Acts 29 Network Removes Co-founder Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church From Membership

A Message from the Board of Acts 29 concerning Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church

It is with deep sorrow that the Acts 29 Network announces its decision to remove Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church from membership in the network. Mark and the Elders of Mars Hill have been informed of the decision, along with the reasons for removal. It is our conviction that the nature of the accusations against Mark, most of which have been confirmed by him, make it untenable and unhelpful to keep Mark and Mars Hill in our network. In taking this action, our prayer is that it will encourage the leadership of Mars Hill to respond in a distinctive and godly manner so that the name of Christ will not continue to be dishonored.

Acts 29 (or some key leaders) have, by some counts, been enabler(s) and accomplice(s) to Driscoll for years. The whole think reeks of rather lame handwashing.

http://ronwheelerjr.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/i-am-not-anonymous-2/

Actually, David, this is a stunning and commendable move. Should it have happened before? Perhaps, but rather than criticize the tardiness of it, let’s rejoice that it did happen. Think of how big a step this is—to remove the very man who help to found the organization, and the one who is the national face of it. For Matt Chandler to be a part of this is quite telling to me, as he and Driscoll have been very close. It looks like this was a long time coming, and only happened after repeated efforts to pursue other avenues of change.

Commendable? Perhaps. But it’s a half measure at best in that it in no way acknowledges or expresses repentance for their own complicity with Driscoll (for years!) making it too easy to assess as merely a “Driscoll’s going down, let’s not go down with him” move. If Wheeler is accurate (I find him credible), how does Acts 29 throw Driscoll over for his arrogant abusiveness and not confess their own?

(See Carl Trueman’s latest on broader Evangelicalism’s share in Driscoll’s guilt.)

OK, first of all, kudos to Acts 29 for taking what had to be a hard step with grace. It’s a very different thing than what I’ve seen in a lot of other places, including churches formerly belonging to Acts 29.

But for us, I think we need to ask ourselves “what can we learn from this?” If the allegations are true—and what I’ve seen indicates that at least some of them are—My take here is that, as Carl Trueman’s short “what did they know and when did they know it?” comment suggests, we have a lot to learn from what is going on with Driscoll

For starters, there was a lot of energy put into the management of a movement that probably ought to have been put into ministry—the approach of souls for the purpose of bringing them to Him and discipling them. Second, there has been a years-long pattern of harshness, cruelty, and coarseness that has characterized Driscoll’s ministry, including his church discipline efforts.

Third—and this should shock us—I read today that Mars Hill’s accountability board just suffered the resignations of James MacDonald (pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago) and Paul Tripp, a professor from Philadelphia. No, not that MacDonald or Tripp are horrible people, but quite simply they’re both over 2000 miles away, and are therefore aren’t in a position to really hold Mark Driscoll accountable.

In other words, Driscoll—and I presume many other mega-church leaders—appears to have succeeded in isolating himself from any effective accountability structures. And I will add something; many small church pastors have at least attempted the same.

[Darrell Post]

For those of you who haven’t been following along and would like this news translated into the fundamentalist orbit…

…imagine its 1990 and the Hyles-Anderson College board votes to kick Jack Hyles out and remove any role he or his church has in running the newly renamed Anderson College.

If only Acts29 had followed the pattern set by fundamentalists. What are these lumps under the carpet?

What will your reaction be when G.R.A.C.E. publishes their report on BJU? It’ll be a more relevant scandal. Of course we all know that fundamentalism destroys reputations and slanders just the same. Take a look any of the dulling iron comments … very little sharpening done here.

JJ, I presume that it’ll be published September 1 or 2 when it comes out. If you doubt this, look at Mr. Bean’s comment making fun of stereotypical fundamentalist church discipline methods, Darrell’s comment translating it into our own sphere, Jim’s other posts regarding the tragedies at 1st Baptist Church of Hammond, and more.

Now we are indeed imperfect here, to no one’s surprise, but I do think it’s fair to say that we are indeed interested in not fundamentalism for the sake of fundamentalism, but rather worth fundamentalism inasmuch as it represents what is true about our faith. Lord willing, we will not protect those who have used authority structures to isolate themselves from accountability.

Stick around and keep us accountable, for that matter. It is my hope and prayer that you will be pleasantly surprised, and that there will indeed by sharper iron not only here, but well beyond this forum, as a result.

Several years ago Northwest Baptist Seminary closed down and gave its assets (the Weyerhaeuser mansion) to Corban University who, at that time, promised to establish a “graduate school of ministry” in the Seattle area. After the deal closed Corban abandoned their plan and instead partnered with Mars Hill to establish a school under the Mars Hill umbrella. Regular Baptist money is now feeding this train wreck. Seems Northwest Regular Baptists are as lacking in discernment as the Acts29 folk.

Acts 29 Removes Mars Hill, Asks Mark Driscoll To Step Down and Seek Help

No one from the Acts 29 Network contacted Mars Hill leadership before sending the notice, Mars Hill Board of Advisors and Accountability (BoAA) members Michael Van Skaik and Larry Osborne said in a letter to church elders Friday afternoon.

“The Acts 29 decision caught us by surprise,” said Justin Dean, communications manager for Mars Hill.

In the letter to elders, which was provided to CT, Van Skaik and Osborne, the board’s two non-Mars Hill members, counsel elders to “not become bitter or angry,” but “continue to pray for all involved.”

“I told the lead pastors at the recent annual retreat that we are making real progress in addressing the serious reconciliation and unhealthy culture issues that have been a part of Mars Hill Church for way too long,” says the letter, which was later made available to all Mars Hill members. “And we are. I also told them that more opposition would undoubtedly be coming, and it has. Friendly fire always hurts the most.”

****** Moderator Action ******

No more posts on the BJU/GRACE situation in this thread, please. I’m sure it will have its own thread when the time comes.

lsn’t it almost too late for the ACTS 29 board to do this??? This board knew about Driscoll’s issues years ago!

Because of their inept, willfully blind leadership how many more people were abused, shunned, lied about, manipulated, taught false doctrine, & church funds misused. Yes, I know many of those people bear some responsibility for sticking around when they could’ve/should’ve left. That said, we are talking about people who gave their time and treasure to be apart of a ministry they bought into because they also bought into the leadership.

I’ve personally seen this over and over again in Christian ministry of all stripes. People working in ministry typically have to or are asked to be paid less and give more because many ministries financially can’t pay true market rates. Yet the leadership all too often forgets or ignores the effort and sacrifice made by the rank and file to be there while they often treat them like dirt. I could use stronger language but I’d be banned from SI.

I can’t say enough how much I HATE it!

Horrible & pathetic leadership on the part of ACTS 29 board!

Exactly right mmartin. Chandler helped run interference for Driscoll as long as he could. Only when it is obvious that Driscoll is the human torch do they finally say that things are too much.

lsn’t it almost too late for the ACTS 29 board to do this???

Out of curiosity, what you would like them to do if not this?