Mark Driscoll Profile
The Acts 29 Network called on Pastor Mark Driscoll and asked him to leave the ministry that he founded out of concern for his “good, the good of (his) family, and the honor of (his) Savior”. It is believed that he will be away from his ministry for a long time and was advised by his companions to go and “seek help”.
A message that appeared on the Acts 29 Network blog and dated August 8th Friday, gave Driscoll the ministry’s decision to remove both Driscoll himself and Mars Hill Church from their network. The message revealed that the decision was made because they believe most of the accusations made against him were true and confirmed by him. The message also urged Mars Hill Church elders to “respond in distinctive and godly manner so that the name of Christ will not continue to be dishonored," as stated in the Acts 29 website.
Warren Throckmorton, a writer to Patheos who often covered on the development of Mark Driscoll’s ministry and Mars Hill Church, revealed a letter that was written from the Acts 29 board and addressed to “Mark”. The message went even further than the blog message concerning the mega church pastor and their requests. The board starts by reminding the minster that Acts 29 has constantly tried to side with Driscoll despite the fact that many other pastors had confirmed his ungodly behavior.
"In response, we leaned on the Mars Hill Board of Advisors & Accountability to take the lead in dealing with this matter. But we no longer believe the BoAA is able to execute the plan of reconciliation originally laid out. Ample time has been given for repentance, change, and restitution, with none forthcoming. We now have to take another course of action.”
"We tell you this out of love for you, Mars Hill, Acts 29, and most significantly, the cause of Christ, and we would be irresponsible and deeply unloving not to do so in a clear and unequivocal manner," the letter adds.
This news of Pastor Driscoll and his church’s removal from the network was delivered only days after a protest that took place right outside Mars Hill Church (08.03.2014). The protest was sparked by a statement that Pastor Driscoll will not be able to reconcile with church members who were displeased or removed from the ministry.
Although the Board of Advisors and Accountability (BoAA) for Mars Hill Church urged the Acts 29 Network that the pastor’s mistreatment of certain anonymous church members should not lead to his removal from the network, the Acts 29 board expressed great disappointment at no only the minister’s behavior but also his inability to receive the accusations in a godly manner.
The Acts 29 Network was first founded by Pastor Mark Driscoll himself and counts 500 churches around the world. It states that the organization’s purpose was to “to advance the mission of Jesus through obediently planting church-planting churches”. Driscoll is also the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church which has 15 campuses in several different states and attracts an average of around 12,000 believers on Sundays.
