The Mars Hill Protest That Wasn't
The protest of the Mars Hill mega-church that we've been talking about for the past few weeks didn't go down as planned this weekend. It was called off at the last minute after Mars Hill pastor Mark Driscoll agreed to sit down with some of the organizers and discuss his egregious remarks towards women. Here is a recounting of that meeting and here is Driscoll's response to the protest. Below is an exchange we had with protest organizer Paul Chapman.
Was one of People Against Fundamentalism's stated goals to remove Mark
Driscoll from his pastorship at Mars Hill?
Yes, early on, out of our inexperience in activism, we had some pie-in-the-sky goals and rhetoric. We are fast learners, though, and we scaled those goals and rhetoric back to a much more reasonable level.
Would you say that you were successful, despite canceling the protest?
I think we've been enormously successful. Reverend Driscoll is no longer writing for The Seattle Times. I'm not claiming responsibility for that; it seems to have been a fortunate coincidence, or perhaps divine providence. We were able to sit down with Reverend Driscoll, who is a very busy man, and have a long and frank conversation. We've seen him in that meeting and on his blog express repentance for his inflammatory rhetoric and pledge to cease it. These are all hugely positive steps for Mark and for women. Less importantly, we've gotten our feet wet in activism. We've made a number of great contacts and friends throughout the city, both within Christianity and without.
Did we get a massive protest? No. But our goal was never a protest for protest sake. We were looking for change, and I think we got some change and we look forward to more change in the future.
Did you or anyone else think Mark would sit down with you and talk through
this issue?
No. We hoped, but--at least for me--the hope was faint. Reverend Driscoll is a busy man with a lot of responsibility. Over the years his friends and colleagues have tried to talk with him about this inflammatory language. It would be pretty egotistical for me, a pretty-much-nobody, to presuppose that I have more sway with Mark than his friends. So we were surprised and grateful that Reverend Driscoll agreed to meet.
I have to say that I am thankful to Rose Madrid-Swetman (the unnamed pastor who help Rev. Driscoll understand his scope of influence), Dwight Friesen, and Ed Cook for making the overtures to Rev. Driscoll and laying the groundwork for the meeting.
Are you sold on Mark Driscoll changing his ways?
I am hopeful. In the Christian church repentance has weight. Not only does it mean "I'm sorry" but it also means "I'm changing my actions." Might there be some backsliding? I hope not! So, we do look forward to watching Mark work out his repentance in the coming months and years.
