If you want to sign the below petition – click here.
Natalia Collins from the UK writes,
Remove Mark Driscoll from the Hillsong Europe Conference
After approaching Hillsong privately (in accordance with Matthew 18:15-17) to ask them to reconsider and change their their decision to have Mark Driscoll as a key note speaker at their Europe conference 22-24 July 2015), “Speak, We’re Listening” they have chosen to still have Mark Driscoll appear at the conference, in an interview format with his wife Grace.
This is both disappointing and of great concern to many across the UK and internationally. Mark Driscoll resigned from leadership after many leaders and other within his church raised issues about unethical and abusive behaviour including:
- Ex-leaders of Mars Hill Church repenting of their collusion with Mark Driscoll
- Ex-members of Mars Hill reporting they have experienced spiritual abuse from Mars Hill and Mark Driscoll, including controlling and manipulative behaviour
- Evidence of plagiarism in at least one book he has written
- Misuse of tithes by Mars Hill Church
- Unethical actions taken to ensure Grace and Mark Driscoll’s book was featured on a bestselling book list
- Mark Driscoll’s public statements against women in leadership over the last two decades which have greatly undermined the Gospel message of women as leaders, evangelists and full members of the Body of Christ
Alongside these are revelations of Mark Driscoll’s communications from 2000 written under a pseudonym, which state that we are living in a “pussified nation” with “men being raised by bitter penis envying burned feministed single mothers”. The language used within these communications can be accurately described as hate speech and needs to be treated as such. Although the statements are 14 years old, his more recent messages about “feminised men” and women’s roles being solely within the home suggest his views have not changed, although his language may have. Mark Driscoll has apologised for his communications in 2000, but his apology does not extend to the views he expressed or his ongoing negative attitudes towards women, gender non-conforming men and gay people.
We fully believe that people can be restored and redeemed and that forgiveness is a fundamental part of Jesus’ teaching. Mark Driscoll has never fully acknowledged or repented of the pain he has caused many ex-leaders and members of Mars Hill alongside the women and men he has hurt with his comments about leadership, gender and sexuality. It has been only six months since Mark Driscoll resigned and to give him such a platform as the O2 arena does not represent the Gospel of repentance and forgiveness, but that of cheap grace.
By inviting Mark Driscoll to speak on the Hillsong platform, Hillsong are both endorsing and legitimising Mark’s messages about women and ignoring the concerns being repeated by many across the US and UK about his abusive behaviour, which has been corroborated by ex-members and ex-leaders of Mars Hill Church.
We ask that Hillsong remove Mark Driscoll from their line up of speakers at the Hillsong Conference 2015.
Further details of the issues can be found here:
Overview of the issues: http://crosscut.com/2014/07/16/religion/121033/inside-mars-hills-big-meltdown/?page=single
Official charges: http://wp.production.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/files/2014/08/FormalCharges-Driscoll-814.pdf
Mars Hill Refuge: http://marshillrefuge.blogspot.co.uk
We Love Mars Hill: http://welovemarshill.com
Source: By Natalie Collins, Remove Mark Driscoll from the Hillsong Europe Conference, change.org, https://www.change.org/p/hillsong-remove-mark-driscoll-from-hillsong-europe-conference. (Accessed 16/04/2014.)
Hillsong Church Watch 
I have read many articles and blogs and websites that have exposed Mark Driscoll and his controlling and manipulative style in ministry. I am very glad that so many are coming out publicly with their experiences at Mars Hill.
Having said that, I would still never sign a petition banning him to speak at Hillsong because that totally kills freedom of speech which I value very highly.
If people want to protest Mark Driscoll simply boycott the conference. That is far more effective and to the point.
Hillsong should be 100% free to invite whoever they want to their conferences!
It’s still a free world with free press.
Lets not attack the very freedom that we are selves enjoy!
I agree with chosenlivelystones. If you want ‘freedom of religion’, then its almost axiomatic that you MUST have ‘freedom of speech’ so you can preach and evangelize others and so persuade them to adopt the same religious beliefs that you have.
Signing a petition to ‘ban some-one from speaking’ because you personally don’t happen to like what they say sets a rather dangerous precedent. I’d much rather Mark Driscoll is left free to continue to condemn himself with his own words,
Also helps sort out the true sheep from the goats ie., those who truly follow the Lord Jesus from those who, by their words and deeds show that they prefer to follow ‘men’.
As a matter of interest, I was thinking about Hillsong last night, and God said to me “Great will be their fall”.
I don’t take any joy in that. Unfortunately some people have to go through a painful initial process of disillusionment concerning their current christian belief system before they can realise they were deceived.
And the longer they put it off, the longer they ignore ‘promptings’ from the Holy Spirit that ‘something is wrong’, the more ‘painful’ the initial ‘wake-up’ process becomes.
“If you want ‘freedom of religion’, then its almost axiomatic that you MUST have ‘freedom of speech’ so you can preach and evangelize others and so persuade them to adopt the same religious beliefs that you ‘have.”
Andronicus, the church is not a democracy. The church is COMMANDED to expel the wicked from among them. Unfortunately, the wicked endorse the wicked and produce cults. They are the final authority in their movements.
Not God.
And when false teachers are the final authority – all you need to do is look at what they did to the Prophets, Jesus, Steven and the Apostles. This is why Christ calls them lawless ones. And this is why Christ called them murderers from the beginning like their “father” and speak his native language.
And we should be greatly concerned when Jesus warns us that false teachers come to steal kill and destroy. Wickedness is what these men breathe. Just look at Brian Houston, Phil Pringle and Kong Hee – they have heartlessly destroyed thousands of people’s lives and they do not care.
Yet we have “Christians” still endorsing these men in the name of God. But they need to hear the stories of the abused and read the bible for themselves to realise that they are defending dangerous men.
“I was thinking about Hillsong last night, and God said to me ‘Great will be their fall’”.
How did God say this to you, Andronicus? Sincere though you may be, I doubt God told you this.
This church is in the business of deceiving people, it’s a big market, with many begging for their product. So though I wish I could agree with you, I don’t. And I am leery now whenever someone says “God told me such and such” because that phrase is becoming way too common as Christians are putting God’s official stamp on too many feelings. I got out of the business of believing everybody’s word of faith impressions long ago. This prediction has a 50/50 chance of coming true, so whether it does or doesn’t come to pass proves nothing. Personally I wish Hillsong would fold. The sooner the better.
Another thing. As far as Mark Driscoll “to speak or not to speak that is the question” goes, once you know someone has (1) caused a plagiarism controversy, (2) manipulated personal book sales, (3) usurped authority like a dictator, and (4) shot off such a filthy mouth, nobody should listen to them. Ever again. He’s not fit for leadership. A few months hasn’t “turned his life around.” Why give him a platform? To grant him credibility so he can deceive a whole new flock?
How TGC ever endorsed Driscoll is amazing. Look at who his ‘assigned mentor’ was. Mahaney. TGC endorsed Mahaney too. What are they doing? People need to put their thinking caps on. Really. They really do.
For “churchwatcher’; I’m fully aware that the ‘TRUE church’ is NOT a democracy. I’m merely pointing out that here in Australia and in other western countries we are fortunate enough to ALSO live in a secular society that – amongst other things – gives people a democratic secular right to hold opinions and religious beliefs that are different or even completely the opposite of both mine and yours.
Now, I happen to believe that HillSong is NOT part of the “TRUE” church. Which then puts them in exactly the same secular category as every other non-christian religious body in Australia. (that’s my view anyway),
They still however retain a secular right to freely publicize their opinions and views, just as you have the same secular right to publicize your criticism of those views.
And in both cases, every person who reads those has the right to make up their own minds about what , if anything, they are inclined to agree or disagree with. That’s exactly the same right that atheists, buddhists, hindus , Catholics, Presbyterians, and Jehovah’s Witnesses – and you and I – all have.
However, you and I, and any others who call themselves ‘true christians’ do have some restraints imposed upon us so far as our responses to false teachers WITHIN the christian church are concerned. (assuming one believes that Hillsong should be included as being ‘within’ the christian church in the first place)
My view is that any process which draws PUBLIC attention of the world at large to the PAST behaviours of Mark Driscoll and THEN uses those to – in effect -not only say that “Mark Driscoll shouldn’t be fully forgiven because we don’t think he’s suffered enough yet” (despite the fact that as far as i can tell all the needed and appropriate actions were taken by the Mars Hill Church some months ago, and he will still be enduring the consequences of those for a very long time to come),and on top of that uses Mark Driscoll as an example of Hillsong doing the wrong thing yet again, is likely to be seriously flawed.
Whatever Mark Driscoll has done in the past is one thing. Using him personally as something of a pawn in order to further criticize HillSong is quite another.
For “churchwatcher” : I found this page which gives details of the salaries paid to Mark Driscoll and two ‘executive elders’. http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/11/20/mars-hill-church-what-pastor-mark-driscoll-made-at-his-mega-church/
Given the level of his renumeration, plus the fact he received a years salary as part of his severance payment at the time of his resignation, he should have enough to keep him going for a few months…
Might have to wait a while to see if any lessons have been learned’ . Hope not, for his sake
“boycott the conference . That is far more effective and to the point.”
I do agree. Hitting HS in the pocketbook hurts the most. Except there would be no way to know how many didn’t go, nor for this reason. In reality signing a petition likely won’t stop anyone from speaking, but it does send a clear message numbers–wise that this situation is being watched and disliked.
And here is their response:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2015/04/16/hillsong-spokesman-responds-to-petition-asking-for-mark-driscolls-removal-from-london-conference/
It would appear that Brian Houston considers himself some sort of “elder statesman” speaking on behalf of the Christian community. It will make for fascinating viewing, won’t it? I wonder if Brian will raise any issues of significance? Perhaps Brian could get a heads-up from Janet Mefford as to how to properly question Driscoll.
http://thewartburgwatch.com/2013/11/22/mark-driscoll-hangs-up-on-janet-meffords-questions-about-plagiarism-and-strange-fire/
Yes, Houston is sort of acting like a semi-Charismatic version of Rick Warren, the self-appointed, seeker-sensitive “Pope” by doing that. Sadly most Hillsong followers will assume if Houston gives Driscoll the thumbs up then everything is OK, “nothing to see here, move right along….”
What’s the likelihood that the only negative words at the conference will be directed towards nasty, narrow-minded intellectual Pharisees (like those nasty Bereans in Acts 17:11) and people who have the hide to still hold Driscoll accountable *shock horror* for his abuse of Mars Hill staff and church members?
Is Mark Driscoll getting paid for being at Hillsong Conference?
He’s their guest so perhaps his “interview” will include a love offering?
If this website is true and Driscoll – despite Mars Hill church closing due to his abuse of church members – has the hide to now offer leadership coaching again, *Driscoll* should be paying Hillsong for advertising, not the other way around!!!! http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2015/04/20/mark-driscolls-leadership-coaching-taking-up-where-he-left-off/
To CW readers :
HIllsong is on Current Affair tomorrow night @ 7pm….