What would you ask Mark Driscoll?
On December 17th, I sit down with Pastor Mark Driscoll for a 1 on 1 interview. Mars Hill will be video taping the conversation. I have interviewed Mark on the radio program before, but I am looking forward to meeting him personally and talking about such things as his ministry, the church, and of course the Emergent Church.
What questions(s) would you ask Mark Driscoll?
Post your questions here and perhaps I can address them to Pastor Driscoll. Remember keep your questions relevant, direct and if you point to a particular doctrinal position, please provide chapter and verse to support your view.
We will be in Seattle December 15 through 19, attending services at Mars Hills on Sunday and doing a live program from there on December 17. Please remember us in prayer for traveling grace, provision and that the Holy Spirit will guide our words.
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Caught your stuff via the Technorati “Ticker” on my blog. You certainly have some great interviews!
Just wanted to stop by and catch your updates.
To our continued success…
God bless you and all of yours,
Don
[feed]http://feeds.feedburner.com/hikids57/HMkP[/feed]
Thanks Don. Can you tell me where are listening from?
What is his view on homosexuality, lying, cheating on taxes, looking with lust? Does he view these as being worthy of judgment to hell? My guess is his answer would be no! Where does repentance fit in with his beliefs?
thanks Mike, great post!
till His nets are full
Brian Culver
Ask him how he feels about all hyper-calvinists who consistently criticize him when they themselves don’t really know or reach any truly secular people
Sam,
Who are the hyper calvinists that are criticizing Driscoll?
JB,
The same Hyper-calvinists that criticize everything and make assumptions before they ask “questions” like Brian who commented on # 3. Most of the guys I am talking about do not pastor a church but have all the answers for those who do. Most of the guys I am talking about do not have friends who are secular and liberal, or do not go to churches that are trying to reach such people. They are the modern day Pharisees and one of the main reasons (along with the seeker-sensitive, and emergent movements) that the church is in major decline in North America.
Gotcha, I thought you were alluding to particular individuals. I’m somewhat new to reformed theology and still sorting out what makes one a hyper calvinist
Okay folks…lets stay on track here with this particular post. This is not intended to be a bulletin board kinda back-and-forth. What question(s) would you ask Mark Driscoll is the theme.
1. Where does he see the church in 5 years
2. How does his geographical context affect how he does ministry
3. How does he deal with all the critics
4. What does he think about the alarming statistics on young people leaving the church in droves.
5. What ministries has he found to be especially effective.
Why does he continue to use crass street language and sometimes vulgar descriptions? Is it something he would encourage those in his flock to do?
What effect has his noteriety had on his ministry?
Other than male leadership, what does he see as the greatest need in the American church?
Does he think someone sitting through a service in his church would sense and see a reverence and awe of God?
As a pastor what does he see as the greatest spiritual need of his own congregation? Where is he planning on taking his own congregation spiritually/theologically over the next year?
Does he truly see himself as emergent? If not, then how would he classify himself?
Where does he see himself in the broader body of Christ in America? What role does he see himself filling? Does he view himself as a leader? If so, in what way?
How would he assess himself as a pastor? As a preacher?
What would he say to those that are trying to discern where he is coming from?
These are a few of the questions I would ask.
Great questions!
I would ask him why he publicly harmed the image and character of two elders based upon silly trumped up charges?
Is it true that he has changed his position on eldership – and changed the by-laws of Mars Hill church stripping almost all the authority of his elder?
Is it true that the church must shun a 53 year old elder who supposedly failed to repent of “disrespecting” the 29 year old lead pastor – even though he stated repeatedly that he meant no disrespect?
Is is true that the new by-laws are based upon a changed, newly discovered and novel view of eldership whereby a few highly paid (6 figures) elders have almost all the authority and the rest of his elders have no authority unless the few give it them?
Is is true that after the 53 year elder ended his law practice to serve Mars Hill Church that he was fired for trite silly reasons (despite a good performance review just a few months ago) and given 2 months pay – and then just before he must return to sustaining his family by returning to his law practice – the members of the Mars Hill Church of 6000 attendees are told to shun him – further harming this man and his ability to earn an income?
Is is true that neither Mark Driscoll nor the Mars Hill elders have admitted any sin in this matter – and that the firings of the 2 elders shortly before the significant by-law change had nothing to do with their dissent and disagreement with the by-laws?
Is is true that the executive elders brought false charges against the other fired elder – but failed to discipline the executive elders that brought the false charges?
Is not the leveling of false charges a more serious matter than “disrespecting” the lead pastor?
Is is true that a dissenter must “appear” humble in order to dissent. If e or she fails this test – is it true that they are placed uner suspicion and face church discipline.
Is it true that after the 53 year elder resigned as a member in good standing – the church was told to shun him?
Does Mark Driscoll go on too much about the need for “contextualizing” the gospel? Do we really need to contextualize the gospel? I believe it is ok to tell or relate relevant stories the listeners of any culture understand but the gospel does not have to be contextualized does it? It has to be preached and proclaimed in the normal language of any particular society, like say in America, everyone basically knows English so the gospel is preached in the English of the general population. Most people who have had a high school education should be able to quickly grasp the central message of the Bible without one having to resort to preaching the gospel in the gutter language of anti-social people. Even the Goths, skin heads, bike gangs, street gangs, prison inmates, prostitutes etc. of America, understand basic English don’t they? One does not have to proclaim the gospel in the foul words of the gutter snipe do they? In China say, one would proclaim the gospel in the common dialect that the Chinese use in the whole of the country? The one dialect they all understand. As long as the translation of the Scriptures into Chinese are correct one does not need to contextualize the gospel there. Stories outside of Scripture, for explanatory purposes, or used as examples to get an equivalent meaning so to speak, to help the listener to understand, yes, for sure, but the Scriptures themselves, the seed of the word of God itself contexualized? No.
Are Steve Camp’s comments in here Know Your Audience worth questioning Mark about?
Steve’s post here is very good as well:
EMERGENTCY: The Dire Need for Biblical Ministry
…an urgent plea for emergent/emerging leaders
This is what John Piper has to say about contextualizing: Don’t Contextualize The Gospel
I find Pastor Driscoll to be an honest, humble, and talented preacher. I think he is a breath of fresh air and an outstanding motivator of Christian men by preaching the Gospel. He may go “over the edge” sometimes and say some stupid things he shouldn’t say, (but heck don’t we all.)
My questions to him would be:
1. What percentage of people attending his church services go to witness his personality and god-given talents, as compared to the percentage of people that attend to worship Jesus Christ?
2. Should the personality of a Pastor/preacher be the deciding factor of which church a man chooses to worship in?