is well. He’s got a new focus and that’s what matters. Why don’t the former members matter? Why doesn’t Perry Noble try to find out if Driscoll abused his power? He speaks about the hurt ones without knowledge of them.
This cavalier attitude toward the wounded in Seattle comes across as insensitive. Noble says Christians are the only army who shoot their wounded. In Noble’s version of Christianity it is also fine to leave the wounded bleeding on the battle field. His Christianity rehabs the generals and leaves the foot soldiers to fend for themselves.
What is amazing about real Christianity is that reconciliation is still possible. Based on my conversations with former Mars Hill Church members and leaders, it isn’t too late for everyone to heal up together.
In hindsight, I wonder if the wise counselors are rethinking the decision to omit Mars Hill Church from The Trinity Church website. Thus far, some version of that fact has formed a hook for the Phoenix media to report about the formation of Mark Driscoll’s new church. Watch (text is here): CBS 5 – KPHO
The absence of Mars Hill from the bios and new church website only invites more investigation on the part of the media. The failure to tie up loose ends in Seattle may continue to haunt the Phoenix effort for quite awhile. And by loose ends, I mean financial disclosures about where and how much member and tither money was made by selling off assets. How much went to severance packages is a frequent question I hear. Furthermore, why did lawyers tell Sutton Turner not to reveal specific figures about Global Fund giving?
More importantly, there are former elders and members who are waiting to hear from the guy who is “healing up.” Be nice if everybody could heal up.
The absence of Mars Hill Church from the bios and announcement of Mark Driscoll and his associates made an impression on those covering the news of Mark Driscoll’s planned launch of The Trinity Church.
The website is TheTrinityChurch.com. The church is named after Grace Driscoll’s home church in the Seattle area. So far, the church is a P.O. Box (see some pics here).
In what appears to be comparable to Mars Hill Church’s Board of Advisors and Accountability, Driscoll lists four pastors as providing “wise counsel”: Larry Osbourne, Randal Taylor, Jimmy Evans, and Robert Morris. These pastors have “apostolic gifting.”
Mark and Grace Driscoll have pastors with apostolic gifting who love them, know them, and are invested in them.
We learn from, respect, honor and seek wise counsel from the following leaders, their families, churches and ministries. We also appreciate those ministry leaders praying for and supporting our church plant.
Josh McDowell and Wayne Grudem are on the prayer team. UPDATE: Without note, Wayne Grudem’s name has been removed from the list of prayer supporters.
Apparently, it is forbidden to mention Mars Hill Church.
Although the incorporation papers say the church won’t have members, The Trinity Church website says the following about membership:
Once the church is established, a class and process for spiritual church membership will be offered.
Sounds similar to Mars Hill in that spiritual members didn’t vote. Legally, they weren’t members for the purpose of being involved in the business of the church.
The board of directors from the Arizona state corporation website is below:
Click the following links for the posts covering The Trinity Church, Mars Hill Church, and Mark Driscoll.
UPDATE: After the post was published, I noticed another video on Driscoll’s You Tube page, published today. Watch:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWI06YsSa3s[/youtube]
Here he describes the church plant again, but dressed in different clothing. I think the first video about the church plant was shot back in early December based on the clothing and scenery in this December 7 video.
