The following piece is a humble prompt to remember that growth can come through even a flawed ministry. It is not, in any way, either a dismissal of Mark Driscoll's pastoral failings or an endorsement of the church cultures encouraged by those failings. – Paul
It’s hard to wash windows while you’re crying.
You can’t see the smudges through your tears. I had to stop for a few minutes to recover. If anyone saw me, I’m sure they would have thought I was a bit crazy. There I was, a bucket of water sitting next to me, my headphones on, sniffling and talking to myself. I was in my own world praying and confessing to God. Truth was ringing in my ears and my heart needed to respond. A preacher proclaiming truth can do that to you.
Mark Driscoll’s sermons did that to me.
The controversy surrounding Mark Driscoll, and his subsequent resignation, has been all over the Internet for the last few weeks. When it was announced that he was resigning from his position, I wasn’t entirely shocked but I was saddened by the news. Driscoll’s style of leadership and shortcomings as a leader have been highly publicized for a long time. Though I’ve never been to Mars Hill or met Driscoll, over the years I found myself defending him and his ministry. In a lot of ways, I considered Driscoll one of my pastors. His preaching resonated with me, and looking back, the fact that it did makes perfect sense. I was the demographic he was constantly yelling at to grow up.
I was 21, living in my parents’ basement, working part-time-ish because I didn’t need to work fulltime, and I had no idea what I was doing with my life. I was dating my now-wife but at the time my longest relationship was about nine months. Commitment was not something I prioritized and my track record with women is one I’d like to forget. I was part of an accountability group. We would gather once a week and confess the same sins to each other over and over again. I had just graduated with a B.A. in Biblical Studies and enjoyed critiquing every sermon I heard and pointing out if the pastor didn’t “translate accurately” or preached from a non-literal Bible translation. I wanted to be the smartest guy in the congregation, not necessarily the one actually living out his faith.
When I found the Mars Hill podcast, I was instantly hooked by Mark Driscoll and his unique preaching style. I had never heard a pastor speak the way Driscoll did. He talked about Jesus in a way that appealed to guys. He described a Jesus who had muscles from being a carpenter, not the skinny, effeminate blue-eyed Jesus depicted in the images I grew up with. Driscoll’s illustrations were about UFC, or cars, or drinking a beer. I could listen to him and relate to what he was saying. It connected with me. He was preaching about a Jesus that I wanted to follow and fight for, not cuddle and “date.” It wasn’t just his depiction of Jesus that resonated though. He called Christians, especially Christian men, to live different.
He was preaching about a Jesus that I wanted to follow and fight for, not cuddle and “date.”
He challenged guys to stop being lazy and passive. He chided us to stop living in fantasy land, playing video games—and to do something with our lives. Don’t get physical with a woman (either sexually or abusively). He preached about what it looked like to be a Christian man and leader in the church. Driscoll preached with passion and intensity. He wore jeans and a T-shirt and knew how to speak in a way that men wouldn't tune out. How could a young guy not get hooked?
Mark Driscoll has his flaws as a leader. There were some obvious issues regarding accountability and arrogance in Driscoll’s ministry. Much of his story will become a cautionary tale to young leaders about what can happen to someone with too much power and authority and not enough humility. But men and women heard the gospel and were saved because he preached in a way others were not. He challenged guys like me to get out of their parents’ basements, put down the video games, and take steps toward being men. I am thankful he challenged me to grow up. I am thankful he challenged me to get serious about the relationship I was in.
I heard a man declare with force that God hates sin and that I needed to repent and not get trapped in the extended adolescence that society was offering me. For that I’ll be eternally grateful.
Tim Gioia is the editorial resident of Leadership Journal.
