OPINION—John Lindell’s call for Mark Driscoll to repent is 10 years too late.
In fact, Lindell should be repenting, along with Mark Driscoll, for the roles they played in the well-documented abuse that Mark Driscoll perpetrated between the years of 2007 and 2014 while he was pastor of 15,000 at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington.
Cartoon from Rob Smith’s 2015 article calling out John Lindell and others for affirming Mark Driscoll
In 2015, Lindell, along with a cadre of mostly charismatic or Pentecostal leaders, failed to apply biblical principles of justice, whether laid out by Matthew 18, Leviticus 19:15, or Deuteronomy 1:17. These men ignored our calls for help before and after the 2014 collapse of what once was a vibrant church.
In its place, Lindell and others—whom he is now rallying to join him in calling for Driscoll to repent—took Driscoll’s narrative of being the victim. Without attempting to verify his claims or contact anyone from Mars Hill Church, they gave Driscoll comfort and a renewed platform. Even in his sermon calling for Driscoll’s repentance, Lindell affirms he supported Driscoll.
As we watched Lindell claim he was following Matthew 18 in his rebuke of Driscoll, those of us still hurting after 10 years note that not only was Matthew 18 not followed, but Lindell was doing to Driscoll exactly what Driscoll did to those he abused—especially former elders Paul Petry and Bent Meyer, who were treated to a hasty and unjust trial for essentially ticking off Driscoll. This is well documented for anyone caring to Google the facts.
Driscoll fired anyone who stood up to him in virtually any form of disagreement. If you were an employee at Mars Hill Church, you risked being fired for merely questioning Driscoll’s edicts. Driscoll fired Petry and Meyer without notice for their disagreement with him over proposed new church by-laws which were written by Driscoll to do away with the legal authority of the church elders and consolidate that authority exclusively to Driscoll and his handpicked circle of cronies.
Access to MinistryWatch content is free. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. To make a donation, click here.
Driscoll called for the church to shun Petry and his family, and subsequently fired so many others that it led to the uprising against him in 2014. Driscoll allowed no one due process or the opportunity to defend themselves.
This is exactly what Lindell did to Driscoll.
How can two brothers perform a deliberate Matthew 18 process in 48 hours? The final step is to tell the church, and if the sinner does not repent after hearing from the church, not the accuser, then that sinner is to be treated like an outsider. Lindell did not seek the church’s input, which presumably includes evidence of the sin plus the accused’s defense. Lindell pronounced to James River Church, and across the internet, that Driscoll was guilty. He instructed all to shun Driscoll as if he were an unbeliever.
This is the way Driscoll treated those he abused. It is simply unjust and has reopened old wounds for those of us left hurting from Mars Hill Church. The 1,800-member Facebook Group “Dear Pastor Mark…We Are Not Anonymous” has been alive with activity all week.
What if Driscoll’s accusations regarding Alex Magala’s sensual sword swallowing act that opened the Stronger Men’s Conference at James River Church last week have merit? Many agree the entertainment at the conference was inappropriate.
In his Sunday sermon, even Lindell apologized for inviting Magala to the conference. You cannot make this up! One could hardly imagine Charles Spurgeon doing a men’s conference like this, or David Wilkerson (to add someone theologically aligned to Lindell).
Lindell said Driscoll’s charge that Lindell’s son Brandon had a list of dark sins was false. Is this true or not? A proper Matthew 18 process would not take a father’s word, it would look at all the facts in a judicial process. Does the church simply accept Lindell’s charge that Driscoll lied without a reasonable opportunity for Driscoll to defend himself?
If so, this is the same type of one-sided justice Driscoll used to hurt and destroy the careers of so many Mars Hill employees and members.
This is why those who were abused and thrown under the bus by Driscoll now call for Lindell to repent of propping up Driscoll in the first place and ignoring our pleas in 2015. And, despite our feelings about Driscoll, Lindell should repent of being the accuser, judge, and jury, and give Driscoll his day in court in a biblical way. Both sides are to be heard. “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” Proverbs 18:17 (ESV)
Déjà vu. I wrote about this in 2015, along with this cartoon, appealing to Lindell and the other men he mentioned in his rebuke, to encourage Driscoll to repent. It is almost uncanny.
TO OUR READERS: Do you have a story idea, or do you want to give us feedback about this or any other story? Please email us: info@ministrywatch.com .