Driscoll's megachurch Mars Hill to dissolve

[lemonhead]

Sadly, I can see MD fitting in here in the Austin area. We have a few large non-denom churches already, but he tries to portray exactly the kind of hipster, bleeding edge vibe that Austin thrives upon.

But yes, we do already have DPIAT lurking in Hyde Park Baptist here, so we may currently be at our limit for outsized fundagelical egos at this time.

[Reverend Ladypants]

Driscoll is very big on "unchurched" areas so I don't think Texas would be a viable location. Maybe California or Florida.

Northern Californians are especially unchurched. I am hoping that our joyfully and exceedingly queer population and laws supporting our rights will be enough for him to have written us off completely.

[MistofRain752]

Do any Seattle people have anything on The City Church of Kirkland? I believe this will be the next church too fall.

[neuroticcat]

I live near there, but I haven't heard anything particularly newsworthy about City Church. As far as I know, it's your run of the mill evangelical megachurch.

ETA: Why do you think it's the next to fall?

[Jasmar]

Maybe move south to Portland, OR, which must have the highest density of hipsters anywhere, even more than Seattle.

No. Nononononono!

Actually, there are plenty of legit hipsterish churches in Portland without the abusiveness, raunchiness, or cartoonish "masculinity" that characterized MH.

It's always bugged me to hear MD described as hipster (not that you did, but plenty of people have). Hipsters are skinny, musical/artsy, ironic, and sensitive. Like a mishmash of Devo and hippies. MD would consider a real hipster a girly man.

[GiGi_41]

Grrrrr

[Hane]

No. Nononononono!

Actually, there are plenty of legit hipsterish churches in Portland without the abusiveness, raunchiness, or cartoonish "masculinity" that characterized MH.

It's always bugged me to hear MD described as hipster (not that you did, but plenty of people have). Hipsters are skinny, musical/artsy, ironic, and sensitive. Like a mishmash of Devo and hippies. MD would consider a real hipster a girly man.

Next year's UU General Assembly will be in Portland! My daughter and I are thinking of going.

[Firiel]

...I can see him coming to where I live.

We've got it all:

Booming hipster population

Growing urban setting

Small enough that he can be a big fish

Conservative enough that he would be welcomed

Mormon enough that he could aim to convert people

I really think he could recover and rebuild here. That's terrifying.

Good thing I'm leaving!

[WonderingInWA]

I live near there, but I haven't heard anything particularly newsworthy about City Church. As far as I know, it's your run of the mill evangelical megachurch.

ETA: Why do you think it's the next to fall?

I live near, too, and I haven't really heard anything particularly bad about them. I had to go there once when a friend's daughter was being baptized, but I hardly paid attention to the sermon (bored out of my mind!) and we left immediately after the service. I hate crowds and it was a big one.

Personally, I am hoping the NCFIC/Scott Brown gig is the next to go in the avalanche and takes all his patriarchical asshats with him.

[MistofRain752]

I live near, too, and I haven't really heard anything particularly bad about them. I had to go there once when a friend's daughter was being baptized, but I hardly paid attention to the sermon (bored out of my mind!) and we left immediately after the service. I hate crowds and it was a big one.

Personally, I am hoping the NCFIC/Scott Brown gig is the next to go in the avalanche and takes all his patriarchical asshats with him.

I also live close by! The son was never qualified for this size of a church. He rose to fame when he had rock star stats when he was doing the teen weekly service. The code factory workers that attended are getting older and wiser to their money schemes. Their teens are growing up and leaving the nest. I've heard he has dabbled in some of the MD sermons on sex. Basically this church was handed to him on a silver platter by his dad. I think his marriage was arranged by his parents too. He walked down the aisle at 19 and was in charge of youth church shortly after. When his dad became sick the main church was then handed over to him. He never attended college or divinity school. He is not a seasoned pastor and I believe the flock is slowly leaving as I can see on Sunday morning the cars are becoming less and less. This church was built on code factory money. I did attend this church for about 4 months 12 years ago and my eyes were opened to what was really going on then.

[Howl]

No. Nononononono!

Actually, there are plenty of legit hipsterish churches in Portland without the abusiveness, raunchiness, or cartoonish "masculinity" that characterized MH.

It's always bugged me to hear MD described as hipster (not that you did, but plenty of people have). Hipsters are skinny, musical/artsy, ironic, and sensitive. Like a mishmash of Devo and hippies. MD would consider a real hipster a girly man.

Desperately trying to deflect Mark Driscoll from my home town of Austin, TX!!!!!!

Sadly, I can see MD fitting in here in the Austin area. We have a few large non-denom churches already, but he tries to portray exactly the kind of hipster, bleeding edge vibe that Austin thrives upon.

No. Noooooooooooooo!

But yes, we do already have DPIAT lurking in Hyde Park Baptist here, so we may currently be at our limit for outsized fundagelical egos at this time.

Whew! Think you are right, but Leander, Cedar Park, Round Rock and anywhere in WillCo might be ripe.

Or maybe Waco. Could Baylor students be ripe for the pickings?

[trailmix2014]

Northern Californians are especially unchurched. I am hoping that our joyfully and exceedingly queer population and laws supporting our rights will be enough for him to have written us off completely.

No way. We don't want them up here.

[lemonhead]

Whew! Think you are right, but Leander, Cedar Park, Round Rock and anywhere in WillCo might be ripe.

Or maybe Waco. Could Baylor students be ripe for the pickings?

LOL. Yeah, I can see some areas of WilCo, maybe. But Round Rock already has the abomination-otherwise-known-as-Shoreline Church, and Leander/Cedar Park might be too small town for MD. Waco...that would be interesting. He could shake things up around there, for sure :D

And I agree with the above poster who pointed out that MD is not really hipster...more precisely, he attempts to project the hipster-ish vibe that certain groups of modern fundagelicals in urban areas fawn over.

[neuroticcat]

I also live close by! The son was never qualified for this size of a church. He rose to fame when he had rock star stats when he was doing the teen weekly service. The code factory workers that attended are getting older and wiser to their money schemes. Their teens are growing up and leaving the nest. I've heard he has dabbled in some of the MD sermons on sex. Basically this church was handed to him on a silver platter by his dad. I think his marriage was arranged by his parents too. He walked down the aisle at 19 and was in charge of youth church shortly after. When his dad became sick the main church was then handed over to him. He never attended college or divinity school. He is not a seasoned pastor and I believe the flock is slowly leaving as I can see on Sunday morning the cars are becoming less and less. This church was built on code factory money. I did attend this church for about 4 months 12 years ago and my eyes were opened to what was really going on then.

Oh, wow. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. I know a seminary degree doesn't necessarily equal qualifications for the job, but I really don't understand when people get behind pastors or spiritual leaders without any formal training. ???

[Kimerical]

I am hoping Tool O'Ween 2015 will be the fall of the Duggars. Maybe one, or someone close, will "come out" with some stuff. Who knows?

Wish there was a cross hairs smiley.

MAY THE TWINKLE OF WONDER BE ALL ABOUT YOU.

And so it came to pass !

Good. Let's see how this affects their anti LBGT campaigns, anti abortion campaigns (how many kids do you have again Michelle? Is it 20 or 21? I laughed so hard that she repeated it twice for clarity. Ha ha ha the internet is forever)....

May the victims find peace.