Mark Driscoll

Profile Overview

Mark A. Driscoll (born 1970) is an American evangelical pastor and author. He is the senior and founding pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, which was established in 2016.
In 1996, Driscoll co-founded Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. By March 2014, Mars Hill Church had 14,000 members in five states and fifteen locations. He also founded The Resurgence (a theological cooperative) and co-founded other parachurch organizations, such as Acts 29 Network, Churches Helping Churches, and The Gospel Coalition. He has written for the "Faith and Values" section of The Seattle Times, OnFaith, and the Fox News website. Driscoll has also authored a number of popular Christian books, including A Call to Resurgence.
Driscoll has been described as "an evangelical bad boy, a gifted orator and [a] charismatic leader" who is "hip yet hard-line". A conservative evangelical, he favors "vintage" aesthetics and a "down to earth", "aggressive" preaching style. Controversy has surrounded his teachings on gender roles, his proven instances of plagiarism, and the culture of fear and abuse that allegedly existed during his tenure at Mars Hill.
In the summer of 2014, Driscoll faced public criticism and formal complaints from Mars Hill staff members and congregants due to abusive behavior. In August 2014, the board of Acts 29 Network removed him from its membership and urged him to step down from ministry. On October 14, 2014, Driscoll resigned from Mars Hill Church in disgrace. Within three months of Driscoll's resignation, Mars Hill Church was dissolved, leaving each church campus to either close or become autonomous. In 2021, Driscoll was the subject of a popular podcast called The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.