Mark Driscoll facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Driscoll
Driscoll preaching at The Trinity Church
Born	(1970-10-11) October 11, 1970 (age 54) in Grand Forks, North Dakota, US
Church	Mars Hill Church (1996–2014) The Trinity Church (since 2016)
Education	Washington State University (BA) Western Seminary (MA)
Spouse	Grace Driscoll (née Martin)

Mark A. Driscoll (born 1970) is an American evangelical pastor and author. He started RealFaith ministries. He is also the main pastor of The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, which began in 2016.

In 1996, Driscoll helped start Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. By March 2014, this church had 14,000 members in many locations. He also founded The Resurgence (a group for theological ideas) and helped start other Christian groups like Acts 29 Network. Driscoll has written for newspapers and websites. He has also written several popular Christian books.

Mark Driscoll has been called a "gifted speaker" and a "charismatic leader." He is a conservative evangelical. He likes older styles and has a direct, strong way of preaching. Some of his teachings on gender roles have caused debate. There have also been claims of plagiarism and a difficult environment at Mars Hill Church.

In 2014, Driscoll faced public criticism from Mars Hill staff and members. They claimed he behaved abusively. In August 2014, the Acts 29 Network removed him from their group. They asked him to step away from ministry. On October 14, 2014, Driscoll resigned from Mars Hill Church. The church then closed or split into smaller churches.

In 2021, a popular podcast called The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill was made about Mark Driscoll and the church.

Mark Driscoll's Early Life

Mark Driscoll was born on October 11, 1970, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He grew up in a Roman Catholic family in SeaTac, Washington. He is the oldest of five children.

In high school, he met Grace Martin, who would become his wife. Her father was an evangelical pastor. In 1989, he finished Highline High School in Burien, Washington. He was student body president and captain of the baseball team. At age 19, Driscoll became an evangelical Christian. He felt called to preach and plant churches. He earned a degree in communication from Washington State University. He also has a master's degree in theology from Western Seminary.

Mark Driscoll's Work at Mars Hill Church

After college, Mark and Grace moved to Seattle. They volunteered at Antioch Bible Church. Mark later became an intern there. He met Mike Gunn and Lief Moi, and they decided to start a new church in Seattle.

How Mars Hill Church Started

Driscoll, Lief Moi, and Mike Gunn started Mars Hill Church in 1995. It officially opened in the fall of 1996. The church first met in the Driscolls' home. By 1997, it had grown and moved to a larger space. Driscoll later said he was "not ready" to start a church at age 25.

Mars Hill Church's main campus in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood

In 1997, Driscoll spoke at a conference. His speech made Mars Hill Church and Driscoll well-known. He was interviewed on national radio and featured in Mother Jones magazine. Mars Hill Church grew from 160 members in 1996 to 350 in 1999.

Starting the Acts 29 Network

In 1998, Driscoll and David Nicholas started the Acts 29 Network. This group helps to start new churches. Its goal was to plant 1000 new churches around the world. Acts 29 grew slowly at first, with 11 churches in 1998 and 17 by 2003. Then it grew quickly, reaching 410 churches by 2011. Most of these churches are in the U.S.

Acts 29 was set up to follow Driscoll's strong beliefs on theology. It allowed some freedom in cultural styles. Only men could lead churches in the Acts 29 Network.

Changes at Mars Hill Church (2006–2007)

As Mars Hill Church grew, Driscoll took on many roles. He was the main pastor, president of Acts 29, and an author. He said he was working too much and needed to change things. In 2006–2007, he began to change how the church was run. He said he would give up some power. He stated he resigned as "legal president" and head of the elder board. He kept his roles as the public face and preaching pastor.

Before these changes, a group of two dozen elders made major decisions. Driscoll was one of them. After the changes, Driscoll began making big decisions, like buying a $4 million building, without asking the full group. Some pastors disagreed with these changes. They said the changes gave Driscoll too much power. Two pastors who disagreed were fired. Driscoll told other church leaders that these pastors were "off mission."

These events in 2007 were linked to later problems at Mars Hill.

Mark Driscoll on ABC Nightline (2009)

In March 2009, Driscoll was part of an ABC Nightline debate. The topic was "Does Satan Exist?" Driscoll argued that believing in both Satan and God is important for Christians. The debate was described as "contentious," meaning full of strong disagreement.

Helping Haiti (2010)

After the big 2010 Haiti earthquake, Driscoll and James MacDonald started Churches Helping Churches. This group helps churches rebuild after natural disasters. They helped rebuild many churches in Haiti and Japan. Mars Hill Church gave $1.7 million in medical supplies.

Leaving Acts 29 and The Gospel Coalition (2012)

On March 29, 2012, Driscoll resigned as President of Acts 29. He also left The Gospel Coalition. He said he had no disagreements with anyone. He explained that he was changing his priorities. He wanted to spend more time on Mars Hill Church and with his family.

Accusations by Former Elder Dave Kraft (2013)

In May 2013, a former Mars Hill elder named Dave Kraft made formal accusations against Mark Driscoll. He said Driscoll was "domineering, verbally violent, arrogant, and quick-tempered." Kraft argued that this behavior meant Driscoll should not lead a church. The church's Board of Advisors and Accountability looked into these claims. They found that some accusations were unfair. They also noted that Driscoll had apologized for some past actions. However, they did start a "reconciliation process" to fix "unresolved hurts."

Protests Against Driscoll (2014)

In 2014, criticism against Driscoll grew. It came from both inside and outside the church. Accusations of plagiarism (copying others' work) brought more attention to Mars Hill. People also questioned how the church used its money.

"Repentant Pastors" Speak Out

On March 29, 2014, four former Mars Hill elders created a blog. They posted apologies for their roles at Mars Hill. They said Mars Hill had "hurt many people." They admitted they failed to control Driscoll's "autocratic" (bossy) leadership style. One elder said that employees felt constant stress.

Driscoll Responds to Complaints

On July 27, 2014, Driscoll spoke to church members about the controversies. He said he could not address some complaints because they were anonymous. This upset former members. They started a Facebook group called "Dear Pastor Mark & Mars Hill: We Are Not Anonymous."

Public Protest at Mars Hill Church

The next Sunday, many people protested outside Mars Hill Church. They carried signs saying "We Are Not Anonymous." They accused Driscoll of bullying and not being clear about church money. Driscoll was on vacation. He later said he had been "silent" during the criticism. He said he had no plans to resign.

Removal from Acts 29 Network

On August 8, 2014, the Acts 29 Network removed Driscoll and Mars Hill Church. The chairman, Matt Chandler, said Driscoll's actions were "ungodly." He said the accusations against Driscoll made it impossible to keep him in the network. Acts 29 advised Driscoll to "step down from ministry for an extended time."

Acts 29 had tried to get Mars Hill's accountability board to discipline Driscoll. But they lost trust in that board. Two evangelical leaders had already resigned from the board.

Taking a Break from Ministry

On August 24, 2014, Driscoll announced he would take a six-week break. This was while charges against him were investigated. A letter from nine current Mars Hill pastors was leaked. It strongly criticized Driscoll and asked him to step down. One pastor who signed the letter was fired. By September 9, most of the nine pastors had left or been fired.

Other Effects

LifeWay Christian Resources, a Christian bookseller, stopped selling Driscoll's books. They said they were "assessing the situation." Driscoll was also removed from the speaker lists for several conferences. Mars Hill Church canceled its own conference.

Resignation from Mars Hill Church

In the fall of 2014, a group of elders investigated accusations against Driscoll. They looked into claims of bullying by 21 former church elders. The investigation involved "1,000 hours of research." The report found that Driscoll had not been accused of "immorality, illegality or heresy." It said some accusations were unfair. It also noted that Driscoll had apologized for some past actions. However, the elders did find "bullying" and "patterns of persistent sinful behavior" by Driscoll. They concluded he had been "guilty of arrogance" and "leading the staff and elders in a domineering manner."

Church leaders planned a way to help Driscoll and save the church. But Driscoll refused the plan. He resigned on October 14, 2014. He said he was worried about his health and safety. His resignation surprised the church's Board of Overseers. They said they had not asked him to resign.

A journalist wrote that Driscoll's downfall was due to many accusations. These included plagiarism, a bullying style, and problems with book promotion. On October 20, 2014, Driscoll said he and his family had been harassed. He also said he received death threats.

The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona

On July 27, 2015, Driscoll announced his new ministry. He said he had bought the mailing list and other things from The Resurgence from Mars Hill Church. He and his family moved to the Phoenix area. On February 1, 2016, Driscoll opened his new church: The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. Some former Mars Hill employees worked there. In July 2021, a letter from 41 former Mars Hill elders asked Driscoll to resign from The Trinity Church. They claimed that the same problems with his behavior had continued.

Mark Driscoll's Beliefs

Jesus Saves cross outside The Trinity Church

Driscoll is an evangelical Christian. He holds conservative views on theology and social issues. He believes the Bible is literally true and without error. His ideas come from old theologians like Augustine of Hippo and John Calvin. He also respects modern leaders like Billy Graham.

Driscoll believes in spiritual gifts. He is a "Historic Creationist" regarding creation. He is skeptical of evolution. Driscoll believes that homosexual behavior is sinful. He believes marriage is only between one man and one woman. He thinks churches should be led by elders.

Calvinism

Driscoll used to follow a type of Calvinism called Amyraldism. He called his position "new Calvinism." He wanted to be different from older Calvinist ideas. He believes Jesus died for all people in some way. He thinks this was also what John Calvin believed. Driscoll has since called the "five points" of Calvinism "garbage."

Gender Roles

Driscoll is a complementarian. This means he believes men and women are equally valuable. But he thinks they have different roles in the family and church. He supports male leadership in the home and church. He believes God called him to "train men."

Driscoll thinks that many modern problems come from women leading. He describes Eve's temptation in the Garden of Eden as "the first invitation to an independent feminism." He believes this was the first time a woman took a leadership role in the home. He says it "does not go well."

Driscoll believes Christianity has become too "feminine." In a 2006 interview, he said, "The problem with the church today, it's just a bunch of nice, soft, tender, 'chickified' church boys." He thinks that Jesus, Paul the Apostle, and King David were "dudes." He believes the church needs more entrepreneurial young men.

Driscoll interprets the Apostle Paul's writings to mean women can be active in church. But he believes only men can teach other men or be "elder-pastors." He argues this rule is permanent.

When the Episcopal Church chose its first female bishop, Driscoll wrote about it. He joked that if Christian men don't "man up," the Episcopalians might choose "a fluffy baby bunny rabbit" as their next bishop.

Works

Documentaries

• Hellbound? (2012), appears as self

Images for kids

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  Mars Hill Church's downtown Seattle campus, one of the first locations to close prior to Driscoll's resignation. The building is the historic Daniels Recital Hall, a former Methodist Episcopal church.