Mark Driscoll was interviewed at Hillsong Conference in Australia. Despite a public announcement from Hillsong Pastor Brian, following a vigorous campaign of critics against Mark Driscoll’s appearance, stating that Mark Driscoll’s appearance would be cancelled, Houston held an extended interview with Mark and Grace Driscoll via video conference yesterday. You can find the interview on Warren Throckmorton’s blog on Patheos.
Pastor Houston asked a few straightforward questions about Mark Driscoll’s theology and behavior, but in some sense seems to be coming across as an individual supporting and furthering Driscoll’s desire to move back into public ministry. The interview comes across as an attempt to reconcile a personally unreconciled Driscoll with people he refuses to speak with.
Despite this apparent openness, there were a number of bold-faced lies from Mark Driscoll: He speaks of a list of people he offended, whom he says he has personally apologized to. People who have been the most abused have yet to be contacted. Mark spoke of his critics as being anonymous internet voices. The fact is, that the greatest critics have been people who worked directly with them in the past, and have openly told their stories, and invited Mark to come and reconcile with them.
No questions were asked about his plagiarism, his buying his way onto the NY Times bestseller list with over $200,000 in church funds, or his forcing people out of ministry, and demanding they sign non-disclosure forms as a means to suppress the truth about his unbelievable abuse and selfish controlling actions. There were no questions about the misappropriation of funds, which were supposed to go to mission in Africa.
Brian Houston ended the discussion with a full support statement about Mark’s ministry. The original in-person interview was intended to be a 30 minute interview, the video conference was cut down to 53 minutes, when it was actually 1:53. It was a great commercial for comeback.
Do you think Brian Houston has betrayed the thousands of people who were betrayed by Mark Driscoll’s abusive, lying, and controlling leadership? What do you think?
Burning Religion 