spiritual abuse

Questions About the Acts 29 Changes

matt b redmond1 Comment

I’ve had a little more time to think about all the changes at Mars Hill. And though I’ve tried to talk myself into believing the moves are good, I remain unconvinced. I just have too many questions…

Does any of this have anything to do with Paul Petry and his accusations? Will his accusations be addressed or will everyone in Mars Hill, A29, TGC, etc. act as if nothing has happened? 

Are the reasons stated publicly the whole story? Or is this the typical A29/Mars Hill political machinery at work? 

Will the A29 churches questioning their association just breathe a sigh of relief and move on as if none o this every happened, just glad they have a more innocent face for the brand? Or will they keep asking the hard questions?

There are only two possible reasons I can think of for everyone (besides we few bloggers) ignoring the Petry allegations. Either they do not believe it is true or they do not think his allegations of abuse of authority are a big deal.

I know there are discussions going on behind the scenes. But why not in public? I know it would be messier to have discuss all of this publicly. But why is that bad? Is there such a desire to protect the brand, they are afraid to say something, anything?

Regardless. It all has the air of damage control and PR and political machinery.

If this was happening with a theological group you did not care for – say, the fundamentalists you all ran from, or the Catholics…or the mainline denominations – you would call all this silence, arrogance. So why are we not worried about it now? Because we fear men and idolize them in the same moment.

Why the Abuse of Authority at Mars Hill Matters, Part 2: The Influence

matt b redmond4 Comments

For background go here.

When I was a youth pastor in Mississippi, I discovered Mark Driscoll. Funny and straightforward, he was a youth pastor’s dream come true. So after listening to a sermon or two and reading a book about the beginnings of Mars Hill, I decided to expose my students to him. We – about 10 students and myself – went through Vintage Jesus together. They loved it. And even after I left, Mark Driscoll continued to be partaken of.

Next I was at a church in Wichita, Kansas. There, I worked with Middle School students all the way through College and Singles. I introduced those college students and singles to Driscoll and Acts 29. I even took 3 college students with me to an A29 boot-camp up in Seattle. While in “the ICT” I started what became a successful ministry for this age group in downtown Wichita. DCF met in the back of a coffee shop and grew and grew and grew. Before I left to move back home to Birmingham to plant (but then join an A29 plant), I handed DCF over to an Acts 29 planter  – a guy I admire and respect.

Pastors of the church I attend now – a PCA church, mind you – often post articles from The Resurgence website.

Five congregations over a five year period, all under the influence of the major players in this story.

So my personal story is riddled with anecdotes illustrating in stark relief the influence of Mars Hill and Acts 29. But let’s face it, many of you have felt and seen the influence far more than I have. I have hardly listened to any of Driscoll’s sermons. And though I’ve read and recommended his books, I remember so little of them and have read nothing since the first few chapters of that one with all the graphic sexual images in it…no, no, not the new sex book.

In my life he was more of a resource, for many more, he was a distant mentor.

Last week, when I posted the story of Paul Petry on my blog, I was asked a really good question –

Would we care about this so much if it happened in a small church hardly anyone knew or cared about?

It’s a really good question. But I’m not sure we can answer it with a “yes” or “no.”

There is a reason we know the story of Paul Petry. It’s not merely because we so-called watchbloggers like to drudge up dirt on the big dogs. Mark Driscoll and the leaders of Mars Hill chose the easy path of notoriety at every turn. They have never balked at the opportunity to publicize their achievements and offerings. They are known because they wanted to be known.

They are celebrities because they wanted it.

And the celebrity status puts them in the position of being known more than the small out of the way churches. Therefore, we care more simply about what is happening at Mars Hill because they are on our radar and the small backwoods church is not. Now it’s true, that small backwoods may experience instances of abuse of authority causing a stir having cataclysmic effects on our culture in the near future. But we can only deal with what we know. And the known is where we can be sure of influence over the evangelical culture.

Let me also answer the question another way- no, I would not care as much about the small out of the way church as much as I do the Mars Hill abuse. Why? Because I have personally seen what the abuse coming out of Mars Hill looks like. (You know what’s funny? Over the past week I’ve been accused of taking this too personally and caring too much about the goings on of a church thousands of miles away. People are funny.)

The influence is daunting – one of the most popular podcasts, 14 campuses in 4 states where Driscoll is either preaching live or being shown on a large video screen, the very popular Resurgence website designed to serve and influence leaders, Re:Lit is a publishing group with a volue on the NYT bestselling list, and Acts 29 is a network of 400 churches and growing worldwide.

Shouldn’t our concern about the abuse of authority be in proportion to the influence such men have?

Rob Bell put out a video about a book that had yet to be published and the New Calvinists went all MMA on him. Why would they go after him before anyone had read the book? They worried if they did not say anything, his book might be a negative influence on their flock/readers/greater evangelical world.

I mean, don’t you think what’s good for the (once) pastor of Mars Hill in Michigan is also good for the pastor of Mars Hill in Seattle?

Fired Mars Hill Pastor Goes Public With His Story

matt b redmond9 Comments

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.