Mark Driscoll was the founding Pastor at Mars Hill Church based in Seattle Washington, he resigned his post yesterday. Beyond Mars Hill he was the founder of the popular Blog Resergence.org and co-founder of the highly successful church planting network Acts 29 Network. In 2010, Preaching magazine named him one of the 25 most influential pastors of the past 25 years. His sermon podcast regularly occupies the top spot in iTunes’s Religion & Spirituality category.1
He is known for his strict bible application that is odds with contemporary culture (especial the liberal culture of the Upper Northwest where his ministry is based). In the past several months the already controversial Pastor has come under fire because of his historical forceful and brash style of church leadership, a book promotion controversy, plagiarism accusations and for crude comments made in an online form (under and alias).
What are your thoughts regarding his resignation?
I’ll share some of my thoughts tomorrow. Here are few article to regarding the recent events and his letter of resignation.
Christianity Today: Mark Driscoll Resigns from Mars Hill
Mars Hill Church Statement: PASTOR MARK DRISCOLL’S RESIGNATION
Here is one of my favor clips from Mark. I think he does a fantastic job answering some really loaded questions!
What has been missing, and I doubt will ever be known, was how much of the decision was due to pressure from his organization’s leadership. If they pushed him out, I don’t think the reasons below called for it. If he decided himself it was best to resign, then that’s what he was called to do.
Took some time to find the specifics behind the decision, but this seems to be it:
“Accused of plagiarism after duplicate content was spotted in several of his books—claims which his publisher, Tyndale House, defended.”
– The plagiarism accusation was refuted and unfounded for Driscole’s personal book, sold under his name, for profit. There was a small group study guide, that wasn’t sold for profit, but distributed internally, which Driscoll did apologize for not using correct citations.
“Been guilty of arrogance, responding to conflict with a quick temper and harsh speech, and leading the staff and elders in a domineering manner.”
– Not something you’d want in a church leader, but not something to force a resignation over.
“In March, the pastor also admitted to paying a public relations company $200,000 to bump his books to the NYT bestseller list.”
– This is standard marketing for book releases nowadays. If Christians want to hold themselves to standards that aren’t recognized by industry norms, then good for them, but again…not something to force a resignation over.
“In Mars Hill’s Midrash forum…Driscoll posted blunt and emotional comments critical of feminism, same-sex sexual behavior, and ‘sensitive emasculated’ men, all under the pseudonym ‘William Wallace II.'”
– This is childish, immature, pathetic…and yet…somewhat funny. But again…something to force a resignation over.
At the end of the day, if he felt called to resign, it was the right move.
It seems that Biblically, Mark took the appropriate steps necessary to apologize/correct everything he was accused of, and I don’t disagree with his reason for resigning… God put him in the role of protecting his family before his congregation.