Matthew Paul Turner has posted links to Joyful Exiles, the blog of Paul Petry and his wife, Jonna. Over the next few days this story will be pretty much everywhere. I would not be surprised if this story gets picked up by the mainstream media, since Mark and Grace Driscoll have been everywhere hocking their book.
If you read nothing else, read this lengthy piece by Paul’s wife, Jonna.
Make sure you check out the extensive documentation Petry has provided in the right sidebar.
The Mars Hill leadership and their buddies will call them and (me) “watchbloggers” – a derogatory term – because of this. I know they’ll do this because they already have. And most likely, Scott Thomas, Driscoll himself or Jamie Munson will say something like – “I wish the critics would talk about Jesus as much as they attack us.”
Just wait.
Jesus is a lot of things in the New Testament. but one of the things no one seems to ever talk about is how he was an advocate for the weak and those hurt by those in control…those with all the power. The watchbloggers are not perfect. But they are places of advocacy.
I don’t mind being numbered above them.
Echoes and Stars 
Numbered above or numbered among? :)There are two kinds of watchbloggers. 1. Those that want the Truth to be told. 2. Those that tell others that they have the only Truth. The first one is a fine group. The second one not so much. You are in the first group.I've had personal negative experience with grievance and gotcha journalism. I've also came from a church experience that had some seriously negative leadership that did not go through a Jesus model of conflict resolution.I wonder if anyone would be interested if the church wasn't Mars Hill and was say Swamp Valley Baptist out in the pan handle of Florida. I'm genuinely not sure how any of this builds the body of Christ but I'm open. All that being said, I'll read it and I will pray for a open heart towards all involved.
There's so much joy, peace, and freedom to be found once you realize that what Mark Driscoll and any of the mini-popes are selling is simply astrology. An advantage of a faith-based religious system is that you can, in the final analysis, walk away from that make-believe world. There's a cost, for sure, but when the price of staying is higher than leaving, shake off the dust and move on.
Will,Whether they would be interested in a small church is not necessarily the right question, though a good one. This is the issue before us. If we are willing to think churches like Mars Hill can do much good for Jesus then we much be prepared to think they can do much harm. The very notoriety that makes you ask the question – which is a good question in the end – is the reason no one in TGC, et al has publicly said anything direct to mars Hill and Driscoll. If it was a small church in an out of the way place, we would go nuclear on them. Driscoll's celebrity is his insulation in his own camp.
It is a wake-up call to Christians in our country. It's easy to think that these mega churches have everything going for them. It shows that they are just as vulnerable to the power of pride as we all are. I am praying for the congregation.Brady
Matt,Together, we are getting the truth out! Thanks for what you are doing to expose Mark Driscoll.Blessings!
Jesus had a lot to say about abuses of power (Matthew 24). the Pharisee's had a problem with it and so do the modern day one's.
Unfortunately this happens all the time at churches across the country that aren't as large and high profile so it will never be discussed as much so it can be addressed. I know because we were on the receiving end…her descriptions of feelings, children's confusion, pain and loss were all too familiar. So sad…but God gives us hope and we press on
Matt: Thanks so much for sharing and shining the light on this issue. All people, myself included, want to find someone we can place our trust in. Unfortunately, most of us place it in a human, rather than Christ. We experienced many of the same issues at a smaller church. A fellow deacon and I were told that, if we didn't stop challenging the preacher, God would strike us dead. We thought it wise to leave at that point. Prior to then, we held out hope that the other deacons would join with us, and change things at FBC. But, when we were threatened with death fro on High, we realized that our actions had been, and would continue to be, futile.
Someone who's planning to write a book on leadership should probably hold back on writing that book for a while. 😦