Mark Driscoll has resigned and nobody is happy.
Seven years ago there were twenty four elders who were responsible for ruling Mars Hill Church. As is now common knowledge, Mark Driscoll fired Paul Petry and Bent Meyer in a coercive move that enabled him to force the remaining elders to vote in new bylaws that consolidated power in Mark Driscoll.
By abdicating their biblical responsibility they laid the groundwork for all that has happened at Mars Hill Church.
Those 22 elders who voted to remove biblical accountability from Mark Driscoll created the environment that has led to the tragedy of the situation we now see at Mars Hill Church.
Despite all the emotion, the anger, the grief, and heartbreak of this journey, it is time to pray the prayer of Jesus and forgive these men for their incompetence and abandonment of their duties.
“Father, I forgive the elders of 2007, for they did not know what they were doing.”
I do forgive them, and sadly, I do believe that they had no idea what they were doing.
Then there is the current leadership.
18 months ago, Dave Kraft filed credible charges against Mark Driscoll. Michael van Skaik essentially ignored any reasonable due process in looking into the charges and a statement was issued that basically told the church that nothing he discovered disqualified Mark Driscoll from ministry.
At that time the church appeared to be strong. Had Mark Driscoll either resigned or been suspended at that time, the church would have been impacted, but it was in a good condition to weather the severe impact of Mark Driscoll’s departure. It would have been tough, but the church was in a strong position to survive it.
Instead, under the leadership of Michael van Skaik, James MacDonald, Paul Tripp, and Larry Osborne, the charges against Mark Driscoll have escalated.
Scandal after scandal emerged. Charges of plagiarism first trickled in, then showed up in multiple books. Stories of abuse and bullying began to be told. Lots of stories of abuse and bullying. Then the Result Source scandal rocked the church. Then the Global Fund scandal and the accompanying spin to explain the deceit. The sad story of the treatment of Pastor Ron Wheeler. Add to that the William Wallace II rants.
Than came Mark Driscoll lying to the camera saying he would reconcile, but said that those with whom he should reconcile “remained anonymous.”
21 former elders filed credible and serious charges against Mark Driscoll. Acts 29 threw him out of the organization he co-founded. And, nine current elders called for his suspension and filed new charges against him.
The church, under the watch of the Board of Advisors and Accountability, has been crippled by the abusive leadership of Mark Driscoll. Under the watchful eye of the BOAA, hundreds, then thousands of members leave. Elders are fired. The stories they tell are stunning in their combined voice against the abusive leadership of Mark Driscoll and the awful culture of Mars Hill Church.
Mars Hill Church falls to its knees as these men lead. Hundreds call for Mark Driscoll to be suspended and to be removed from being able to continue his abuse.
These men had opportunity after opportunity to remove Mark Driscoll. Yet they wait until the church is in shatters, and then they deliver the results of their investigation into the multiple charges against the pastor of the church that Paul Tripp said was the most abusive and coercive church he had ever worked with.
They declare that he is still fit for ministry.
As angry as I feel emotionally at these incompetent and pathetic men, I am choosing to forgive them.
“Father, I forgive the Mars Hill Church Board of Advisors and Accountability, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Musings from under the bus. 
That Mark is gone, do you foresee that you will comeback to MH and become EE or BOAA?
I was a little surprised that you included Paul Tripp in your comments. I thought he left with a public statement of how bad it was at MH. I was never a member so am not sure of course of all the details. I guess the question is how long was Paul Tripp on the BOAA & could he have done anything by himself, without the help of the rest of the board?
It was unequivocally wrong to vote for the removal of Paul and Bent, and to adhere to the “shunning order” which devastated their families. I’m grieved that I bought the lie that it was somehow biblical and that I was too weak to not resign on the spot.
If there’s one thing I want to see happen before this chapter is closed in my life, it is the undoing of this tragedy in every way possible.
Zach.. your response and willingness to put matters right is godly and encouraging. From what I know of you, it is also not surprising. You have gone out of your way to reconnect and reconcile with Paul Petry. I respect you and honor you for caring.