I have enjoyed many of Mark Driscolls sermons. There has been some solid Biblical truth in there. He is a master communicator and manages to keep your attention for an hour long message. Apparently he speaks off the cuff after having spent hours in study and prayer. I can believe it. He has also offered almost all his material available freely and online. Something I admire.
He is also a Pastor steeped in controversy. His manner can be abrasive, offensive and bordering on sexist. His view on women in ministry is not something I share. You can read about all the controversy in various places which I will leave you to google yourself or for a summary… More Here
That controversy has culminated in his immediate stepping down from ministry which he outlines in this video.
I applaud some aspects of this and question others.
I think he shows grace and humility here, and genuine sorrow. His heart is clearly for the local church and for the mission of Christ. He recognises all this controversy detracts from this. He has also publicly fronted up and admitted fault, and apologised.
What concerns me is the nature of the process. He has started and outlined the process. He seems to be leading the process. Even if he has not, it is not clear who would be taking him through the process. A wiser approach may have been to have the elder or leader giving the statement, with Mark saying something towards the end.
It needs to be said that Pastor Mark has not resigned here. In fact his clear intention is that he will be back in the pulpit. Which in fact I don’t have a problem with. He has been immature, aggressive and insensitive. So have I at various stages of my pastoral ministry. I would like forgiveness and restoration, and I would like Driscoll to have that extended to him.
Mark Driscoll is not really my type of pastor. I love his use of great media and themes. I love his love of the Bible, I love his passion. I also love the fact that thousands of people have come to Christ through the church he leads. However there are definite rough and abrasive edges there which have needed refining.
My hope and prayer is that through this process he will gain wisdom, grace and forgiveness and be able to be even more effective as God refines Him, something I pray for myself as well.
I agree that forgiveness and restoration and continued ministry is certainly the good result that will come from this.
But as I watched this this morning my main concern as I listened was that he doesn’t give any indication that there should be consequences for what he has done in the past. To me at least it felt a little like “I am repenting, I am genuinely sorry, and that means you should forgive me and we should get back to the point where everything is as it was before” And there is a little bit of arrogance in that. I like your thought on an elder having presented this, but also the acknowledgement that if this process with the elders deems it prudent that God is calling for the church to be lead differently, then Mark is ok with that.
Great reflection.