Disgraced Pastor Mark Driscoll Kicks Off Grace City Church's 2023 Stronger Men Conference
Notable for describing women as "penis homes" and allegedly misusing church funds, Driscoll has a long and well-documented history of controversy and calls Josh McPherson one of his "best friends"
It’s no secret that Mark Driscoll is one of the most controversial pastors in American evangelicalism right now – and it’s a crowded field. There’s an entire podcast called “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” by Christianity Today about the multi-million dollar Seattle megachurch he co-founded in 1996 that grew into an international spiritual powerhouse before the whole thing came crashing down in 2014.
Former members place the blame for Mars Hill’s implosion at Driscoll’s feet. They say he was an abusive leader who misused church funds to further his own ambitions. In 2016, four former Mars Hill members filed a civil lawsuit against Driscoll accusing him of “a continuing pattern of racketeering activity.”
In 2014, while writing under an alias on the Mars Hill message board, he famously compared women’s bodies to “homes” for men’s penises. He has been known to refer to Christians who don’t subscribe to his views on Christianity as “homo-evangelicals” who worship a “Richard Simmons hippie queer Christ.”
After the fall of Mars Hill, Driscoll took an 18-month break and then moved to Arizona and started a new church in Scottsdale called Trinity Church. Reports of abuse followed him. In 2021, his former head of church security, Chad Freese, resigned and wrote an open letter to Driscoll accusing him of “immoral, unethical, and unbiblical actions.”
Freese described an environment in which Driscoll and his family are “treated like royalty” and those Driscoll mistrusts or dislikes are surveilled and followed by private investigators and pastors under his employ.
In April, he popped up in Ozark, Missouri for a Stronger Men Conference at the James River Assembly of God. That conference also featured Senator Josh Hawley, who received national attention for his support of the mob that attacked the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
On Friday, June 16, he was in Wenatchee to kick off Grace City Church’s 2023 Stronger Men Conference.
“Awesome time with some incredible men @gracecitychurchwenatchee. It was an honor to open their Stronger Man Nation Conference, and I appreciate the invite from one of my best friends Pastor Josh McPherson,” Driscoll wrote on Facebook. “Was also great catching up with the legendary @johnlovell_wps and his better half @mrspoet_actual.”
I highlighted Lovell in my piece previewing GCC’s Stronger Men Conference 2023. He is best known as a Christian Nationalist YouTuber who sells gun accessories, pre-packaged food buckets marketed to preppers and survivalists, and Christian-themed tourism packages.
His brand is “Warrior Poet” (another reference to Braveheart) and in addition to being the keynote speaker for this year’s men’s conference, titled “Into The Breach,” he and his wife Bekah taught a couples home defense class for GCC couples called “Katy Bar The Door.”
It was a three-hour course designed to train your family “to be prepared should evil come lurking.”
“YOU are your family's first line of defense against intruders and bad characters intent on violating the sovereignty of your home,” the description reads on YouTube.
You can watch the sales pitch for the course here.
While it’s not surprising Driscoll would show up to speak at GCC’s Stronger Men Conference, it is notable that GCC did not advertise that he would be there or post anything via their social media channels about it.
The fact he was there lends more weight to my theory that this Stronger Men Conference is some sort of franchise or package designed by Driscoll and marketed through his “Real Faith Ministries,” for which McPherson serves as a trustee.
According to one “stronger man,” they gave away a gun last year as a raffle present. It’s yet unclear if they repeated that illegal act this year, or held weight-lifting competitions, but the shooting competition was a part of the festivities again this year, according to this proud dad.
But just the fact that Driscoll was there personally and GCC leaders chose to keep the fact off their website and social media brings up questions, like:
Why isn’t GCC more honest about its connection to Driscoll?
Is GCC officially affiliated with Driscoll’s Trinity Church?
Does Driscoll or Real Faith Ministry receive any revenue from Grace City Church?
Folks who have taken the couples’ classes have said they were required to buy Driscoll’s book, “Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship & Life Together,” in order to take part in the classes. But it’s unclear if GCC kicks money to Driscoll or his business in other ways.
If you are a current or former Grace City Church member with knowledge about this issue, don’t hesitate to reach out via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
This is all so gross and I am so disappointed by the people I know who have fallen into this cult.
With that title I thought he was actually "kicked off" the event. 🤦♀️ I would have been shocked. But I am not with the actual events.