Mark Driscoll
On this page you’ll find all of our investigative reporting on Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill.
Mark Driscoll’s Safe Space
How the embattled pastor built a new church.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — After the dramatic implosion of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church in 2014, its co-founder and pastor — Mark Driscoll, an unapologetically confrontational preacher who resigned when church leaders accused him of abusive leadership — decamped with his family to Arizona. Cast into a ministerial wilderness, Driscoll quickly began hunting for new allies and opportunities. Driscoll had sights on starting a new church, but with his reputation mired in controversy, he would need to…
When does conflict become spiritual abuse? Churches large and small face that question.
(RNS) — Concerns about spiritual abuse have become common in recent years — at churches large and small — following the fall of megachurch pastors like Mark Driscoll, of the now-disbanded Mars Hill Church in Seattle, and Bill Hybels, founder of Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago, both accused of creating toxic cultures ruled by fear and intimidation.
Former Seattle Megachurch Pastor Called Out for Continued Pattern of ‘Sinful Actions’
Elders of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church who served with former pastor Mark Driscoll have called on their former leader to resign from his new position leading a church in Arizona, alleging in a statement that Driscoll has “continued in a pattern of sinful actions” towards staff members and parishioners and failed to seek reconciliation or repent.
‘If you have eyes, plagiarize’: When Borrowing a Sermon Goes Too Far
Preachers love to borrow from each other, but the practice can sometimes lead to plagiarism.
But as Reese discovered, pastors are not always preaching their own words. While there are no statistics on outright plagiarism — claiming someone else’s words as your own — preachers love to “borrow” from each other.
Sermon Ghostwriting: Inside the World of Preachers Who Outsource Their Sermons
To keep up with the demand for high-quality sermons, preachers often turn to ghostwriters and researchers, without telling their congregation. At least one expert calls that ‘cheating.’
To keep up with the demand for high-quality sermons, preachers often turn to ghostwriters and researchers, without telling their congregation. At least one expert calls that ‘cheating.’
Why Some Preachers Rely on Holy Ghostwriters and Other Pulpit Helps
Ostoich, a writer from Michigan, thinks sermon ghostwriters and researchers can serve a valid role in the church, under the right circumstances. His first gig as a ghostwriter involved helping the interim pastor of a Texas church. The interim pastor had been on a church’s board of elders and was put in charge after the previous pastor resigned. He’d come out of the business world and had no formal training as a pastor.
Mars Hill Executive Elder Issues Public Apology
Sutton Turner said he “operated in a sinful way” and is reaching out to people he hurt
One of the three Executive Elders at the recently dissolved Mars Hill Church has publicly apologized for his behavior there.
Mars Hill Church To Dissolve
Local church sites assess options
Mars Hill Church, which as recently as January had more than 14,000 people attending Sunday morning worship services, will cease to exist organizationally by the end of the year.
Driscoll to Take a Break from Mars Hill Church
The megachurch pastor will step down for at least six weeks while elders investigate charges against him
Mark Driscoll, pastor of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church, will relinquish leadership of the megachurch for at least six weeks while elders investigate charges against him.
Partially Penitent Pastors – Updates on the Seemingly Endless Driscoll and Furtick Sagas
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10 Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle and Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte cannot seem to get the controversies they are embroiled in out of the headlines. Still, some of the recent news surrounding these two troubled pastors…
More Pastor Problems – Driscoll, Furtick and South Korea
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 Unfortunately, dubious behavior by prominent pastors has again been in the news recently. Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle apparently went to questionable lengths to have a recent book of his make the New York Times best sellers list. World Magazine details the situation in this article. According to documents obtained by World, Driscoll spent over $200,000 to hire and…
More Publishers Investigate Mark Driscoll
At least two more Christian publishers are investigating concerns of plagiarism regarding Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Crossway, which published Driscoll’s Death by Love, issued a statement saying, “We are in touch with Mars Hill and are conducting an internal review to ensure that our books published by Mark Driscoll have proper citation and documentation.” Crossway publicist Janni Firestone added, “As of right now, we’re not sure when the internal review…
Pastor Mark Driscoll Controversy: Plagiarism, Idolatry and the Christian Evangelical Complex
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” Galatians 6:1 Pastor Mark Driscoll is no stranger to controversy. Driscoll, who pastors Mars Hill Church in one of the country’s most secular cities, Seattle, would be controversial in his city simply for seeking to live out a biblically-based Christian life where Christians are definitively in the minority. But Driscoll has gained a national…