Showing posts with label paul petry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paul petry. Show all posts

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Mark Driscoll: A Timeline of His Downfall

Posted by Christine Pack


 A Timeline of Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill  

Below is a brief timeline of Mars Hill history. This timeline is by no means comprehensive, but merely gives a brief overview of some of what has taken place in the former megachurch Mars Hill under Mark Driscoll. I consider three of the events below to be pivotal moments, and which taken together were the events that caused Christians outside of Mars Hill to sit up and start asking questions about Driscoll. I have highlighted the date of those events in red:

April 1996 Mark Driscoll founds Mars Hill church in the Seattle, WA area with Leif Moi and Mike Gunn

September 29-30, 2006 Mark Driscoll, still a relatively unknown pastor, is introduced to the world by respected pastor John Piper at Piper's 2006 Desiring God conference at which Dr. Piper highlights Driscoll as one of his keynote speakers (as of November 2014, Dr. Piper insists he has no regrets in befriending Mark Driscoll, characterizes Driscoll as a good teacher despite "mistakes that Mark may have made" or instances in which "he might have walked out of step with the truth" - transcript of that interview here)

October 2007 Mark Driscoll moves to change the by-laws of Mars Hill church; the change would consolidate power with Driscoll and a smaller group of elders handpicked by Driscoll.  Two highly respected elders (Paul Petry and Bent Meyer) at Mars Hill resist this change, and are fired when they try to hold Driscoll accountable.

2006 - 2012 - Mark Driscoll, who earned a degree in Communications at Washington State University and is an effective speaker with an aggressive, edgy style, skyrockets in popularity. During this time:
▪ Under Driscoll's leadership, Mars Hill is one of the first churches to go "multi-site," in which a pastor's sermons are piped in via video screen. 
▪ Driscoll writes several books and is a highly sought after speaker at Christian conferences 
▪ Driscoll founds The Resurgence (a Christian resources organization), co-founds The Gospel Coalition (a Christian parachurch organization of prominent Christian leaders), and co-founds Acts 29 (a church planting organization)
January 25, 2012 Driscoll hosts an event entitled Elephant Room 2 (the first one having been the year prior) in which he features Oneness Pentecostal teacher TD Jakes, who holds to an unbiblical, non-Trinitarian view of Father, Son and Holy SpiritJakes is also a prosperity/Word of Faith teacher who is known for his lively ability to $hakedown the flock for ca$hPastor Chris Rosebrough, an outspoken critic of syncretism and ecumenical alliances, attempts to attend the ER2 event, having paid and registered for it online, but is charged with arrest at the door if he enters the building where the event was taking place. Several Christian writers begin asking questions about why Driscoll, an evangelical Christian, would affirm heretic TD Jakes as a Christian brother at this event (herehereherehereherehere, and here). This event proves to be a pivotal point, after which concerns about Driscoll begin to grow as more and more eyes are on him.

March 29, 2012 - Driscoll resigns from The Gospel Coalition (TGC)

Mark Driscoll at Strange Fire
October 18, 2013 Mark Driscoll stages a bizarre publicity stunt at the Strange Fire conference that backfires on him after security personnel treat Driscoll far more graciously than he apparently anticipated. He leaves the event and begins broadcasting on social media the lie that security personnel had confiscated his materials. In reality, he had handed them over as "a gift" (his words). Video surfaces later that documents the encounter, and shows that Driscoll lied.

November 21, 2013 Christian talk show host Janet Mefferd interviews Driscoll, and asks him about plagiarism in his newly released book A Call To Resurgence. Mefferd, in preparation for her interview with Driscoll (who is making the rounds on talk shows promoting his new book), had read Driscoll's book prior to her interview with him, and had discovered several instances of plagiarism. Janet came under heavy fire for asking Driscoll these questions, and her show producer ended up resigning in the midst of it.

November 23, 2103 Dr. Paul David Tripp, a well regarded biblical counselor, joins the Mars Hill Board of Advisors and Accountability (BoAA), a board set up ostensibly to bring accountability to the Mars Hill governance

March 6, 2014 - Pastor Chris Rosebrough of Fighting For the Faith radio reports that Mark Driscoll bought his way onto the New York Times Bestseller List "through anonymous third parties"Warren Throckmorton of Patheos publishes the contract that was in place for artificially inflating book sales for Driscoll's book Real Marriage.

July 30, 2014 - Dr. Paul David Tripp resigns from the Mars Hill BoAAlater calls Mars Hill "the most abusive, coercive ministry culture I’ve ever been involved with"

August 1, 2014 -  More allegations of plagiarism by Driscoll emerge. Warren Throckmorton of Patheos publishes a chart that documents plagiarism in seven books authored by Driscoll.

August 8, 2014 As Driscoll comes increasingly under scrutiny, with some of his actions being called into question by former Acts 29 pastors, the board of Acts 29 removes Mark Driscoll, the man who co-founded the Acts 29 organization, from membership, (video here). Former Acts 29 co-founder Ron Wheeler goes public with concerns about Mark Driscoll (Wheeler's entire open letter to Driscoll here)

August 13, 2014 NPR (National Public Radio), a secular media outlet, reports that Lifeway Christian Stores have halted sales of Driscoll's newest book (A Call To Resurgence) due to Driscoll's having been "accused of plagiarizing sections of the book and artificially inflating his book sales by bulk-buying copies."

August 21, 2014 - Twenty one former Mars Hill pastors bring formal charges against Mark Driscoll, alleging bullying, abuse of power

August 24, 2014 Mark Driscoll steps down for 6 week timeout while Mars Hill Board of Accountability (BoA) reviews charges against him

August 28, 2014 Nine elders at Mars Hill call for a change in Mars Hill by-laws that had been illegally changed by Driscoll in 2007, call for Driscoll to submit to plan for discipline/restoration

October 6, 2014 - All nine elders calling for by-laws change/discipline are gone, having either resigned or been fired

March 2014 - Present - Former Mars Hill pastors, one after the other, begin publicly confessing their sins of bullying, spiritual abuse and/or standing by while such behaviors were taking place during their tenures at Mars Hill (Repentant Pastor website)

October 15, 2014 - Mark Driscoll resigns from Mars Hill church, defiantly claiming however that he is not "disqualified from future ministry"

October 19, 2014 - It is revealed that Mars Hill elders were going to discipline Mark Driscoll, who then resigned rather than be disciplined (listen beginning at the 37 min mark) (Patheos article by Warren Throckmorton here)

Robert Morris welcomes
Mark Driscoll at Gateway Conference
October 20, 2014 Gateway Word of Faith pastor Robert Morris welcomes Mark Driscoll onto the stage one week after Driscoll's resignation even though Driscoll has fled the discipline process at Mars Hill, and still has not repented and sought forgiveness of those he has abused  (video of Mark Driscoll's appearance with Robert Morris can be seen here)

October 31, 2014 - It is announced that Mars Hill will officially dissolve

November 9, 2014 Driscoll is reported to be considering a return to public ministry, with the help of Word of Faith pastor Robert Morris; former members and elders say he still has not sought to be reconciled to them through the Matthew 18 process

********

As noted, this is not an exhaustive article. For a more comprehensive timeline, please see our article Documenting the Problems with Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll, as well as Warren Throckmorton's posts at Patheos.


 Additional Resources 

Mark Driscoll: A Timeline of His Downfall


Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Resigns, Claims He Is Not "Disqualified From Future Ministry"
Thoughts On Driscoll and The Biblical Qualifications For A Pastor

John Piper and Mark Driscoll: Lessons Not Learned? (Pyromaniacs)

What John Piper Said When He Finally Addressed the Issue of Mark Driscoll......What We Wish He Had Said Instead

Pastor Chris Rosebrough Deconstructs Robert Morris's "Blessed Life" Teaching, Part 1 and Part 2

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Thoughts On Driscoll and The Biblical Qualifications For A Pastor

Posted by Christine Pack and Cathy Mathews

I hope that anyone reading our articles or seeing our online commentary about Mark Driscoll, the Mars Hill megachurch pastor who recently resigned under fire for documented instances of plagiarism, public lies and spiritual abuse, understands that we take absolutely no pleasure in Driscoll's meltdown, and the implosion of Mars Hill. I (Christine) remember liking Driscoll's sermons back in the first few years of my Christian walk. Piper had recently keynoted him at Desiring God and Todd Friel at Wretched occasionally featured his sermons. He taught a lot of good things there for a season. But Driscoll reminds me of one of those great Shakespearean characters, a character who, though powerful and compelling, has a tragic flaw. Shakespeare was masterful at creating these larger-than-life characters; the character was often a hero or sympathetic character, but he had this flaw, one which everyone else around him was aware of, including you as the audience. And you would find yourself while reading it or watching a play almost wanting to shout at the character, Stop, please just STOP!! Don't you see how your (fill-in-the-flaw) is about to destroy your world? But that's the thing about our blindspots, we can't see our own. That's why I have a few people in my life that I tell on a semi-regular basis, hey, tell me what I can't see about myself. Don't let me fall into some profound sin because of something I'm too blind or dumb to see. And I'm not saying that I'm so great in doing that, I'm saying that because I'm so stupid and sinful and blind. We all need accountability. I wish that Driscoll had taken heed of those around him who had tried to help him. He showed so much promise.

Unfortunately, although Driscoll has stepped down (at least for now, though he is said to be considering a return to ministry), there is no question but that his reach and influence have extended far and wide, and still do. Like the spores of a dandelion being blown into the wind, young Christian men all over America picked up on his style of "doing" church and sought to do likewise. Thus, Driscoll's domineering and aggressive pastoring style (if you can even call it "pastoring" since he doesn't seem to have the ability to gently shepherd souls entrusted into his care, as a proper shepherd should) is widely admired and more than that, emulated. A close friend of mine is dealing with a situation at her church where the youth leader, who has been heavily influenced by Mark Driscoll, has such starry-eyed visions of planting churches ( à la Driscoll's aggressive church planting mechanism Acts 29), that he can't even be bothered to look after the souls of the young people who are in his care right now, several of whom are my friend's children, and who are being negatively impacted. He casually told my friend, "Well, I'm not really interested in kids, this is sort of a stepping stone to the next thing for me." Newsflash, Mark Driscoll wannabes: the Mark Driscoll model for doing church is not the biblical way to do things. Casually disregarding people entrusted into your care while you seek a bigger and better platform is not the model.

photo credit: wolf4max via photopin cc
Pastoring 101 - Here's what should happen when seminary students show up for their first day of class: they are handed two live sheep. And the professor then tells them this: Your assignment is to look after these sheep for the next semester. You are to feed them, care for them, tend them, comb their fur, and protect them from wolves. If at the end of the semester you return both of these sheep to me, alive and in good condition (i.e, they not frightened, malnourished or missing any limbs), then next semester you will have earned the right to graduate to the next step: learning how to minister to actual people.
1 Timothy 3:1-13 - Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons 
Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.  
In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.  
In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.  
A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Titus 1:5-10 - Qualifications for Elders 
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.

 Additional Resources 

Mark Driscoll: A Timeline of His Downfall
 (Sola Sisters)

Documenting the Problems with Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll [UPDATED]

Former Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Considering New Ministry, Still Has Not Repented, Sought Reconciliation Say Former Mars Hill Members/Elders

What John Piper Said When He Finally Addressed the Issue of Mark Driscoll......What We Wish He Had Said Instead


Mark Driscoll's Failed Publicity Stunt That Ended With Him Lying About What Really Happened

Mark Driscoll Repents? Not So Fast, Say Phil Johnson and Chris Rosebrough

John Piper and Mark Driscoll: Lessons Not Learned? (Pyromaniacs)

Friday, November 14, 2014

What John Piper Said When He Finally Addressed the Issue of Mark Driscoll......What We Wish He Had Said Instead

Posted by Christine Pack

Dr John Piper (L) and Mark Driscoll (R)
Mark Driscoll, former pastor of the Seattle-based megachurch Mars Hill Church, recently resigned amid charges of spiritual abuse, bullying and plagiarism in what was once pointed to as an oasis of biblical truth in the largely unchurched Pacific Northwest. (A comprehensive detailing of the problems with Mark Driscoll's leadership and his resignation can be found here.Driscoll, who was still a relatively unknown pastor up until 2006, was introduced to the world by widely respected pastor and theologian John Piper at Piper's annual Desiring God conference at which Dr. Piper highlighted Driscoll as one of his keynote speakers. From there, Driscoll rapidly grew in influence; he authored several books, keynoted at countless Christian conferences nationwide, pioneered the multi-site church model, and set up the Acts 29 network which serves as a worldwide church-planting mechanism and which eager young church planters taken with Driscoll's edgy, brash way of doing church have used to set up their own churches.

Since his resignation, Driscoll has reportedly fled the biblical process of church discipline at Mars Hill, perhaps in favor of setting up another church elsewhere with those willing to turn a blind eye to his sins and unresolved conflicts at his former church. (For documentation of Driscoll's having fled the discipline process, follow this link to hear audio of Mars Hill pastor A.J. Hamilton speaking at the 10-19-14 Mars Hill church service, beginning at the 37 min mark.) Understandably, many eyes have now turned to Dr. Piper, who has said that he considers Driscoll to be like a son to him. In a recent interview, Dr. Piper was asked if, given the magnitude of the scandals now associated with Driscoll, he had any regrets in partnering with Driscoll over the years. In essence, Dr. Piper stated in the interview published 11-13-14 that despite "mistakes that Mark may have made" or instances in which "he might have walked out of step with the truth," that he had "no regrets" over partnering with Driscoll, and that despite some misgivings he had, he felt that Driscoll was on the whole a solid teacher. (The entire interview can be read here, and listened to here.)


After this interview with Dr. Piper was released, Janet Mefferd of The Janet Mefferd Show wrote a brief statement detailing what she wished Dr. Piper had said, in lieu of what he actually said, about his association with Mark Driscoll. (Lest we forget, it was Mefferd who held the now infamous interview with Mark Driscoll in the fall of 2013, during which she asked him about plagiarism in his newly released book. Mefferd, in preparation for her interview with Driscoll, who was making the rounds on talk shows promoting the book, had read Driscoll's book A Call to Resurgence in preparation for her interview with him, and had discovered several instances of plagiarism.) Mefferd's statement of what she wishes Dr. Piper had said instead of what he actually said:
What John Piper Should Have Said 
I recognize that a lot of people have heard me promote Mark Driscoll, and today, I am here to apologize. I deliberately overlooked obvious evidence of Driscoll's lack of godliness and lack of ministry qualifications early on, simply because I liked his doctrinal statement and wanted to be supportive of a Christian outreach effort to pagan Seattle. Unfortunately, I made a huge mistake in doing that. I knew about Driscoll's ungodly character a long time ago, and I chose to overlook it. Given the further evidence that has now come out about his lying, his serial plagiarism, his deception with ResultSource, spiritual/verbal abuse of so many people and continuing lack of true godly sorrow about all that he did, it is clear that Driscoll was never pastor material, and as an older and more mature Christian, I should have recognized that a lot earlier than I did. I should have refused to help him increase his platform, but instead, I made choices that helped him increase that platform. And by doing so, I unwittingly enabled him to hurt a lot of people and ultimately destroy a church, all while dragging Jesus' name through the mud. I am thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed at my role in propping up Mark Driscoll. I knew better. I also should have spoken up a lot sooner than I did as the revelations about his duplicity came to light. And so, I am here to apologize. I am deeply sorry for my sin, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I hope you will forgive me for my lack of discernment and judgment. And especially to the victims of Mark Driscoll, please forgive me. A shepherd has the biblical responsibility to love and care for Jesus' sheep, and I have failed in that. You matter to Jesus, and those who could have protected you - like me - fell down on the job. I am so sorry. Most of all, I ask the Lord to forgive me and to help me to exercise more biblical faithfulness in the future. (online source)

 Additional Resources 

Mark Driscoll: A Timeline of His Downfall


Thoughts On Driscoll and The Biblical Qualifications For A Pastor

Former Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Considering New Ministry, Still Has Not Repented, Sought Reconciliation Say Former Mars Hill Members/Elders

Documenting the Problems with Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll [UPDATED]

Janet Mefferd's Interview with Mark Driscoll - 11-21-13

Mark Driscoll's Failed Publicity Stunt That Ended With Him Lying About What Really Happened

Mark Driscoll Repents? Not So Fast, Say Phil Johnson and Chris Rosebrough

John Piper and Mark Driscoll: Lessons Not Learned? (Pyromaniacs)

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Mark Driscoll Considering New Ministry, Still Has Not Repented, Sought Reconciliation Say Former Members & Elders of Mars Hill

Posted by Christine Pack

Warren Throckmorton of Patheos, who has been doing a bang-up job of keeping us current on the very fluid situation of Mark Driscoll, is reporting today that Mark Driscoll is considering re-establishing himself as a pastor, under the auspices of Word of Faith false teacher Robert Morris. This should not be surprising, given that it was just three short weeks ago that Robert Morris gave the recently resigned Mark Driscoll a very warm and sympathetic welcome to his stage at the Gateway Conference. (For a thorough analysis of Robert Morris's unbiblical teaching, go here and here.) One wouldn't even have to be a PR expert to guess that that appearance by Driscoll was in all likelihood his way of gauging whether or not he can still captivate a crowd without being asked too many pesky questions. And the crowd, indeed, did warmly receive Driscoll, who has been under fire in the last few years for plagiarism, a potty mouth, spiritual abuse, threatening to throw church members "under the bus," partnering with heretics, and most recently, fleeing church discipline.

The cumulative weight of what Driscoll has done in his time as a pastor (read this article for documentation) should at least give a person pause, I would think. A pastor linking to a sex toys website? A pastor chuckling about breaking the noses of his elders? A pastor joking about throwing people under the bus if they don't catch his vision with him? A pastor lying about how security personnel at the Strange Fire conference handled his gate-crashing stunt? These are not the marks of a 1 Timothy 3/Titus 1 pastor.

Driscoll's supporters, however, and they are legion, rush in to say, But wait! He has repented! And here, they claim, is proof of that:


But this video is not in fact evidence of Driscoll's repentance, given that fleeing the discipline process of one's own church in order to find a more sympathetic, more removed pastor who is willing to take you on should not be missed here (as Driscoll appears to be doing with Robert Morris). Below is the video of Robert Morris's sympathetic introduction of Driscoll, and what appears to be Step One of Image Rehabilitation for Mark Driscoll.


There is a real absurdity to Driscoll positioning himself as a victim (as he did in this video), in light of the fact that he is one who is documented to have spiritually abused so many at his former church, and yet he has completely disdained the repentance/reconciliation process with those he abused, and is apparently seeking corporate forgiveness as if he had handled this the biblical way. So nobody needs to rush in with hugs and cuddles and forgiveness for him just yet, when he has not even repented and sought forgiveness from those he specifically and personally wronged.

So my response to this video is that a vague public pronouncement of "mistakes" that were made is not the same thing as genuine, godly, personal, specific repentance, in keeping with the Matthew 18 model.

 A Timeline of Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill  

Below is a brief timeline of Mars Hill history. This timeline is by no means comprehensive, but merely gives a brief overview of some of what has taken place in the former megachurch Mars Hill under Mark Driscoll. I consider three of the events below to be pivotal moments, and which taken together were the events that caused Christians outside of Mars Hill to sit up and start asking questions about Driscoll. I have highlighted the date of those events in red. This timeline will serve as the backdrop for the rest of this article:

April 1996 - Mark Driscoll founds Mars Hill church in the Seattle, WA area with Leif Moi and Mike Gunn

September 29-30, 2006 - Mark Driscoll, still a relatively unknown pastor, is introduced to the world by respected pastor John Piper at Piper's 2006 Desiring God conference at which Dr. Piper highlights Driscoll as one of his keynote speakers (as of November 2014, Dr. Piper insists he has no regrets in befriending Mark Driscoll, characterizes Driscoll as a good teacher despite "mistakes that Mark may have made" or instances in which "he might have walked out of step with the truth" - transcript of that interview here)

October 2007 - Mark Driscoll moves to change the by-laws of Mars Hill church; the change would consolidate power with Driscoll and a smaller group of elders handpicked by Driscoll.  Two highly respected elders (Paul Petry and Bent Meyer) at Mars Hill resist this change, and are fired when they try to hold Driscoll accountable.

2006 - 2012 - Mark Driscoll, who earned a degree in Communications at Washington State University and is an effective speaker with an aggressive, edgy style, skyrockets in popularity. During this time:
▪ Under Driscoll's leadership, Mars Hill is one of the first churches to go "multi-site," in which a pastor's sermons are piped in via video screen. 
▪ Driscoll writes several books and is a highly sought after speaker at Christian conferences 
▪ Driscoll founds The Resurgence (a Christian resources organization), co-founds The Gospel Coalition (a Christian parachurch organization of prominent Christian leaders), and co-founds Acts 29 (a church planting organization)
January 25, 2012 - Driscoll hosts an event entitled Elephant Room 2 (the first one having been the year prior) in which he features Oneness Pentecostal teacher TD Jakes, who holds to an unbiblical, non-Trinitarian view of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jakes is also a prosperity/Word of Faith teacher who is known for his lively ability to $hakedown the flock for ca$h. Pastor Chris Rosebrough, an outspoken critic of syncretism and ecumenical alliances, attempts to attend the ER2 event, having paid and registered for it online, but is charged with arrest at the door if he enters the building where the event was taking place. Several Christian writers begin asking questions about why Driscoll, an evangelical Christian, would affirm heretic TD Jakes as a Christian brother at this event (herehere, herehere, here, here, and here). This event proves to be a pivotal point, after which concerns about Driscoll begin to grow as more and more eyes are on him.

March 29, 2012 - Driscoll resigns from The Gospel Coalition (TGC)

October 18, 2013 Mark Driscoll stages a bizarre publicity stunt at the Strange Fire conference that backfires on him after security personnel treat Driscoll far more graciously than he apparently anticipated. He leaves the event and begins broadcasting on social media the lie that security personnel had confiscated his materials. In reality, he had handed them over as "a gift" (his words). Video surfaces later that documents the encounter, and shows that Driscoll lied.

November 21, 2013 - Christian talk show host Janet Mefferd interviews Driscoll, and asks him about plagiarism in his newly released book A Call To Resurgence. Mefferd, in preparation for her interview with Driscoll (who is making the rounds on talk shows promoting his new book), had read Driscoll's book prior to her interview with him, and had discovered several instances of plagiarism. Janet came under heavy fire for asking Driscoll these questions, and her show producer ended up resigning in the midst of it.

November 23, 2103 - Dr. Paul David Tripp, a well regarded biblical counselor, joins the Mars Hill Board of Advisors and Accountability (BoAA), a board set up ostensibly to bring accountability to the Mars Hill governance

March 6, 2014 - Pastor Chris Rosebrough of Fighting For the Faith radio reports that Mark Driscoll bought his way onto the New York Times Bestseller List "through anonymous third parties"Warren Throckmorton of Patheos publishes the contract that was in place for artificially inflating book sales for Driscoll's book Real Marriage.

July 30, 2014 - Dr. Paul David Tripp resigns from the Mars Hill BoAAlater calls Mars Hill "the most abusive, coercive ministry culture I’ve ever been involved with"

August 1, 2014 -  More allegations of plagiarism by Driscoll emerge. Warren Throckmorton of Patheos publishes a chart that documents plagiarism in seven books authored by Driscoll.

August 8, 2014 - As Driscoll comes increasingly under scrutiny, with some of his actions being called into question by former Acts 29 pastors, the board of Acts 29 removes Mark Driscoll, the man who co-founded the Acts 29 organization, from membership, (video here). Former Acts 29 co-founder Ron Wheeler goes public with concerns about Mark Driscoll (Wheeler's entire open letter to Driscoll here)

August 13, 2014 NPR (National Public Radio), a secular media outlet, reports that Lifeway Christian Stores have halted sales of Driscoll's newest book (A Call To Resurgence) due to Driscoll's having been "accused of plagiarizing sections of the book and artificially inflating his book sales by bulk-buying copies."

August 21, 2014 - Twenty one former Mars Hill pastors bring formal charges against Mark Driscoll, alleging bullying, abuse of power

August 24, 2014 - Mark Driscoll steps down for 6 week timeout while Mars Hill Board of Accountability (BoA) reviews charges against him

August 28, 2014 - Nine elders at Mars Hill call for a change in Mars Hill by-laws that had been illegally changed by Driscoll in 2007, call for Driscoll to submit to plan for discipline/restoration

October 6, 2014 - All nine elders calling for by-laws change/discipline are gone, having either resigned or been fired

March 2014 - Present - Former Mars Hill pastors, one after the other, begin publicly confessing their sins of bullying, spiritual abuse and/or standing by while such behaviors were taking place during their tenures at Mars Hill (Repentant Pastor website)

October 15, 2014 - Mark Driscoll resigns from Mars Hill church, defiantly claiming however that he is not "disqualified from future ministry"

October 19, 2014 - It is revealed that Mars Hill elders were going to discipline Mark Driscoll, who then resigned rather than be disciplined (listen beginning at the 37 min mark) (Patheos article by Warren Throckmorton here)

October 20, 2014 - Gateway Word of Faith pastor Robert Morris welcomes Mark Driscoll onto the stage one week after Driscoll's resignation even though Driscoll has fled the discipline process at Mars Hill, and still has not repented and sought forgiveness of those he has abused  (video of Mark Driscoll's appearance with Robert Morris can be seen here)

October 31, 2014 - It is announced that Mars Hill will officially dissolve

November 9, 2014 - Driscoll is reported to be considering a return to public ministry, with the help of Word of Faith pastor Robert Morris; former members and elders say he still has not sought to be reconciled to them through the Matthew 18 process

 Matthew 18 - What does it look like? 
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)
So let's examine in detail the biblical model for repentance and reconciliation, which God graciously lays out for us very succinctly and elegantly in Matthew 18:15-17. I think this discussion about the Matthew 18 process might be helpful, since there seems to be some ongoing confusion among Driscoll's supporters about what that process should look like. Here are a few comments that have been made to me about Mark Driscoll, with respect to the Matthew 18 process:
"How do you know that Mark Driscoll hasn't repented?" 
"The world is watching. Why does the American Church have a hard time showing grace and compassion? It baffles me." 
 "Let it play out between Mark and God....he doesn't need a 'watch dog' bully group going after him." 
"How do you know that Mark is not broken-hearted. Don't just go along with all the hype..always verify." 
"Calling for Mark Driscoll to go specifically to those he has sinned against is legalism."
"Does Mark reach hundreds of thousands? Absolutely. Did he offend hundred of thousands? No. Did he sin against you? No."
I will address the above comments in the rest of this article, but it was this last comment that bothered me the most. What that commenter doesn't seem to understand is that Mark Driscoll has set into motion within the body of Christ hundreds if not thousands of young men wanting to emulate their idol. Here's how it worked: along with being doctrinally solid, he (Driscoll) is angry, aggressive, abusive, edgy and combative. Along with being doctrinally solid, they (his followers) are angry, aggressive, abusive, edgy and combative. Get it? It's like a dandelion being blown into the wind. The spores have gone everywhere and taken root. I live in Atlanta, far away from Seattle, and yet I am in contact in my area with those who have been impacted in an incredibly negative way by leaders who have taken on Driscoll's model for pastoring and doing church. Leaders who are young and immature, and too impatient to actually tend to their flocks due to their desire to mega-size their ministries. The entire body of Christ has been affected.

The Matthew 18 process has been going on with Mark Driscoll since at least 2007. The fall of 2007 was when, according to former elders Paul Petry and Bent Meyer, Driscoll made a move to unilaterally change the by-laws of Mars Hill church in order to consolidate power for himself, and then fired the elders (Petry and Meyer) who resisted and sought to hold him accountable.

This sign at the 8-3-14 demonstration documents
that former members attempted to work things out
with Driscoll via the Matthew 18 process, but
he would not listen to their concerns or repent.
He wouldn't listen when one and then a few
went to him (Matt 18:15-16)....
so it went to the church body (Matt 18:17a)....
and now it's in the process
of going out to the world (Matt 18:17b).
Thus, we're no longer in the beginning stages of the Matthew 18 discipline process ("If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses." Matthew 18:15-16). Those private attempts by Petry and Meyer to hold Driscoll accountable did not have the desired outcome of bringing about repentance in Driscoll. That step of the process was done as it should have been done: quietly, and at the local church body level, with only a few aware of what was going on. Is it not merciful of God to have set up the discipline process in this way, as a kindness to sinners so that their sins are not trumpeted to the world? After all, who wants sins to be broadcast for all to see, either for themselves or for others? I know I don't. I appreciate that God keeps the circle in the restoration process small in the beginning. In fact, the circle is ONLY widened if the sinner refuses to repent and do what is right, but the sinner can stop that train at any point by repenting and reconciling with those he has sinned against, and the circle of those who know about it would still stay relatively small. By all accounts, however, Driscoll did not do this, which means, sadly, that we are somewhere in the mark-him-out-as-an-unbeliever-and-put-him-out-of-fellowship territory ("If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Matthew 18:17).

As I am part of the larger body of Christ, I am thankful for my fellow Christians in other congregations who are willing to do their part in the discipline process, and warn others in the body of those who would claim the name of Christ, but who have demonstrated that they are not willing to be corrected or disciplined over ongoing sin patterns. We're to treat those as lost people. However, I do not want that for Driscoll, even as I go about the sad business of documenting, for clarity's sake, the massive amounts of damage that Driscoll has done to the body of Christ. My genuine desire is that he will come around, that he will repent and be restored, not to ministry, from which he is forever disqualified, but to fellowship within a local church body. But those in his fanbase who are defending him in a way that makes it come across as if he is somehow above this Matthew 18 procedure (evidenced in the quotes I isolated above) are not doing him any favors.


 Driscoll Can't Reconcile With His Accusers Because He Doesn't Know Who They Are? 
Mark Driscoll (July 21, 2104): “A lot of the people we were dealing with in this season remain anonymous, and so we don’t know how to reconcile or how to work things out with people because we’re not entirely sure who they are.”
When Mark Driscoll addressed the Mars Hill congregation on July 21, 2014, and stated that he was giving himself a six week timeout, he said at the time that he wished he could repent to those he needed to at Mars Hill, but that it was difficult to do so because so many of them were "anonymous." In response to Driscoll's statement, a number of former Mars Hill members and elders set up a Facebook group in order to help Mark Driscoll out in finding those he needs to repent to. (Some of them also called for Driscoll's resignation and protested their denigration to "anonymous" status in the eyes of their former pastor in a peaceful demonstration outside the main Mars Hill campus on Sunday, August 3, 2014.)

The Facebook group that was set up is named Dear Pastor Mark and Mars Hill: We Are Not Anonymous. Catchy title, huh? This was and is a very active Facebook group (linked to above), which exists for the purpose of making it clear that those who have been disdained by their former pastor as insignificant, anonymous voices are not, in fact, insignificant. (I am also a member of this group, being sympathetic to their cause in particular, and to spiritual abuse in general.) Driscoll's fanbase insist that poor Driscoll has suffered enough, it's time to just move on, there's nothing to see here, people! Well, those whom Driscoll bullied and spiritually abused have also suffered. And unlike Driscoll, they don't have a fanbase of hundreds of people rushing to their defense and pleading their cases for them. After all, they are (for the most part) nameless, faceless nobodies. But just because they're not a big celebrity pastor who can draw a crowd doesn't mean that they're not every bit as important in God's eyes as Driscoll, whom so many are rushing to defend and give a pass to. Sadly, the fact that biblical reconciliation has not taken place between these former Mars Hill members and their former pastor doesn't seem to slow down Driscoll's fans.

Dear Pastor Mark & Mars Hill: We Are Not Anonymous facebook group

 No repentance from Mark Driscoll 

The people in the Dear Pastor Mark and Mars Hill Facebook group have given heartbreakingly candid testimonies, one after the other, of being abused and cast aside by Driscoll as he leveraged himself up over their dead bodies. This group is an open group, which means that anyone can feel free to post in there, and and ask the members for themselves if Driscoll has repented to any of them. Trust me, they are very candid, some of them almost painfully so. And no, they say, Driscoll has not come to them and repented.


 Closing Thoughts 

While I recognize that commentary about Driscoll will be perceived by some as piling on, my concern is that because Driscoll is so adept at manipulation and spin, he will spin his way out of this box he's in by convincing onlookers that he has repented and apologized and that we all just need to move on now, nothing to see here, folks. The reality is that this hasn't occurred. Documentation of this is important almost in an historical sense, because what Driscoll seems to be banking on (as many other false teachers before him have done) is that Christians will hasten to move on, thinking this is all dealt with, when the reality is that, biblically speaking, it hasn't been.

In some respects, I see my role almost as a documentarian: I document and log facts, and of course, I am hoping for the best. But if at some point down the road Driscoll tries to say look, the board dealt with this, it's done, it's time to move on, I just want to get on with my life, I (and others) can and should hold up the documentation that testifies to the fact that, no, he has not dealt specifically and personally with those he has wronged, bullied and spiritually abused. We don't do this in order to be unkind or malicious, but because when our fellow Christians* are ensnared in sin, we're not being biblical with them if we just look the other way. Sin needs to be called sin. Driscoll needs accountability, I need accountability, we all need accountability. We don't need to be enabled in our sin, because unrepentant sin that goes on and on and on has the effect of hardening the heart and turning the unrepentant sinner further and further away from God. I don't want that for Mark Driscoll.

By now, it should be clear to the body of Christ that Driscoll, by his unrepentant abusiveness, has completely disqualified himself from ever pastoring again. But worse than that, his soul appears to be in jeopardy. To loosely quote Taylor Swift, it is never, ever, ever a good thing for someone to continue in unrepentant sin, unchecked by either outward accountability or by conscience. Driscoll does need prayer, but so do the many sheep who were entrusted into his care and who were spiritually abused by him. Spiritual abuse can take years to recover from, and I have the deepest sympathy and sorrow for those who were abused by Driscoll. But at the same time, we should also hold out hope that God will work genuine repentance in Driscoll's heart, and that he will bear fruit in keeping with Godly sorrow. What a miraculous testament to God's grace and restorative power if Driscoll were to publicly repent and confess his sins! Repentance first starts in the heart, so perhaps Godly sorrow is beginning to work in Driscoll's heart. But in cases in which one's sin has been public and impacted others, true repentance will also manifest in the one who sinned going personally to those he sinned against, and specifically and personally repenting and asking their forgiveness. I hope for Mark Driscoll's sake that this takes place. Not only that, I will be more than happy to rejoice with him over that and report about it, should that occur.

* Of course, it's debatable at this point whether or not Driscoll is a believer, but as he is still a professing believer who holds to an orthodox gospel proclamation, I am still going to deal with him in that way.


 Additional Resources 

Mark Driscoll: A Timeline of His Downfall
 (Sola Sisters)

Thoughts On Driscoll and The Biblical Qualifications For A Pastor

John Piper and Mark Driscoll: Lessons Not Learned? (Pyromaniacs)

Mark Driscoll Repents? Not So Fast, Say Phil Johnson and Chris Rosebrough

Documenting the Problems with Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll [UPDATED]

Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Resigns, Claims He Is Not "Disqualified From Future Ministry"

What John Piper Said When He Finally Addressed the Issue of Mark Driscoll......What We Wish He Had Said Instead

Pastor Chris Rosebrough Deconstructs Robert Morris's "Blessed Life" Teaching, Part 1 and Part 2

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Resigns, Claims He Is Not "Disqualified From Future Ministry"

Posted by Christine Pack

Mars Hill pastor Mark Driscoll, who was first introduced to the world by being featured as a keynote speaker at John Piper's 2006 Desiring God conference, and who quickly gathered a large following along with a "bad boy" reputation, has now resigned. However, in his resignation letter, Driscoll appeared to leave open the possibility of his return to public ministry by stating that he was thankful to the Mars Hill church oversight committee for making it clear that he (Driscoll) has not been disqualified from future ministry. His basis for making such a claim seems to rest on the fact that the oversight committee had stated that Driscoll had not been charged with "criminal activity, immorality or heresy." It should be noted, however, that these things, while important, are not the entire standard against which a pastor is to be held.
Titus 1:5-10 - Qualifications for Elders 
"This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party."
To understand the seriousness of the charges being made against Mark Driscoll, please read the following article:
Documenting the Problems with Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll [UPDATED]
Also, the following articles (most of them by Warren Throckmorton of patheos) have documented questions and concerns that still remain about alleged improprieties over the handling of some of the finances while Driscoll was the lead pastor at Mars Hill, particularly with respect to the Global Fund. The Global Fund was a fund that Mars Hill attendees were encouraged to contribute financially to, and which was positioned as a missions fund.
Mars Hill “Global Fund” Contributors with Concerns Invited to Contact Washington State Attorney General’s Office
Mars Hill Global Fund: Help the Helpless or Use the Helpless? 
Mars Hill Church Scrubs Three Mars Hill Global Fund Videos 
Mars Hill Church’s International Mission Ministry: Mars Hill Global Fund
Mars Hill Member Wants Accounting of Global Fund Donations
Former Mars Hill Church Members Speak Out About Global Fund, Church Finances

 Additional Resources 

Mark Driscoll: A Timeline of His Downfall
 (Sola Sisters)

Pastor Chris Rosebrough Discusses Mark Driscoll's Resignation

Mars Hill “Global Fund” Contributors With Concerns Invited to Contact Washington State Attorney General’s Office

Posted by Christine Pack

Mars Hill pastor Mark Driscoll, who was first introduced to the world by being featured as a keynote speaker at John Piper's 2006 Desiring God conference, and who quickly gathered a large following along with a "bad boy" reputation, has now resigned. However, questions still remain about alleged improprieties having to do with the handling of some of the finances while he was the lead pastor at his church, particularly with respect to the Mars Hill Global Fund, a fund that Mars Hill attendees were encouraged to contribute financially to, and which was positioned as a missions fund.

According to former Mars Hill member Dean Watkins:
I just got off the phone with an employee in 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 (i.e., forward to IRS, etc.).
If you did not contribute to the Global Fund, but you still have friends that you think might have, please forward this information to them. I didn't personally give to the fund since I left the church a few years ago. But I thought it was important to investigate what entity might hold them accountable. And this is the best I could come up with. 
If there are enough complaints, the Attorney General's will likely investigate. But the complaints need to be from people who gave to the Global Fund. Thank you each for filing your complaint, or sharing this information with someone that may have a complaint to file.
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.
Titus 1:5-10 - Qualifications for Elders  
"This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party."

 Additional Resources 

Documenting The Problems With Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll [UPDATED]

Mars Hill Global Fund: Help the Helpless or Use the Helpless?

Mars Hill “Global Fund” Contributors With Concerns Invited to Contact Washington State Attorney General’s Office

Mars Hill Global Fund: Help the Helpless or Use the Helpless?

Mars Hill Church Scrubs Three Mars Hill Global Fund Videos 

Mars Hill Church’s International Mission Ministry: Mars Hill Global Fund

Mars Hill Member Wants Accounting of Global Fund Donations

Former Mars Hill Church Members Speak Out About Global Fund, Church Finances

Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll Resigns, Claims He Is Not "Disqualified From Future Ministry"

Pastor Chris Rosebrough Discusses Mark Driscoll's Resignation

Friday, September 19, 2014

Forbes Magazine Writes About Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill

Posted by Christine Pack

When you've got the secular world (in this case, Forbes magazine) looking in and rightly calling out spiritual abuse, there's a real problem. Frankly, it blasphemes God's name when it has to come to the point where even the lost are pointing and talking.

From the article:
In life, blowhards and bullies will inevitably rise up and do their thing. In the field of management, they tend to rise up and do it with extra frequency and impact. And in religious organizations, they can often do it with maximum impact, because the whole enterprise is usually founded on the notion of absolute authority. 
Mark Driscoll, one of the nation’s most prominent and celebrated pastors, may be the newest and best example of this. He is the toxic leader du jour, though he has stepped away from leadership temporarily to navigate massive waves of accusations that have flowed into his Mars Hill multi-campus megachurch based in Seattle. 
(Mars Hill: Cautionary Tales From The Enron Of American Churches)

The entire article can be read here.


 Additional Resources 

Documenting the Problems With Mark Driscoll

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Current Mars Hill Members Write An Excellent Letter To Mark Driscoll, Make Suggestions

Posted by Christine Pack

Warren Throckmorton of Patheos, who has been doing a bang-up job of reporting on the Mark Driscoll crisis, reports that some current Mars Hill members have written a letter to Mark Driscoll, which they shared with him for publication. This is such a kind, compassionate letter to a man (Driscoll) who is obviously very messed up and needs help. There are also some very wise and practical suggestions from these members for getting Mars Hill steadied.

The bottom line in this is that the church - any church - is not the property of any particular pastor. The church is the Bride of Christ, and belongs to God. Mars Hill is not Mark Driscoll's church to do with as he pleases. These members are trying to help him recognize that, and to act accordingly. I hope that he does.

From the letter, here are a few of the steps these members say that they would like to see implemented in order to put Mars Hill back in order:
- Fire the PR firm. Churches need to tell the truth, not spin it. Please tell us that members aren’t paying for the PR firm? 
- Hire an independent CPA firm. They should be experienced with churches/non profits; have them thoroughly audit Mars Hill financial records for the past 5 years. Then publish their findings in plain English so we can all read them. Forget about the ECFA endorsement; that doesn’t seem to provide much real accountability. At this point, we don’t know what to believe about the money; however there’s enough funny sounding stuff to make us feel pretty uncomfortable and not be very excited to give more money. Time to put all speculation to rest and just lay out the facts to us. 
- Scrap the current governance system. Come up with a new governance system; pretty obvious to everyone but you that this one ain’t working. 
- Report All Progress Through The Patheos Blog. You’ve made us all daily readers of the Patheos blog. Why? Because we feel ‘spun’ when we read much of the Mars Hill official stuff. Patheos may not be 100% Mars Hill friendly; however it does seem to give us more of the straight scoop on what’s going on than the official Mars Hill information channels. 
- Report monthly on the progress with the 21 former pastors/elders on Patheos. It appears that you have an independent arbitrator handling the process with the 21 former pastors/elders, which is great. Now have each of the 21 report back directly through Patheos as each case is resolved. We just want to hear it directly in their own words that “things are fixed”. We want to see progress. 
- Give up your current 6 week “stepping down” review process. Most of us average members don’t really think this review process is that independent, even the newly announced BoE (Board of Elders). Both the BOAA and the BoE are hand picked boards judging those that picked them. What happens to those who disagree in this process? Of the nine men who signed the now infamous letter, eight are gone. Eight very good men. It’s tough to trust a process where dissenters seem to just disappear. Time is too precious; stop this process so we can focus on real solutions. 
- Tell us what the Executive Elders earn. We all saw the outside of your house on KOMO TV news recently Pastor Mark. Million dollar house KOMO said, which was new information to many of us. Looking at your million dollar home, it does raise questions in our minds. You are telling us to contribute more since giving is down. That’s fine; however first show us the money trail, including all EE salaries, book deals, everything. No hiding money in special trusts or backdoor channels. Complete transparency. 
- Show us a current up to date Mars Hill balance sheet. We want to know what assets Mars Hill owns and what it owes. People are being let go and campuses closed to live inside budget. Fine. You are asking us to give more, fine. But if we have assets that can be tapped into or sold, we would like to know what they are. Sources on the internet say that Mars Hill owns real estate valued at over $10 million. If you want shared sacrifice, we need to understand the full picture of what we have to work with. Publish this on the Patheos blog for all to see; if we are walking in the light, what do we have to be afraid of? 
- Hire Paul Tripp. Let him set up a process to fix the ministry culture at Mars Hill. When Mars Hill sent us the email recently saying how angry the elders were that the 9 pastors’ letter was leaked, it kind of missed the point that we all saw plain as day: Paul Tripp thinks our church is the sickest he has ever seen and we are hung up on how the letter got leaked? Doesn’t that kind of prove Tripp’s point a bit? Don’t we all just want the truth here? Paul Tripp needs to have a secure role in partnership with a new elder board of some type to do what he and they think needs to be done, and then report back to us about progress independently. 
- Voluntarily Step Down Pastor Mark. For as long as Paul Tripp and whatever new elder board that is created think you need to. You don’t get to decide your fate at Mars Hill, they do............You’ve said you want to be at Mars Hill the rest of your life; now prove it. Have the [courage] to voluntarily step down now and submit to Paul Tripp and a new elder governance system so you have the time to get your own internal house in order. We don’t know what’s wrong with you Pastor Mark, but you and the Executive Elders seem to be the only ones who are not seeing the obvious: you need some help. No more hiding behind the skirt of self appointed internal review boards and governance rules you wrote yourself. No more PR firms. No more videos. No more explanations about how detractors are anonymous or blaming ‘negative media attention’ for our woes. We’ve had enough of that; it sounds like unmanly whining.
***The letter can be read in its entirety here, but there is some language in the letter that might cause offense***


 Additional Resources 

Documenting The Problems With Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll [UPDATED]

Mark Driscoll's Failed Publicity Stunt That Ended With Him Lying About What Really Happened (with video proof)

Mark Driscoll Repents? Not So Fast, Say Phil Johnson and Chris Rosebrough

Will John Piper Publicly Address The Mark Driscoll Virus That He Unleashed Into the Church by Keynoting Mark Driscoll at the 2006 Desiring God Conference?