6 of 6

"[T]he lifestyle he models—especially his easygoing familiarity with all this world's filthy fads—practically guarantees that [his disciples] will make little progress toward authentic sanctification."

The evidence seems to belie MacArthur's criticism. Alsup likens Mars Hill to an emergency room triage, with so many new believers working through so many horrible problems. Before the service I attended, I talked with Lynette Palmer, who became a Christian a few years ago at the University of Washington. Her family has endured lots of physical and emotional abuse. In the last few years, her mother and three sisters have come to faith and begun attending Mars Hill. But her father spent eight years in jail—for raping one of Lynette's sisters. Driscoll's sermons have helped bring healing to Palmer.

"Once I started looking at what God says about his sovereignty," Palmer said, "I realized that Satan has no power to destroy people."

Driscoll relates many stories of God's transforming power in his Confessions book. Still, Driscoll says receiving MacArthur's criticism is "like a frat guy getting paddled. It doesn't feel good, but I guess it means you're in." As a new Christian, Driscoll picked up hundreds of tapes to learn from MacArthur's preaching. He regrets that MacArthur chose a public forum for criticism, when he would have gladly flown to Los Angeles to hear MacArthur's advice.

Without directly implicating MacArthur, Driscoll distinguishes between missionaries who study culture and fundamentalists who try to avoid culture.

"Fundamentalism is really losing the war, and I think it is in part responsible for the rise of what we know as the more liberal end of the emerging church," Driscoll says. "Because a lot of what is fueling the left end of the emerging church is fatigue with hardcore fundamentalism that throws rocks at culture. But culture is the house that people live in, and it just seems really mean to keep throwing rocks at somebody's house."

Few but Driscoll's friends come to his defense, because no one else can peg him. That's fine with Driscoll, so long as his band of acculturated missionaries sticks to their tasks. Hundreds of young ministers planting churches around the world, they understand him. They cut him slack as he searches for the balance between provocative and sensitive.

"You can't escape your upbringing," says Darrin Patrick, vice president of Acts 29. "Mark is a street fighter."

And even the Good Shepherd had to fight off wolves.

Collin Hansen is a CT associate editor. His book on the rise of Reformed theology among young evangelicals will be published by Crossway in 2008.

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Mark Driscoll blogs at TheResurgence.com and Acts 29.

Salon , Pacific Northwest, and Evangelical Right: The Internet's Home for Sinners Destined to Be Left Behind published profiles of Driscoll.

Mars Hill Church has audio clips of Driscoll's sermons and other media resources.

Driscoll is a council member of the Gospel Coalition and founder of the Paradox Theater.

Adrian Warnock interviewed Driscoll and a deacon from his church.

Other relevant Christianity Today articles include:

What's Next: Local Church | We asked 114 leaders from 11 ministry spheres about evangelical priorities for the next 50 years. First up: Fresh basics for the local church. (October 2, 2006)

Young, Restless, Reformed | Calvinism is making a comeback—and shaking up the church. (September 22, 2006)

Men Are from Mars Hill | Mark Driscoll praises Jesus, blasts mega-churches, and extols Reformed theology. (July 4, 2006)

first page |  6 of 6

share this page

September 2007, Vol. 51, No. 9