The Board of Advisors and Accountability of Mars Hill Church need to be fired for simply failing to do their job.
Here is the reality. Twenty elders filed charges against Mark Driscoll. Hundreds of former members and employees are able to do the same and the BOAA knows it. The Executive Elders are bumbling along trying to control embarrassing scandal after embarrassing scandal.
The list of disqualifying sins that Mark Driscoll and the Executive Elders have been accused of committing is long. It would be longer if one looks at what disqualified Paul Petry or Phil Smidt. In case the BOAA is unaware of what the leadership of Mars Hill Church has been accused of, here is a partial list:
- Unfair trial of Paul Petry – leading to a shunning order (still in effect)
- Changing the bylaws without due process
- Failure to adhere the bylaws when purchasing real estate
- Breaking of local city ordinances when leasing real estate
- Abusive treatment of scores of employees
- Lying to church members
- Threatening church members
- Rewriting the story of the who founded the church
- Numerous accounts of plagiarism
- Misuse of church funds to buy spot on the NYT Bestseller list
- Manipulating Sales to by a spot in the NYT Bestseller list
- Three inconsistent explanations of how the result-source contract was entered into.
- Withholding severance pay from employees refusing to sign onerous NDA’s
- Onerous NDA’s
- Requirements existing employees to sign non-compete agreements
- Misuse of the pulpit – using the pulpit to further abuse members
- Lack of transparency
- Slander of ex-members
- Misrepresentation to donors giving to the so-called “Mars Hill Global Fund”
The bylaws make it clear that they are to look at the evidence when a charge is made, and then act. I refer to section 7.6 (page 9) in which they are instructed to make a decision of some sort if they determine that the lead pastor has engaged in conduct that would disqualify him to serve as an elder.
So why the hell is the BOAA hiring outside parties to begin a lengthy and hidden process of reconciliation? Did the twenty elders file a request for reconciliation, or did they file charges against Mark Driscoll? Why are the BOAA not doing their duty?
Why not just follow the bylaws (even though they clearly should be repealed) and do their job. Are they not conceding their incompetence by failing to do their duty per the bylaws?
If they are not willing to adhere to their own bylaws they ought to be fired. After all, just disagreeing with the new “vision statement” of the church is enough to disqualify an elder and get him fired. So if they do not agree with the bylaws under which they serve, they ought to be disqualified and a new and capable board be found.
If Phil Smidt and Phil Piorier were fired for disagreeing with the new vision statement, the BOAA should be fired for disregarding their own bylaws!
Musings from under the bus. 