Mars Hill Church abruptly cancels big Resurgence 2014 conference

WilliamD

Mon, 08/18/14 12:17 pm

That's gotta be the most

That’s gotta be the most intense public flogging I’ve seen of any Christian leader short of committing adultery.

https://expastorsjourney.wordpress.com/

Jay

Mon, 08/18/14 1:49 pm

Let’s face it - Driscoll has worked hard to ensure this level of massive public ministry flameout was possible. The signs were manifest as far back as 2008 (video uploaded in 2011, but the message itself, titled “Christus Victor” was preached in 2008), but Mark kept firing people and insisting that everything was well, that there was no need to worry, that God was blessing Mars Hill and things would be OK. The people that were reporting this and talking about this were ‘haters’, ‘godless’ or just plain old ‘grumpy’, as he described Janet Mefferd.

Proverbs describes this situation perfectly:

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

As per Warren Throckmorton’s twitter feed today, Mars Hill attendance is down 20% this year compared to 2013; one out of five Mars Hill attendees has left.

"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells

mmartin

Mon, 08/18/14 2:47 pm

Attendance 20% Down

Jay,

Good points, especially the verses from Proverbs.

I would expect MH’s attendance to continue to drop significantly. This whirlwind with Driscoll isn’t likely to get better any time soon. People like him don’t know how to shut-up and go away quietly and there are plenty of people whose stories have yet to emerge.