Although he has stepped down from Mars Hill church and repented, some believers aren’t so quick to forgive. A petition is circulating asking Hillsong to disinvite the controversial pastor from its Europe conference this summer.
Natalie Collins of Basildon, United Kingdom launched the change.org petition. She says she approached Hillsong privately, according to Matthew 18:15-17 to ask Hillsong to reconsider having Driscoll at its “Speak, We’re Listening” conference.
“This is both disappointing and of great concern to many across the U.K. and internationally,” the petition reads. “Mark Driscoll resigned from leadership after many leaders and other within his church raised issues about unethical and abusive behavior including.”
The petition goes on to call out how the mistakes to which Driscoll and Mars Hill ex-leaders already admitted, as well as offensive communications Driscoll allegedly wrote under a pseudonym in 2000.
The petition reads:
“We fully believe that people can be restored and redeemed and that forgiveness is a fundamental part of Jesus’ teaching. Mark Driscoll has never fully acknowledged or repented of the pain he has caused many ex-leaders and members of Mars Hill alongside the women and men he has hurt with his comments about leadership, gender and sexuality.
“It has been only six months since Mark Driscoll resigned and to give him such a platform as the O2 arena does not represent the gospel of repentance and forgiveness, but that of cheap grace.
“By inviting Mark Driscoll to speak on the Hillsong platform, Hillsong are both endorsing and legitimizing Mark’s messages about women and ignoring the concerns being repeated by many across the US and UK about his abusive behavior, which has been corroborated by ex-members and ex-leaders of Mars Hill Church.
We ask that Hillsong remove Mark Driscoll from their line up of speakers at the Hillsong Conference 2015.”
Should Hillsong disinvite Driscoll or is this petition out of order? Sound off.
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