Mark Driscoll facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mark Driscoll |
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.jpg) Driscoll preaching at The Trinity Church |
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| Born | October 11, 1970 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, US |
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| 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 is best known as the co-founder of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. He is currently the senior pastor of The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, which he started in 2016.
In 1996, Driscoll helped start Mars Hill Church. It grew very quickly, and by 2014, it had 14,000 members at 15 different locations across five states. He also helped create other Christian groups, like the Acts 29 Network, which helps start new churches. Driscoll has written for newspapers and websites and is the author of several popular Christian books.
Driscoll became known for his energetic and direct style of preaching. However, his leadership at Mars Hill Church became a subject of debate. He faced criticism from former church members and leaders about his leadership style.
In 2014, these issues led to major changes. The Acts 29 Network, which he co-founded, removed him from its group. On October 14, 2014, Driscoll resigned as pastor of Mars Hill Church. Soon after, the church closed down. In 2021, a popular podcast called The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill told the story of the church and its leader.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mark Driscoll was born on October 11, 1970, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He grew up in a Catholic family near SeaTac, Washington. He is the oldest of five children.
In high school, he was the student body president and met his future wife, Grace Martin. He graduated from Highline High School in 1989. When he was 19 years old, Driscoll became an evangelical Christian. He said that he felt a call from God to become a pastor, start churches, and teach the Bible.
He earned a degree in communication from Washington State University. He later received a Master of Arts degree in theology from Western Seminary.
Career at Mars Hill Church
After college, Mark and his wife Grace moved to Seattle. They joined a church and helped with its college group. There, Mark met Lief Moi and Mike Gunn. Together, the three men decided to start a new church for young people in the city.
Founding the Church
Driscoll, Moi, and Gunn founded Mars Hill Church in 1996. At first, they met in the Driscolls' home. The church grew quickly and soon moved to a larger building. Driscoll's preaching style attracted many people, and he was invited to speak at national conferences.
This brought Mars Hill Church into the national spotlight. The church grew from about 160 members in 1996 to 350 by 1999.
Starting the Acts 29 Network
In 1998, Driscoll co-founded the Acts 29 Network. This group was created to help people plant, or start, new churches around the world. The network grew from just 11 churches to over 400 by 2011. The network required that its churches be led by men.
Church Changes and Disagreements
By 2006, Mars Hill had thousands of members at several locations. Driscoll was the main pastor and leader of the church. He said he was overworked and decided to change the church's leadership structure.
Before the changes, the church was led by a large group of about 24 elders who all had an equal vote. Driscoll proposed new rules that gave more power to a smaller group of "executive elders." Some people supported the changes, saying the church was too big for its old rules. Others, including two pastors named Paul Petry and Bent Meyer, disagreed. They felt the new rules gave too much control to Driscoll and a few other leaders.
Because they disagreed, Petry and Meyer were asked to leave their jobs as pastors. This event caused a major division in the church. Years later, some of the people involved, including Petry, spoke out publicly about their experiences.
Growing Criticism and Resignation
For many years, Driscoll's teachings were debated. But in 2013 and 2014, criticism grew stronger, even from other Christian leaders who had once supported him. A former elder, Dave Kraft, filed formal complaints against Driscoll, accusing him of having a harsh leadership style.
Protests from Former Members
In 2014, several former Mars Hill leaders created a blog to apologize for their roles at the church. They said they felt they had not done enough to challenge Driscoll's leadership style. One former leader said that what was preached on Sunday was not how the staff was treated during the week.
In the summer of 2014, dozens of people held a protest outside the Mars Hill Church campus in Bellevue. They carried signs calling for Driscoll to resign. They accused him of bullying and not being open about the church's finances.
Removal from Acts 29 Network
On August 8, 2014, the board of the Acts 29 Network removed Driscoll and Mars Hill Church from its membership. The board said that the accusations against Driscoll made it impossible for him to remain in the network. They also advised him to step down from his role as pastor for a while.
Taking a Break and Resigning
On August 24, 2014, Driscoll announced he would take a six-week break from being a pastor while the complaints against him were reviewed. During this time, a letter from nine current Mars Hill pastors was made public. The letter was very critical of Driscoll and urged him to step down. Most of these pastors either resigned or were let go.
In the fall of 2014, a group of elders finished an investigation. They found that Driscoll had shown "patterns of persistent sinful behavior," including arrogance and a quick temper. They did not find him guilty of anything illegal or immoral.
The church leaders created a "restoration plan" to help him. However, Driscoll chose to resign on October 14, 2014. He said he was concerned for his family's health and safety. After he left, Mars Hill Church announced it would be closing down.
The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona
After leaving Mars Hill, Driscoll and his family moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area. On February 1, 2016, he announced he was starting a new church called The Trinity Church in Scottsdale. Some of the staff from his new church had also worked at Mars Hill.
In July 2021, a group of 41 former elders from Mars Hill wrote a public letter. They asked Driscoll to step down from his new church. They said they were concerned that the same leadership problems were happening again.
Beliefs
Driscoll is an evangelical Christian with conservative beliefs. He believes the Bible is without error. His teachings are influenced by famous theologians like John Calvin and Martin Luther, as well as modern leaders like John Piper and Tim Keller.
Calvinism
Driscoll has described his beliefs as a form of New Calvinism. This is a modern version of Calvinism, a branch of Protestant theology. Unlike some traditional Calvinists, he believes that Jesus's death on the cross was for all people, but is effective only for those who are chosen by God, known as "the elect." He has since said he no longer agrees with the "five points" of Calvinism.
Gender Roles
Driscoll's views on gender roles are known as complementarian. This is the belief that men and women are equal in value but have different roles in the family and the church. He teaches that the husband should be the head of the family and that only men can be pastors or elders in the church.
See also
- Cafe church
- Hypermasculinity
- The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill – podcast that discusses the popularity and later scandal associated with Mars Hill Church and Mark Driscoll
