Mark Driscoll is one of the most authentic voices in ministry today. His raw approach to teaching and preaching is an absolute virtue and uniquely winsome in stark contrast to the spineless- corrupt- cowardly- compromised “preachers” so prevalent in American churches today. Simply put, I love and respect ole Mark. He’s a man, a real man and one worthy of emulation.
Yes he is sin-fluenced. Yes he is flawed. Yes he is imperfect. Yes he is controversial. But as a representative of Christ, he openly confesses and publicly repents more than any I have ever seen in my 40+ years of Kingdom Life.
In my personal and professional opinion, the Acts 29 leadership perpetrated a horrible injustice against Mark and the congregation of Mars Hill Church. They appear to have flagrantly disregarded gospel centered imperatives mandating principles of due process, relational integrity, and character-based covenant loyalty for a more cowardly approach of devising and sending a letter while Mark was on vacation with his family. Seems the biblical approach would have been to time-consuming, mentally fatiguing, emotional draining and relationally exhausting. In short, God’s way would have just been “too hard”.
Pastor Tony Warriner nails it when he says that the issues coming out are “mostly connected to the unique DNA of Pastor Mark and the church he leads. Sure, there’s cons to the whole approach, but so it is with any specific way of expressing local church. Yes, he’s out there, a little edgy. BUT. We need him to be that way. He is in so many ways exactly what the church needs for this season…Taming Mark would be a terrible tragedy.”
But alas, Mark Driscoll comes back from vacation and in charactered fashion, Mark steps up by publicly announcing he will step down for a season. I love this response John Piper tweeted:
rcadow
August 27, 2014 at 10:32 am
Wow, for all this man is enduring. I am reminded of why I decided not to pursue being a preacher. I don’t think I could have ever handled accusations or criticism the way this man has done with such integrity. This confirms my decision to never get behind the pulpit
Joshua Culver
August 27, 2014 at 11:21 am
“Taming Mark would be a terrible tragedy.” I completely agree. I hope that he finds peace and makes the changes that God would have him make without losing himself. The world is full of dead and agreeable pastors that bring little fire and build little kingdoms. We need authentic men that are fully alive in Jesus.
Erik Robl
August 28, 2014 at 1:10 am
When I’m wrong I want mercy, when you’re wrong I want justice. May we all extend to him the same grace and mercy we demand when we are put on the spot.