From Mark Driscoll to Heath Mooneyham

When I first wrote about former young, restless, and reformed icon, Mark Driscoll, in 2009, I received no small kickback from prominent Southern Baptists informing others I was spreading gossip (I wrote several pieces on Driscoll since the first one; note my pieces on Driscoll speaking at Liberty Universtiy as well; an exhaustive list on Driscoll at SBC Tomorrow may be helpful). The kickback in the comment threads on the posts represent much of what I'm referring to in the private realm.

Now that Driscoll is no longer being touted as "the" model of church planting for Southern Baptists to mimic (though Driscoll's undeniable influence is still at work amongst us in the Acts 29 Network), evangelicals nonetheless must cope with church planters who take Driscoll's in-your-face masculinism to an entirely new level. In other words, some are now out-doing Driscoll in rank masochistic, bad-boy image.

Consider (wih caution) the article linked below on Heath Mooneyham, Lead Pastor of Ignite Church in Joplin, MO. For the record, it's hard to tell from Ignite's belief statement if they are officially part of the young, restless, and reformed movement. However, whether or not many young evangelicals took Driscoll's theology, they certainly have been detrimentally affected by Driscoll's methodology as Mooneyham's profile shows.

READERS BEWARE

"Sex, Guns, and Jesus: Inside America's Manliest Church," an article published September 22 on Vocativ and written by Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, rehearses the scary scenario when young evangelicals take Driscoll's machoism methodology to its logical conclusion. Please be warned: Kavanaugh pulls no tasteless punches when describing Mooneyham's offensive rhetoric. In short, some of the images in the article are powerfully vulgar and go beyond what I've personally heard and/or read from Mark Driscoll's repertoire.

Even so, perhaps the most telling aspect of all in the article is the surprising information Vocativ learned within an hour after it posted the original article yesterday. It reads:

UPDATE: Within an hour of publishing our story today, Vocativ learned that Pastor Heath Mooneyham was arrested in Joplin for a DWI on Sept. 16. At no point during the writing and fact-checking of this article did Mooneyham or other leaders of Ignite church reveal the arrest, which occurred a few days after our reporter returned home from southwest Missouri.

Ignite announced on Sunday that Mooneyham will relinquish “direct leadership” for a “period of time” while he seeks counseling. “I have made an incredibly foolish and reckless mistake,” said Mooneyham in an apology now posted to YouTube. “It’s not just this one event, though, but rather a lifestyle of rebellion and unnecessary reckless behavior that has continually put the very mission I passionately love in real jeopardy (youtube video link original to article)

Yes, I would think it was an incredibly reckless, foolish mistake. And evangelicals are no less incredibly reckless and foolish for biting the Jesus-was-a-REAL-man bait in the first place. That goes double for Southern Baptists.

Is this the inevitable outcome for the heirs of Mark Driscoll's unchecked leadership and lifestyle model? 

 

Here's another interesting story concerning Mooneyham: 

"Update: Ignite Church pastor steps down, issues public apology after arrest" in The Joplin Globe"

 

*picture source of Heath Mooneyham

Comments

[Max]

Good Lord ... what's next?!! While it may not be apparent if Mooneyhan is part of the YRR movement, he definitely mimics Driscoll on the Ignite Church "Beliefs" web page: "When it comes to doctrine, culture, preferences, traditions, lifestyles, politics, behavior, etc., Ignite takes a closed-hand/open-hand approach." The closed-hand/open-hand mumbo jumbo is right out of Driscoll's playbook. Yep, the potty-mouth preacher from Seattle has made his "Mark" on 21st century church.

[Max]

Whew! Just did some background reading on this "pastor". It's hard to tell if he's the second coming of Mark Driscoll or Fred Phelps! (Please tell me that this is not an SBC church plant)

To increase attendance at your church next Father's Day, you might consider the following Mooneyhan-style promotion. (Warning: graphic language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2rtmOZemsQ

[Dale Pugh]

Was Jesus a "real man"? Absolutely! Just read the Gospels. But He was no idiot. Some of what passes today for "real man-ism" is simply stupidity in disguise. It is sinful rebellion against a holy God Who will hold us accountable for causing any little one to stumble. These "real men" should be grateful that there aren't more millstones available......

[Lydia]

Might I suggest if Mr. Mooneyham is intent on maximizing his machismo on stages he change his last name, asap?

As to Driscoll and the SBC, have we actually learned any lessons from all of it? I don't think so. Last year I heard a YRR youth pastor praise the name of Mars Hill in a meeting and suggested it was the way for that church to go. Now this same YRR is the pastor and it is: "I never said that or you misunderstood what I meant."

Or both or something. IOW, you are a sinner for bringing that up.

Sigh

[Eric]

As many in the reformed baptist camp did say and still say, we have far to many men in the pulpit who are not qualified. We have these young, intelligent and charasmatic guys coming up and starting churches without having been tested, without maturing from the bottom up, without meeting the qualifications of an elder/pastor, which are clearly defined in the scripture.

[Max]

Lydia - I can take you to several SBC church plants in my area (including some with dual SBC/Acts 29 affiliation) pastored by Driscollites ... they haven't missed a beat since Driscoll was booted out of Acts 29. It will be interesting to see the "new" Driscoll and Mooneyhan after their season of "repentance". You can bet that Driscoll is thinking about his re-do right now. Reshaping Mooneyhan might prove to be a tougher job. It should be clear by now that neither one of these characters should be in the pulpit, but as long as they have a crowd of followers who have no wisdom they will be "preaching" something.

[Lydia]

Max, If I were a betting woman, I would lay odds we will see Driscoll on something like Trinity Broadcasting and their huge purple velvet chairs telling a big repentance story with book to follow. He may lose his mega church but he will find a stage somewhere. That is what he does. So much of that entire movement is guru and stage driven.