I received an email last week from an Associated Press reporter who had been referred to my blog via Dave, who was also contacted by the same reporter. She was writing an article on Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church, and she had been doing a bit of internet research. While I’m certainly not the only one to criticize blog about Driscoll, I have mentioned him a few times.
The AP story was in this weekend’s edition of the Seattle PI with the headline “Church Attracts the Trendy, the Tech-Savvy and Controversy.” However, I like the Christian Post’s headline a little more: “Megachurch Closed to Biblical No-Nos, Open to Others.” I was under the impression that a bit more of our conversation might have made it into the article, but I did get one line. The article is fine, although it is typical of many other articles on Mark Driscoll or Mars Hill: it talks about the hip, urban crowd that attends and discusses some of the controversy surrounding Mark.
However, it was interesting to be interviewed for the story. We talked a lot more about the issue of women in the church, Driscoll’s view of that. I made a point to her that I don’t hate Mars Hill Church or the people who attend. My best friend (who was the best man in my wedding) attends Mars Hill with his fiance (they are going to be married at the Wedgewood Mars Hill Church next month, and I’ll be there), and my cousin and his wife are actively involved in the church. I just have serious problems with Mark Driscoll: his theology and the way he comes across through his blog.
Anyway…give the article a read and let me know what you think.
that’s pretty sweet . . . you’re making it semi-big time . . . today 1 line, tomorrow Larry King, bro ;)
read the article . . . personally, i’m attracted to the ministry of mars hill . . . i read driscoll’s blog every now and again, and i’m just really feeling his book confessions . . .
well, i guess it’s like what one wise pastor once told me . . . there’s room in God’s vineyard for all different types of ministries.
Way to go.
Glenn, Driscoll is a far cry from giving room to other ministries, and the way he talks about mainlines, Adam, you deserve to get more than a line in on him.
what i mean is that there’s room for driscoll’s view, pomo’s view, my view, your view, etc. >.
“Not allowing women in church leadership is an injustice”
Now there’s some heavy theological thinking that you put into that. I’m sorry for the sarcasm, but it really annoys me that you continually criticise driscoll for this – and other things. This criticism of conservatives is not in line with how I think emergents should handle these issues. I think that you should have learned from the lesson with Andy Stanley. People are reading this blog. You’re definitly a smart guy, but come across as a student smart ass sometimes, just like mark driscoll, as we all know.
I doubt this comment will stay on this blog, but it’s only fair.
From Germany,
Soomah
Soomah…I’m glad that you feel that you can insinuate that I don’t do any “heavy theological thinking” based off a one line quote that was included in the article. The reporter and I had a half hour phone call, talked about a variety of things, why I believe it is an injustice for women to not be allowed in all manners of church leadership…
I know even in Emergent-land, there are a variety of opinions on the issue of women in ministry…I personally think that’s a big problem, but knowing the ethos of Emergent and the emphasis on conversation — Emergent is open to people with all sorts of different positions on a variety of theological issues.
I’d be interested in hearing how you think emergent should handle these issues.
Mark makes a lot of waves. But if you want to know why i go there (apart from the friendships and fellowship that i enjoy in that community)… listen to the last sermon on Ruth.
It was February 11th. (www.marshillchurch.org OR http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/mhcmedialist/~3/90419797/070211_RedeemingRuth6.mp3
Or listen to yesterday’s first sermon on Nehemiah and urban church ministry…
Mark isn’t passionate about fighting women in ministry or fighting for fundamentalism.
He’s passionate about Jesus and his name being glorified. It annoys me that all the press is about the few comments. We all know he is consistently controversial… He confessed yesterday (in the sermon) that his personal sin is saying things that he shouldn’t, or saying things that he should say, but in a hurtful and sinful manner…
But when you listen on a weekly basis to the gospel being preached, i guess it helps us have more grace. People are responding to the gospel at Mars Hill. That’s why there are a lot of people. Not everyone there thinks like mark. Despite what you may think, people do still think for themselves. The Gospel is what brings people to God, not mark driscoll… I think that’s abundantly clear.
steve – member of mars hill church
Just so you all know, Stephen (the above commenter), is one of my best friends and the friend who is getting married at Mars Hill next month…just to give you some context.
Steve, I’m sure that there must be good things happening at Mars Hill, and that’s something I made very clear to the reporter. And I’m sorry it seems that I probably do pick on your church a lot, but when you have the profile that Mark Driscoll has – you simply cannot say the things that he says. Despite the fact that I disagree with him on some key issues (and probably other issues that are not as key…), the way in which he comes across to people is just not something he can continue doing. I’m glad that he did publicly confess that in church yesterday, but something tells me that we’re still in for some more Driscoll Soundbites in the near future.
Then why does he spend so much time publicly talking about these things? Even his book about his church spent more time on the evils of emergent, liberals, and women in leadership than about glorifying Jesus.
I don’t doubt that Mars Hill does some great things. But it is difficult for me to be excited about Driscoll’s “passion about Jesus and his name being glorified” when he so clearly emphasizes other things publicly (at least in public settings outside of Mars Hill).
Adam, i agree. I am sure we haven’t heard the end of mark’s periodicly foolish mouth.
Dave, you can’t compare his book with my comment. His book was written with a different purpose than his weekly preaching. All i am saying is that when you hear him talk about Jesus on a weekly basis, you get a more complete view of him than when you live on the other side of the country and all you get is the soundbites and blog bites. That’s why you see him as “so clearly emphasiz[ing] other things publicly”… He emphasizes Jesus and his Gospel so much more than you’ll ever know.
Don’t get me wrong, i have been ashamed and frustrated with him in the past, and i am not his biggest fan… I agree that he needs to control his mouth more and that his sin is public. He has a higher responsibility than we do because of his position… BUt i respect him nonetheless. He’s one of my pastors and i’ve learned a lot from him. I think the criticisms should be weighed in with the fact that 1. he knows he’s a sinner. 2. He does what many churches are NOT doing. (preaching Jesus) 3. He has good reasons for his theology. Whether you agree with him or not is a different thing.
I don’t wanna keep this blog post going, and i am glad it’s not another 300 post thing. I don’t feel it’s my duty to defend him… But i want people to know that we who attend mars see much more than people who are only exposed to him in the blogosphere. People think he’s nuts cuz he says stupid things and that’s all people read. whatever… I guess people are as tired of it as I am…
Adam, FYI i am never offended by your posts. I love you bro. It annoys me sometimes, but you keep me on my toes… God Bless
Thanks Stephen for that. We are currently thinking about partnering with Mars Hill / A29 here in Europe. Mark Driscoll may be wrong on things, but he sure is authentic and is willing to correct his mistakes publicly. That’s what I love about that guy. I wish other pastors would be as provocative for theology as he is.
I like Mark
I dont agree with everything he says but I like him.
Why?
Because he is a desenting voice in the Emergant crowd.
Emergant has become this “feel how you want, everything is ok, Jesus is not the only way to heaven” bullshit.
If we are to be the church than we need to act like it.
I always loved the quote, “If you don’t stand for anything you’ll fall for anything”
hmmm could this be emergant?
Umm…..Emergent. With an “e.”
dang…even that gets scrutinized….emergEnt
Hi,I like Mark..Most of the stuff ive heard him preach as been pretty solid..I’m not so keen on his style sometimes,maybe for different reasons..
I come from the same background as Mark is that a issue? A rough diamond maybe (as way in the uk)
I’m far from a Calvinist,so i guess he & i would differ there,but then i would be differing with a lot of mighty Christians through history ;-)..
But i would take him over some of the guys he use to hang with any day!!
aj
I come from the same background as Mark is that a issue? A rough diamond maybe (as we say in the uk)
typo grrrrrrrrrrrr
one other thing..didn’t u feel a bit out of line discussing him with some reporter? after all he is a brother!!
Andy, he may be a “brother” – but he’s also a public figure who has caused a lot of problems for himself with what he says in public. So no, I didn’t feel the least bit out of line being interviewed about him.
man sorry to blast u with post but the ap article
quote “The Bible is about adopting the ideas of Jesus Christ – like helping the disenfranchised – and not about taking the Bible literally, said Suzanne Gordon, 48, who attends a liberal Methodist church in Seattle.
“It’s a distortion of the Bible,” end quote
hilarious talk about wantin ur cake………….i think she means hes not agreeing with her distortion?
thats a classic
My only criticism of Emergent…Anytime a group of “inclusive” Christians start talking about who is and is not a “real” one of what they claim is not a movement, it’s time to say like Elijah, “I am no better than my fathers.”
They are just becoming the new fad.
You get so excited about being interviewed by secular sources Walker. Get a life. Get some relevance. And then speak. Until then, you are being used.
Hi- I am quite curious on why you dislike Mark Driscoll. Please be detailed. Thank you. Emily