Accountability and Pastoral Leadership: Mars Hill's Challenges

Mars Hill's Tacoma campus, just across the street from my former church.

Photo (c) Tacoma News Tribune/Dean Koepfler -  thenewstribune.com

My wife and I began our life together in her homeland - the Pacific Northwest.  It's a beautiful part of the world, and through a variety of factors, most sociologists agree that it is the least "churched" region of the United States.  That's not to say that there aren't some wonderful churches in the Northwest; it's just that most people you meet at work, at school, or at the grocery store probably are not connected to any church.  Some sociologists go so far as to say that the Northwest is the "none-zone," which means that given the opportunity to respond to a survey questions about religious preferences, most people would respond with "none."

I moved to the "none-zone" in 2005 to do youth ministry at a wonderful church, which just so happened to be located in Jill's hometown.  Almost immediately upon my arrival, I began to hear about some of the so-called "mega-churches" in the region.  (Side note: we need a less fearful and more helpful moniker than "mega-church.")  One of these churches is known as Mars Hill Church (marshill.com), based in Seattle but housed in more than a dozen campuses across the region.  The founding pastor of Mars Hill is a man named Mark Driscoll.

At the time, Mars Hill was on my radar screen for being big, but not for much else.  I learned more about Mars Hill from some of my friends who attended the church, and then later from my seminary professors and colleagues.  Like any church, plenty of criticisms and discussions abound, but for many, Mars Hill (and Driscoll's) hard-line stance on forbidding women in leadership was the most top-level issue.  Other criticisms - such as lack of accountability among church leaders and a highly-elevated senior leader/communicator - weren't as high-profile at the time, but are now surfacing as major cracks in Mars Hill's foundation.  Two articles published just this week tell a sad story of the church and its founding pastor:

The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/us/mark-driscoll-is-being-urged-to-leave-mars-hill-church.html?_r=0

The Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024380355_marshillxml.html

Even though I have my points of departure from Mars Hill and other churches like it, I've been encouraged by friends and mentors to try to maintain an attitude of humility about their ministry.  Regardless of theological differences, the ministry of this church has helped expose thousands of men, women, and children to the gospel of Christ.  For that, I'm grateful for Mars Hill and Mark Driscoll.

No leader should ever be put in a position of infallibility, and no pastor should live without clear boundaries for accountability.  I meet with three other men my age every week to share, pray, and keep each other accountable.  I have several mentors who ask me difficult questions about my heart and my love for Christ.  My senior pastor and I are held to high accountability by our elders, and one of the biggest reasons I chose to be a Presbyterian pastor is our systematic emphasis on accountability within our leadership.

I'm not saying Mark Driscoll should become Presbyterian.  I'm not saying that I'm perfect in my life and ministry, or in my commitment to accountability.  I'm saying that being above-board and transparent is crucial for any leader, and if these reports are true, accountability has become a major issue at an important church in an environment surrounded by people who are far away from God.  This should grieve us within the body of Christ.

We should never rejoice when any Christian leader stumbles or falls.  We should never cheer when people with whom we have serious disagreements suffer.  As a leader of a church, I can guarantee you that Mark Driscoll is hurting right now, and we need to be praying for him, his family, and their church's witness in the Northwest and around the world.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

The Story Small Groups: An Invitation

In two weeks, we will begin to journey together through The Story and discover the continuous thread of “God’s upper story” of grace and redemption.  The Story will best be experienced through participation in small groups.  Participating in small group discussion around Scripture allows our minds and hearts to be transformed which leads to a change in our actions, attitudes and eventually transformation of our lives.  Relationships in a church are an opportunity to love and be loved.

On Sunday, September 7th at the end of the 9:15 service, those individuals that have the desire (and courage) to want to be a part of the small group discussions will be encouraged to take a RIGHT out of the sanctuary and go immediately into the Youth Room (keep going right and the Youth Room is the last room on the right).  There will be fresh coffee/ tea and treats there and most of all people who are eager to interact with all who come.   After about 10 minutes of having coffee and chatting, we will begin to get into our small discussion groups which will meet in spaces in our office area as well as in the education wing.  Our children will also be participating in The Story and their leaders will be ready to welcome them by 10:45.  The adult groups will have the option of watching a different 10 minute video (different from what we watched in Worship together) which will help focus our attention.  We’ll discuss a couple of questions that Tom and Travis would like for us to ponder based on their sermons.  There will also be additional questions to pursue that are different from questions in the back of The Story book.

Our small discussion groups will be a safe place for questioning and doubts.  We know that questioning, doubting, and wrestling with scripture helps us grow more than just being fed “the right answers.”  No prior knowledge is needed to participate in a small group.

Looking forward to this journey together.

Belinda Russell and the Discipleship Team

Beginning "The Story"

"What's the goal?  Why are we reading The Story for the next nine months?"

I love it when really good questions like this are presented to me on Sunday mornings.  Really and truly - it's always great to hear what people are thinking, and sometimes, standing in the doorway of the church after worship is just where these things come rolling out.

Responding to the question above: when we read The Story, we experience the Bible.  That's one of the best ways to summarize this journey we're taking together starting this fall (which you can read about at thestory.com).  I can certainly say that I have experienced the Bible as I've read The Story throughout the summer.  I've been able to hear the messages of the Bible again with fresh eyes and ears.  The way that the book keeps the Bible narrative moving through creative editing, summaries, and the always-helpful timeline is a completely new and exciting way to read through the Scriptures.  I feel like I can actually grasp some of the bigger themes, especially when it comes to the Old Testament, prophets, and key leaders in the history of Israel.

We've got copies of The Story available at the church office, and we'll be offering them in-between our worship services starting this week.  I hope you'll pick up a copy and take part in this great journey together.

Travis

PS - I can't imagine a better way to read through The Story than in a small group.  Starting Sept. 7, we'll have a number of discussion groups which will be meeting on Sunday mornings.  Coffee, snacks, and group facilitators will all be provided!  Stay tuned for more details.