Has anyone heard about this? A member of Mars Hill's Ballard campus in Seattle was brought under "church discipline" for admitting to cheating on his fiancee (another MH member) and to having been sexually active with his fiancee without benefit of marriage. He was asked to sign a "discipline contract." He refused, and left MH.

Part One of his story is here. Part Two is here.

I also wanted to share some blogs written by ex-members of Mars Hill. The discipline contract incident is not an isolated one. The level of control at MH is immense and appalling.

http://freedom4captives.wordpress.com/

http://marshillrefuge.blogspot.com/

http://twocleareyes.blogspot.com/ (scroll about halfway down the page for this man's story of his MH experience)

This blog entry [joyfulexiles.com] is claimed to be penned by a former pastor at Mars Hill church who is choosing to break his silence regarding concerns with the institution.

I don't know all of the history of Mars Hill Church, but I do know it tingled my spidey senses of concern from the first moment I encountered the somnabulistic hipsters pushing baby strollers toward it's Ballard edifice in the morning several years ago. They stand out, because almost no one"hip" is up and out that early on a Sunday in "old Ballard". I'm sure those in the know will find much meaning in the documents archived at the blog linked above. I just wanted to share a quote signed by Pastor Jamie Munson, Lead Pastor, On behalf of the elders of Mars Hill Church, regarding the church's official silence on it's first ever pastor terminations in 2007,

"There is a fine line between disclosure and gossip and we have been careful to walk in a manner that is above reproach in these circumstances." [joyfulexiles.files.wordpress.com]

I like the spidey senses concept there, good way of putting it. Some things just feel wrong, maybe hard to put finger on it exactly, but you just kind of know, maybe discernment?

By the way, MH and MD and do more than just tickle my spidey senses, it's more like a tornado siren blaring just outside the window.

You've got this paunchy, middle-aged, pseudo-gangsta, MMA-loving, so-called tough-guy, bodyguard-protected, porcine-looking. He talks about punching people in the face and "goin' Old Testament" on his enemies, he talks in a elbow-in-the-ribs, boy's club, junior high locker room style. He mocks women (ask Gayle Haggard, whom he backhandedly blamed for causing ted's homosexual actions becuase she "let herself go"--now that's truly ridiculous, take a look at Gayle Haggard. Take a look at Mark driscoll. Compare relative looks--yowzers!)

Sure this style appeals to certain immature Christian (or non-Christian), the one's who've never grown out of an infantile stage, but his tough guy, bully style is the very opposite of Christ-like.

Not a tingle to me, a screaming out loud disaster.

Here's MD's "church planting" website: http://www.acts29network.org/

Boot camps, huh? Telling, in this context...

I came across this thread after reading an article that came out last week about how people have pursued different paths toward healing after Mars Hill. I figured I'd post to keep the conversation alive in a healthy way: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/seattle-reboot-life-after-mars-hill

I think the article does a good job of describing what some of us have gone through -- and how there's hope after being involved in a messy situation that may never be resolved in our minds, but can be resolved in our hearts.

I know for me, the path to healing -- and the article talks about this -- has come through relationship with others. Talking about things that maybe we didn't feel were proper to talk about back in the day. Examining, acknowledging and releasing forgiveness for hurts and wounds. Not giving up.

Hope this helps someone.