Disgraced former Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll has posted a video, attempting to justify his infamous sermon from 15 years ago in which he screams, “How dare you!”
But like other explanations Driscoll has given, the facts don’t match the recollections of former staff from the now-shuttered Seattle megachurch.
Driscoll renunciar from Mars Hill in 2014, after an investigacion interna at the church found Driscoll guilty of “arrogance,” “a quick temper,” and leading “in a domineering manner.” He then moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, and launched la iglesia de la trinidad, where some former staff have accused him of cult-like actions, like mandated loyalty and 24/7 surveillance of members.
Driscoll preached his infamous sermon, entitled “Marriage and Men,” at Mars Hill in 2009. It has been used by critics to highlight what they say is Driscoll’s angry and abusive leadership.
A former Mars Hill member told Mike Cosper, host of the extremely popular podcast El ascenso y la caída de Mars Hill, that the sermon typified Driscoll’s core message.
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“That message was, You suck, do better, do like me,” Cosper recalls.
Clips from that sermon have now gone viral on social media.
Driscoll screaming “How dare you!” was also mixed into the song, “Sticks and Stones,” by King’s Kaleidoscope and featured in the signature open of The Rise and Fall podcast. (The producers of the podcast eventually removed Driscoll’s sound byte from the open at the request of Chad Gardner, who wrote “Sticks and Stones.”)
But in a video posted last Sunday, Driscoll claims that his anger in the sermon was justified. And to his “critics and enemies that have used it,” Driscoll says, “shame on you.”
Driscoll’s explanation of what ‘triggered’ his anger
According to Driscoll’s recent video, the infamous sermon came a few years after his wife, Grace, had revealed to him that she had been sexually assaulted before the couple had met. Driscoll said the news “wrecked” him.
Yet, as Grace began to tell her story in the church, more women felt safe to come forward with their stories of abuse, Driscoll said.
“And the thought of men doing these things to not just daughters, but God the Father’s daughters—it just made me furious,” he added.
Driscoll said that on the day he gave the sermon, women were coming up to him between services and sharing their abuse stories with him. “And by the end of the day, I was completely emotionally devastated and angry and furious at all the damage done to women, starting with my wife.”
Then, Driscoll said he heard an especially tragic story, which “triggered” him, before what was “probably the sixth or seventh sermon of the day. I just preached myself, literally, almost to death on a few occasions.”
Before that last sermon, Driscoll said an 18-year-old African American woman told him she was born out of rape, and her mother didn’t allow her to meet her father because he wasn’t safe. But after turning 18, she flew out to meet with her dad. He then raped her, Driscoll said.
“I honestly started crying so hard, I threw up—and then preached the sermon,” Driscoll said.
It was this sermon that was recorded and eventually went viral, Driscoll said.
Driscoll’s story doesn’t match eyewitness account
However, Driscoll’s story does not match the account given by an eyewitness interviewed by Mike Cosper on his podcast.
In “Episode 5: The Things We Do to Women,” Cosper said he wondered whether Driscoll screamed at his audience at all of the services the day of his infamous sermon, or just one.
Cosper notes that when describing that day, Driscoll said in an interview with FamilyLife Co-Founder Dennis Rainey that his sermons “just sort of happen in the moment. I’m more of an extemporaneous preacher. And so, I just kinda got fired up.”
However, Cosper said there were five sermons that day (not seven or eight), “and I was able to confirm that Mark screamed just like this at all five. Someone who was intimately familiar with all of these operations confirmed that the whole thing was planned and rehearsed. It was made by Mark for TV.”
Cosper noted something else that was consistent with the notion that the screaming was pre-planned.
Right after Driscoll’s rant, he announces: “We’re going to do something we’ve never done. We’re going to pass the plate. You can give your tithes and offerings. . . . If you’re disconnected, please fill out the visitor card.” (This part of the sermon appears to be edited out of the sermon video posted by Driscoll.)
“I don’t want to sound cynical,” Cosper said on the podcast, “but that’s weird, right? Fill out the visitor card, in the middle of this?”
Driscoll rewriting history?
This isn’t the first time Driscoll has allegedly tried to rewrite history, according to former Mars Hill Executive Elder Sutton Turner.
In 2022, Driscoll claimed in a sermon that he resigned from Mars Hill in 2014 because church leaders were plotting to accuse him of adultery if he didn’t.
Driscoll alleged that prior to resigning from Mars Hill, God told him “that a trap was set.”
Driscoll said he then met multiple times at Panera with some “critics and enemies,” some of whom were pastors and former pastors at Mars Hill. Driscoll said when he asked these critics about a possible trap, they responded that “the nuclear option was that we were going to accuse you of adultery.”
turner dijo El Informe Roys (TRR) that Driscoll’s allegation was “totally false,” and transcripts of the elders’ investigative meetings leading up to Driscoll’s resignation corroborate Turner’s claim.
The transcripts show that the elders were unanimous in wanting Driscoll to repent and be restored; none were plotting to get rid of him.
“Algunos no querían que fuera restaurado al ministerio de tiempo completo”, dijo Turner. “Pero todos querían que se arrepintiera y se reconciliara con las personas contra las que pecó (lo cual nunca hizo) y que fuera restaurado como cristiano en la iglesia”.
On a podcast with TRR, Turner also called into question other claims Driscoll has made since leaving Mars Hill.
For example, Driscoll claimed at Robert Morris’ Gateway Conference in 2014 that people were giving him death threats and harassing him at his home. Driscoll said that one time, he and his kids camped out in their back yard. And around 6:30 in the morning, “huge rocks about the size of baseballs come flying at my kids.”
Driscoll said a few days later, the media flew over his house with a helicopter “trying to flush this out for a story.”
However, Turner said he’s been to the house where Driscoll lived at the time, which was on an acre to an acre-and-a-half. “It was like a forest behind his house” with 40- to 50-foot high trees, Turner said.
“So, how did this happen? Where did they park the car?” Turner asked. “So, they threw (a rock), and it went through all these trees . . . it’s just astounding.”
Turner added that helicopters flew over Driscoll’s home all the time because his home was near a hospital.
“So, some of the details that (Driscoll) leaves out to elicit empathy and to tell his side of the story work,” Turner said. “If you don’t know the details, then you’re like, ‘Oh, I feel so sorry for him.’”
Julie Roys es una reportera de investigación veterana y fundadora de The Roys Report. Anteriormente, también presentó un programa de entrevistas nacional en Moody Radio Network, llamado Up for Debate, y ha trabajado como reportera de televisión para una filial de CBS. Sus artículos han aparecido en numerosas publicaciones periódicas.
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How is this unregenerate Kewpie Doll with the faux-hawk still around? Yet another bullying, narcissistic grifter who should not be any pulpit EVER.
Touch Not Mine Anointed(TM), probably.
And if those pics late in the stream are recent, he’s ditched the kewpie-doll fauxhawk for the “Amos from la expansión” look. (“He’s not That Guy. I’M That Guy.”)
Because it’s all he knows, and as long as he has enough followers to continue to keep him in the lavish lifestyle to which he is accustomed, he has no incentive to do anything else.
From many years ago, I remember a visiting preacher — very likable old country fellow — giving a brief history of his pastoral ministry. He began, “I’ve built few churches in my time. I built a church on singin’; I built a church on shoutin’; but I finally got it right when I built a church on the Word of God.”
While I have MANY problems with Driscoll and his sinful and abusive leadership, I have no issue with any pastor confronting men to stop living selfish, double-minded lives, or with a pastor seizing their attention by demanding, “HOW DARE YOU?” in regards to abusive (yes, ironic) or neglectful behavior.
No further explanation or justification needed, in my book.
The real story here, I think, is that Driscoll is a liar…which is not news.
But he’s screaming “How dare you?” to an entire congregation, treating all men in there as if they are predators. This is not true. For me, it’s insidious because sometimes abusive men like Driscoll act like they are special champions for women, when in fact they manipulate women’s issues as a way of elevating their own ego by depicting themselves as paternalistic heroes – while in practice treating women badly (as Driscoll also did).
He’s using a technique that psychics use when talking to an audience. They say something that almost certainly applies to at least one person in the audience (like they’re wearing their deceased mother’s ring) and make those people think the psychic is talking directly to them.
Pastors do the same thing, only for different reasons, whether it’s an altar call or in rebuke — like Driscoll was doing. He knew statistically that (a) there would be at least one abusive husband (and likely a few more) in that large a congregation and (b) enough other husbands would apply the rebuke to their own less than perfect behavior, even if they’re not abusive in any way.
That’s why he did it, and it’s a pretty common tactic among the firebrand style conservative preacher. I have seen it enough times on TV to wonder why congregations are willing to sit through the abuse. I guess it’s like people who enjoy watching a scary movie — it gives them a thrill.
I’m all for holding abusive people accountable for their actions but, on this event specifically, this comes off as purely performative.
My church ran a one-day men’s event a decade ago using a program from Denis Rainey’s ministry and this clip was included in the video. One of the men from our bible study, who has a testimony that included being a former domestic abuser, was unable to attend so his friend forwarded him the clip to get his thoughts. The following week he gave us a rundown of how he felt about the clip. He said that it was all but pointless because everything Mark was screaming were the exact things that a part of him would be screaming at himself in his head.
He also pointed out the complete lack of any kind of direction for help or next steps for men looking for a way out of being abusive. But this was based on watching a clip not the full sermon, so I can’t speak to that.
The irony of Mark Driscoll telling people to repent.
Calling out “cowards” when he’s the biggest coward of all.
I can’t believe this guy is still being platformed. And now he is defending his “most controversial sermon ever” just to increase his popularity. There was no apology for his abusive leadership style (on the contrary he brags that he has “forgiven his “enemies and critics”) no admission of wrongdoing, and he actually uses stories of abuse to garner sympathy and support from his listeners. Everything he does is to gain a bigger following. How do people like this get away with their domineering behavior and continue to be listened to? I hope Mike Cosper does a bonus episode on “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” to explore this recent video by Driscoll.
The aforementioned pastor is unfamiliar to me. No wonder thou, his ministry saga was in the 2009ish era. Yeah, then I was oblivious to Christianity’s drama. T’was during my university days and my head was buried in the books of academia. Sometimes, I truly wish I could go back to those “ignorant is bliss” days. All this exposure of Christa-drama is all just terrible vanity and vexation of spirit.
Anyways……
My first impression of Driscoll just few hours ago was one of ‘a man who cannot rule his own spirit’. I believe scripture compares him to “a city broken down and without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). Ouch. So, yeah….that cannot bode well with him, and is evident in his character traits outlined in this article.
Perhaps, this aforementioned YT sermon is a classic case of “good (salty) message, bad delivery”. Unfortunately, the latter leaves more of a lasting impression.
Though HaShem can deliver a message via imperfect vessels, I am also reminded of Paul the apostle’s admonition saying even If I do all these great things, “without love (grace, mercy, compassion-the softer qualities) undergirding great feats, it is nothing, I am nothing and it is as being a ‘noisy clanging cymbal’. We would all do well to take heed on our message delivery. Myself first of course.
Shabbath Shalom.
The bigger question is what is it about modern Christians that would even allow a guy like this to become so popular? It’s obvious to anyone paying attention that he’s unfit for ministry.
Mark Driscoll is once again acting like… Mark Driscoll. It is sad but, not at all surprising. What would be surprising is if he took responsibility for his own actions.
I think sometimes people don’t want to be corrected. We should welcome correction. It’s true correction that impacts our heart and shouldn’t be run from.
Umm, so lemme see if I understand Driscoll’s self-justification: upon hearing that other men couldn’t control their abusive behavior, he was so triggered that he couldn’t control his own. Got it.
It has been said that “facts are stubborn things”.
Fortunately, they are more stubborn than Driscoll and serve to point out that he is not willing to deal with his past well.
I think that speaks to whether he should be welcomed as a teacher/elder in any church.
The irony of the guy who started the patriarchalist women-can’t-be-pastors-or-elders Acts 29 organization that second-classes women going on a tirade about people who abuse God the Father’s daughters. 🙄
(Yes, I know there is a difference between sexual assault and treating people as second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God. But, still….)
I’m no big fan of Marc Driscoll, but his early popularity, especially among a lot of men who normally wanted nothing to do with church, is for me an indication of the need for more “prophetic” preaching that is confrontational. John the Baptist was neither meek nor subtle, maybe that’s why soldiers came to hear him preach and asked him for advice on true repentance. The modern church tends to me non-confrontational to the point of being irrelevant, why should anyone take us seriously when we are so afraid of offending anyone? Sometimes a very flawed vessel can reveal a need, even though I also have problems with Marc having a church again, and would definitely not be a member of his church.
That message was Marky Mark doing what he does best, trying to endear himself to women. The FACT that he told the congregation that God gave him a vision of his wife engaging in sexual sin as a single lady was evidence of his mental issues and narcissism. During his sermon on what is permissible in the marriage bed he announced that he likes having anal sex with his wife. That should have been enough to empty out the church immediately. Marky Mark is a perv and NOT a pastor.
Can you prove that he said these things? I don’t need any more convincing, but I do like to stick with the facts.
I haven’t heard the second claim The first, that he claims God sent him a vivid image of his wife’s premarital sexual sin, is a notorious portion of his Real Marriage book that quite a few have discussed, easy enough to find.
Unfortunately, yes. The videos of him saying this are on YouTube and have been for years. His book Real Marriage has a whole chapter that leaves any normal person thinking these people are bizarre perverts . Also if you just google Mark Driscoll, sex sermons or Mark Driscoll anal sex it’s all very well documented. I found it hard to believe but originally heard about it from someone who attended Mars Hill till Mark’s messages just became almost “Pornified”.
Additionally for all his tough guy “be a real man “ and take care of your lady talk , he treats his wife like garbage. He is a text book diabolical narcissist NOT the “Seal Team 6 leader of Christian manhood” that he attempts to roll play in sermons. More of a coward that destroys people with back alley techniques executed by someone else doing his dirty work. Anyone over the age of 35 that can’t see right through him isn’t qualified to be an elder. Which is exactly why his church is comprised of young novices.
Cosper’s podcast, The Rise and fall of mars Hill, is fantastic. Every pastor should listen, well every Christian too as it is very instructive. Mark Driscoll is an object lesson for the church in many ways, but one thing sticks out for me. Mark “checked all the right theological boxes” but he was and is dangerous. We must be more discerning and realize that orthodoxy alone is not the only test. You could argue that Driscoll really didn’t “check all the right boxes” because his behavior proved otherwise. However, many celebrity pastors got behind him, platformed him and rode the Mars Hill wave based on his professes beliefs alone. I know they could not have predicted the mess mark made, but orthodoxy doesn’t equal orthopraxy. Lesson learned! We, they, love C.S. Lewis but vilify Rob Bell. Who has the more orthodox belief?
it might be worth considering that those “theological boxes” … lead to this. Many of his cohorts in the Acts 29/reformed camp check the same boxes, and are abusive of their powers and arrogant in their “leadership”. when a specific set of theological ideas consistently produce jerks, maybe those ideas are just wrong.
We have an assistant pastor who, like Mark Driscoll, says things that are verifiably not accurate. I am charitably thinking that he has dementia and hoping he will be retired, perhaps forcibly, soon.
As someone that got saved in Mars Hill and then later excumincated from a church that emulated Mark’s controlling and heavy handed leadership I can vouch that the criticisms are accurate. However I can also vouch that I was in a community group of 10 young men and 9 out of 10 of us (including me) were delivered from porn addictions there and those numbers were normative. It was nearly as high of numbers for woman to find healing from former sexual abuse. Mark had some major character flaws that rightly should have disqualified him from ministry, and he created an army of young men emulating his examples, however at the same time I wouldn’t knock this type of sermon too much as his ministry also delivered so many from the devastation of sexual sin.
It is sincerely wonderful to hear of so much deliverance, including yours! This is a testament to the power of God Himself. His ways will always go forward, but we need not attribute the goodness of God to any human. This gives NO credence to Driscoll, it only testifies of the wonder-working power of God, and His love for people!
My read after listening to the podcast is that Mr. Driscoll found himself and his route to personal power through his ministry but not God.
Wow! I can’t believe how trashy churches have become… elders and secretaries gossing about members of their church, pastors taking about anal sex, people bad mouthing a pastor… bad, bad, bad. (I always been told that if I have nothing nice to say is best to say nothing and that gossiping was just for low class uneducated people). But the one thing that kept me up all night was the fact that John Lindall is the benefactor of Alex the stripper and that he thought it was okay to have him perform at a Christian event and even more shocking is the fact that he apologized to the men in the audience that were enjoying the trashy act and kick the other pastor out? That’s blasphemous and not a good example by a “man of God” I’m glad Jesus is coming because the people running the churches are just using His name to fatten their bank accounts and really are there only for the mighty Benjamin’s.
Sad how people like me that would like to have REAL Christian guidance cannot have it anymore.
I was there at the downtown campus when he preached How Dare You. He had a significant portion of his tirade focused on financial giving (and the lack thereof). Found out later that that day resulted in a surge of financial support.
As for it being premeditated, I remember him dropping hints about how he was counseled by another pastor (I think it was John Piper) that he needed to say difficult things. This was before the sermon and it painted Mark as a reluctant hero, or as a dad who says, before he spanks his child, “this is going to hurt me more than it will you”. The hubris never ceases to amaze.