Barring intervention, we now know that the trajectory of Mars Hill Church is toward dissolution.
However, several questions from members and former members persist without answers. Even in the increased communication from Dave Bruskas and lead pastors, some business is unfinished. I will list them here and hope the church will eventually address them.
Global Fund
How much was collected into the Global Fund from 2012 to 2014 and how much did Mars Hill Church leaders spend on Ethiopian and Indian outreach during that time? Another question relates to the ongoing needs for support experienced by the Ethiopian and Indian church planters. Who will support them? The current Mars Hill leaders have a responsibility to see that those needy families get the money raised in their name. The church should address how the Ethiopian and Indian pastors are going to get their severance pay.
Severance Pay
Another issue about which I get many emails is the status of executive elder salaries and their severance packages. Members and former members want to know if the executive elders are getting a year long severance, how much they are getting, and whether or not the severance will be paid after the church dissolves. Church leaders continue to ask members to give, but haven’t answered some basic questions about the stewardship of those funds. This is a red flag.
Driscoll Investigation Report
A third common question I hear is: When is the report on the Driscoll investigation going to be released? I am hearing that some elders want to release it now, some want to wait until January 1, and others don’t want to release it ever. The elders went part way toward disclosure but have still not directly disputed the Board of Advisors and Accountability’s claim that Driscoll was not disqualified. The matter of disqualification is relevant to the second question above. If Driscoll was disqualified then his employment agreement would have allowed for the church to handle his departure differently with more favorable financial ramifications to the church. In tight times, when members are being asked to give to a church which is dissolving, this is a relevant matter.
Non-Disclosure Agreements
Although I don’t think these are binding, several former leaders have written to say they feel their hands are tied unless the church releases them from the non-disclosure agreement. Apparently, some of these men have asked for clarity and received no answer.
It is beyond me how the leaders of any church can ask non-voting members to give sacrificially without being transparent and providing disclosure on basic issues.
Readers, what questions do you have?
Category: Mars Hill Church
Old Mars Hill Church v. Almost Gone Mars Hill Church
Ok, Alex Murashko, this is better.
The Christian Post finds the other Mars Hill universe.
Should Washington's Attorney General Hold Up the Dissolution of Mars Hill Church?
I must admit I am unclear about the legal issues here. However, for discussion’s sake, I thought I would make readers aware of this complaint letter lodged with the Washington Attorney General’s office.
The Honorable Bob Ferguson
Attorney General of The State of Washington
1125 Washington Street SE
PO Box 40100
Olympia, WA 98504-0100
Re: Requesting The Attorney General Obtain Injunction Regarding Mars Hill Global Fund Dissolution
5th November, 2014
Dear Mr. Attorney General,
I respectfully request the urgent use of extraordinary measures to preserve funds raised through MHGF [Mars Hill Global Fund] solicitations and protect any future claim against MHGF.
On October 31st Mars Hill Church issued statements related to their impending dissolution:
(1) All of Mars Hill’s existing church properties will either be sold, or the loans on the individual properties will be assumed by the independent churches, subject to approval by the lender; (2) all central staff will be compensated for their work, and then released from their employment; (3) if any funds remain after the winding down and satisfaction of Mars Hill business affairs, they will be gifted as seed money to the newly independent churches,
The following three actions are requested:
First, The Office of the Attorney General view these funds as “commingled funds” that were obtained through false solicitation and not general purpose, unrestricted funds.
Second, an emergency injunction be obtained blocking transfer of all funds obtained by, or co-mingled with the proceeds of solicitations in the name of MHGF, to current and former Officers through severance packages or bonuses, as well as any transfers to the planned Independent Mars Hill Church location 501 C 3’s.
Third, challenge transfer of real estate holdings to Independent Mars hill Locations in which all,or substantial part of purchase cost was provided by MHGF solicitations, or in which MHGF resources were used to make capital improvements resulting in substantial property value changes.
MH raised, by their own statements, over $10 MM on behalf of the charitable efforts in Ethiopia and India, and MH has an obligation under state law to use those resources as originally stated. MHGF solicitations appear to make no mention of severance packages to current or former Officers or transferring MHGF monies to outside 501 C 3’s.
I would strongly argue MH intentions would be in violation of State Law and constitute public display of contempt for the role your Office plays in enforcing applicable laws regarding corporate solicitations. According to the following statement, close to half of MH operating budget appears to have been restricted funds.
Where have past gifts been used?
During fiscal years 2009-2014, over $10MM dollars has been given to Mars Hill Church by the Mars Hill Global Family. During that same time period $22.48MM has been spent on church planting in the US, India and Ethiopia.
October 2nd MH issued this FAQ page:
I gave and thought that my Mars Hill Global gift was solely used for church planting outside of the United States. What do I do?
If you gave previously and were intending that your gifts would be used solely for international efforts, we sincerely apologize for the confusion caused by a lack of clarity on our part. If you still want your previous gift(s) to be directed to our international work, please email [email protected] and we will make sure that your previous gift(s) will be used to support making disciples and planting churches specifically in Ethiopia or in India.
MH appears to be admitting there never was a MHGF, they knew their solicitations had confused the public,and waited over five years to change the name of MHGF after public complaints began to surface.
What happened to the Global Fund?
Since 2009, we have used the term “Global” to help us distinguish between donors who attend our churches and donors around the world who follow us online. In the past we used the name “Global Fund,” which was originally intended to “start new Mars Hill campuses, plant new Acts 29 churches, and equip leaders at the Resurgence Training Center” (as noted in the Global Newsletter from 7/7/2009). As our efforts increased we continued to refer to the fund when specifying our local and international church planting efforts. To reduce confusion we have consolidated the naming into “General Fund (Local & Global)” as we continue raising all funds to make disciples and plant churches, here in the US, and around the world under the “General” heading. If you are part of the Global Family, and would like to make a donation to Mars Hill Church online, please choose the “General Fund (Local & Global).”
It appears MH is now stating MHGF was an attempt to distinguish the physical location of the donors, not a distinguishment of the funds purpose.
Mars’s Hills Staff said it best.
“What happened to the Global Fund?”
Respectfully yours
Nathan Priddis
Mars Hill Sammamish In Merger Talks With Bellevue Church
Mars Hill Sammamish meets in a building that must be sold to satisfy debt and thus has no place to meet as of December 31. Currently, despite resistance from some involved, leaders at Sammamish are in talks with Bellevue Church to merge. Today, lead pastor Alex Ghioni posted this on The City:
From Pastor Alex Ghioni:
Last week the news was released that Mars Hill Church will be dissolving as an organization by December 31, 2014. Each of the Mars Hill local churches will have the opportunity to become an independent church in the area where they are meeting. As you already know, our building is being sold and we will no longer have access to meet here after December 31, 2014.
Our elder team has been working tirelessly to explore other options in light of these circumstances. Currently we are in discussions with the pastors in Bellevue exploring an opportunity for our two churches to join together and establish one new independent church on the Eastside. We want to take the helpful things we learned from our years at Mars Hill and leave behind what was broken, ineffective, and ungodly. We believe the Eastside has room for another solid gospel church, that holds to a high view of the scriptures, supports the bold preaching of the gospel, reformed theology, missional mindset, and loving community. This could be one of the great redemptive works that God brings about from our current difficult circumstances. The elders want to enlist you to pray along with us that God “…may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified…” (2 Thess 1:11-12 ESV). We’ll be communicating our progress as quickly as we have new information.
We realize that others of you will perhaps be looking for a church closer to where you live. The elders want to help you and pray for you as you make those plans and decisions. We love you and want God’s best for you and your family.
In any event, we are hoping that we will remain together as a family until the end of the year. God has done great things in our lives individually and collectively. It makes sense that we take the time together to remember and celebrate his work in and through our church. We hope you’ll stick with us as we honor Jesus and encourage one another over the next 8 weeks.
Toward that end, we have decided that for the duration of the year we are going combine our services into one Sunday morning service at 10am. The heart behind this change is to give some additional time for you to connect and enjoy the relationships that God has built throughout our church family here in Sammamish. I look forward to seeing you and celebrating our Savior together with you in the weeks to come as we wait for what God has for us next.
With the affection of Jesus,
Pastor Alex
The building Sammamish is meeting in was given to Mars Hill by the former church owners. I wonder if they ever imagined that their building would help pay for severance pay for the executive elders of Mars Hill Church.
Mars Hill Fallout: Corban University Looking for New Location to Provide Education in Seattle
With the closing of Mars Hill Church, the partnership between the church and Corban University will also cease on December 31, 2014. After Mark Driscoll resigned on October 15, the school communicated to various stakeholders that the school would continue to provide education for the 18 students enrolled. Even with the closing of the church, the school intends to find a way to provide the courses scheduled. The school is actively searching for another location which would allow the students to finish their Spring schedule before transitioning to the Salem, OR campus.
The short-lived partnership has been tumultuous from the start. Corban representatives signed a contract in November 2013 just as Janet Mefferd’s plagiarism allegations were gaining traction in Christian media. Corban was one of four schools hoping to get the contract. I don’t know who the others are but they may be breathing a sigh of relief since the time since November 2013 has been filled with regular revelations of questionable practices among leaders at the church.
In August 2014, Corban’s leaders formed an Ad Hoc Committee of administrators and trustees to study the situation. In September, the school’s trustees decided to maintain their commitments to students while Mars Hill engage in the process of handling allegations against Driscoll. They also indicated in their September statement that they would engage in due diligence regarding Driscoll. Eventually someone decided not to have Driscoll teach at Corban in contrast to the originally planned schedule.