In announcing the formation of Bellevue Church, Matt Rogers (who sat on the board that did not want Mark Driscoll to resign and deems him to be qualified for ministry) said the following:
“This Bellevue church is known around the world for the way you have served and loved one another and the broader church of Jesus Christ.”
So, world, this is the same church.
Other than the fact that Mark Driscoll has resigned, what has changed?
We will know what will change by what has been confessed and corrected. Other than an “unhealthy culture” there has been almost nothing confessed and no transparency forthcoming.
The dissolution of Mars Hill Church means that Bellevue Church has no need to answer questions that its own members and donors have. As Matt Rogers said, “We are establishing a new 501c3 corporate entity, creating new bylaws, selecting a new name, establishing a new structure and setting up new financial accounts.”
Bellevue Church is moving forward with the only two active members of the Mars Hill Board of Advisors and Accountability (Matt Rogers and Dave Bruskas) and the only remaining Executive Elder (Dave Bruskas). These men are the only elders who have the answers to the many questions being asked by us donors or members.
Rather than answer the demand for transparency, their choice is to dissolve Mars Hill Church in an apparent attempt to permanently bury the truth, and then merely continue the same church with a different name.
So the many questions that still trouble donors or members are not likely to come from these leaders of Mars Hill Church/Bellevue Church. These questions are well articulated by the best source of telling the truth emerging from the dark bowels of the Mars Hill Church inner leadership sanctum, Dr. Warren Throckmorton. He has outlined the questions that hound Mars Hill Church and will hound Bellevue Church and its leadership as they continue to fail to provide transparent answers.
- Question: How exactly was the Global Fund money spent? Over $10 million was raised. Where is that money?
- Question: What were the salaries, compensation and severance package deals made for Mark Driscoll and Sutton Turner?
- Request for transparency: Release the Driscoll Investigation Report.
- Request for transparency: Release the many ex-elders and ex-employees that signed onerous NDAs.
- Questions about Paul Petry and Bent Meyer: Now that 18 witnesses to the firings and trial of Bent Meyer and Paul Petry, and the removal of eldership and shunning of Paul Petry, have profoundly born testimony and established the violent sins of the church against these men:
—– When will they be exonerated and restitution be made?
—– How will this testimony impact the sinful actions of A.J. Hamilton, Tim Smith and Bubba Jennings, all elders in good standing at Mars Hill Church? - Question: How will either Mars Hill Church or Bellevue Church process the charges of deception leveled by Mars Hill Church elders against Michael van Skaik and the other members of the Board of Advisors and Accountability?
- Question: What charges will be brought against Dave Bruskas for his role in the various scandals that have humiliated Mars Hill Church?
- Question: Matt Rogers has said that those who have accused Mark Driscoll (such as those that participated in the August 3rd protest) were slanderers. Will Mars Hill Church or Bellevue Church call for Matt Rogers to clearly explain his accusation of slander? Who were the slanderers, and what was the nature of their slander?
Or are the new leaders of Bellevue Church, who are the current leaders of Mars Hill Church, hope that all these questions disappear with the so-called dissolution of Mars Hill Church?
Musings from under the bus. 
This is a variation of a comment left on Dr. Throckmorton’s site.
Given what is going on at the Bellevue MH, is it possible that the Bellevue church is being set up to bring MD back as Lead Pastor, or possibly a new category like Guest Pastor, who also just happens to be on the payroll? It would explain why no other church can use the MH name, and why no answers have been forthcoming when it would seem like there’s nothing to keep quiet anymore. Further, the church is able to start fresh financially, with no debt or financial worries about explaining the Global Fund.
In other words, what if it’s the same church with the same name and pastors, held by a different company with the same officers, or a slight variation of the above?
Uh..and what if it is? YOU (or anyone else with a bad taste in their mouth about MH) DON’T have to go there and support them in this…there are plenty of other good churches around Bellevue and Seattle. Yes, all those questions may never get answered and that’s a shame, but it seems to me, it’s time to move on and find a quality church with leaders you can trust.