Holy Crap: Mark Driscoll named in RICO lawsuit

[Howl]

Just up at Spiritual Sounding Board: 

spiritualsoundingboard.com/2016/02/29/rico-lawsuit-filed-against-former-mars-hill-church-leaders-and-alleged-co-conspirators/

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RICO Lawsuit Filed Against Former Mars Hill Church Leaders and Alleged Co-Conspirators

A guest post by Brad Sargent, aka brad/futuristguy.

Earlier today, Warren Throckmorton posted RICO Lawsuit Filed Against Former Leaders of Mars Hill Church.  Filed by Brian and Connie Jacobsen, and Ryan and Arica Kildea, it names Mark Driscoll and John Sutton Turner, along with other alleged co-conspirators.

This RICO lawsuit against leaders of what was Mars Hill Church has been in the making for a long time. RICO stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations. This is an extremely serious matter, and I believe there is a significant amount of information about alleged wrongdoing available.

 

Warren Throckmorton's link:  patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2016/02/29/rico-lawsuit-filed-against-former-leaders-of-mars-hill-church/

So appropriate: RICO was originally designed the bring down the Mob, AFAIK. 

[Whoosh]

This is just fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

[MamaJunebug]

Hurrah Julie Anne! I feared that Heather Wilson and her own fatigue had neutralized her -- apparently not!!!

[blessalessi]

Excellent!  So that possibly explains why Driscoll appears to have aged 10 years recently?  Well, he had that coming to him for a while.

[CyborgKin]

I haven't been down this rabbit hole.  Does anyone have a precis of the history?

[Howl]

Seattle times has a fairy neutral article, but that doesn't even touch the nasty underbelly of Mark Driscoll.  It wasn't a sex scandal that brought him down (and his entire church with him), but his own massive arrogance and ego, which was YUGE.  Misogynist.  Rage-aholic.  Conniving.  Mean.  I'm sure FJers an supply more adjectives. 

seattletimes.com/seattle-news/the-rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill-church/

[clueliss]

He'd qualify as a tool, but FJ already has encountered the king of tools.  

[refugee]

1 hour ago, Howl said:

Seattle times has a fairy neutral article, but that doesn't even touch the nasty underbelly of Mark Driscoll.  It wasn't a sex scandal that brought him down (and his entire church with him), but his own massive arrogance and ego, which was YUGE.  Misogynist.  Rage-aholic.  Conniving.  Mean.  I'm sure FJers an supply more adjectives. 

seattletimes.com/seattle-news/the-rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill-church/

Plagiarist. Con artist. Professional victim. It sounded to me, when I read his testimony, that he decided it would be lucrative to start a church -- before he even said he was a "christian". I kind of wonder if he skipped the "christian" part altogether.

He's famous for preaching porn from the pulpit. Nasty stuff, too, about how wives should satisfy their husbands, even if the husband wants something that turns the wife's stomach.

[hoipolloi]

 

1 hour ago, refugee said:

3 hours ago, Howl said:

Seattle times has a fairy neutral article, but that doesn't even touch the nasty underbelly of Mark Driscoll.  It wasn't a sex scandal that brought him down (and his entire church with him), but his own massive arrogance and ego, which was YUGE.  Misogynist.  Rage-aholic.  Conniving.  Mean.  I'm sure FJers an supply more adjectives. 

seattletimes.com/seattle-news/the-rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill-church/

Quote

 

Plagiarist. Con artist. Professional victim. It sounded to me, when I read his testimony, that he decided it would be lucrative to start a church -- before he even said he was a "christian". I kind of wonder if he skipped the "christian" part altogether.

He's famous for preaching porn from the pulpit. Nasty stuff, too, about how wives should satisfy their husbands, even if the husband wants something that turns the wife's stomach.

 

 

And then there's the money -- lots & lots of money as well as things like the real estate MH owned in its heyday.

[Marian the Librarian]

Fresh coverage in the Seattle P-I:

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/Ex-members-in-suit-charge-pattern-of-6861173.php

This makes me very happy...

[ViolaSebastian]

1 hour ago, refugee said:

Plagiarist. Con artist. Professional victim. It sounded to me, when I read his testimony, that he decided it would be lucrative to start a church -- before he even said he was a "christian". I kind of wonder if he skipped the "christian" part altogether.

He's famous for preaching porn from the pulpit. Nasty stuff, too, about how wives should satisfy their husbands, even if the husband wants something that turns the wife's stomach.

Just want to add that he referred to women as "penis homes."

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The first thing to know about your penis is, that despite the way it may see, it is not your penis. Ultimately, God created you and it is his penis. You are simply borrowing it for a while.

While His penis is on loan you must admit that it is sort of just hanging out there very lonely as if it needed a home, sort of like a man wondering the streets looking for a house to live in. Knowing that His penis would need a home, God created a woman to be your wife and when you marry her and look down you will notice that your wife is shaped differently than you and makes a very nice home.

 

[punkiepie]

3 hours ago, CyborgKin said:

I haven't been down this rabbit hole.  Does anyone have a precis of the history?

The Wartburg Watch has a great history on Mark Driscoll. You search him by his name or by his tag. They have done quite a few posts on him that provide a great context about who he is and what he's done. 

[foreign fundie]

 I really wish the evangelical church leaders would have dealt with him. I know some tried, but enough of them were indifferent or even supported MD for him to start again. Where they failed, I hope some justice will be provided by the 'worldly courts'. 

Jesus said: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." People with an ego the size of MD just do not fit in the kingdom of God.

[ChickenettiLuvr]

Wow. Just wow. Hard to render me speechless - but this did. It's appalling.

MD is the epitome of all that is wrong in mega-churches today. I've seen some of it up close, and it sickens me. Needless to say, I bowed out of church a few years ago and just can't bring myself to go back yet. (Obviously, to another type of church. Something smaller, more traditional, with checks and balances in place.)

I've learned from experience that, when a pastor focuses on blue language and crass material from the pulpit, it reveals MUCH about his true character and state of heart/soul. In MD's case, he obviously has no integrity and is the picture of depravity. I pity his poor wife and kids. Because if he throws mega temper tantrums in church circles, home surely isn't a picnic. Ugly is bone deep.

This whole story is sickening. I feel sorry for the people who were hurt and betrayed by this situation. That kind of stuff leaves deep wounds and painful scars.

...........

About 20 years ago, I served as the head of accounting at a large church in my home city. Although there were staff problems and personal issues running rampant and not dealt with properly, I can say 1000% that -- Every. Single. Penny. donated to that church was handled ethically and honestly. It would have been completely immoral to misdirect designated funds to any other budget line item. I applaud the pastoral staff for having utmost honesty and integrity in that area (even though we'll never agree on bunches of other stuff).  

[feministxtian]

At the beginning of every year, our church sets a goal for "special giving", that is, above and beyond the regular offering that goes to funding the church itself. The board of elders picks some projects/ministries that they'd like to contribute to, and those are presented to the church body. There's rarely any opposition, as this money is usually earmarked to stay in the community. Well, this year, the goal was exceeded by quite a bit...SO...that extra went to the leader of a certain ministry in our community who had gotten hit HARD by some medical bills. 

Anyone can walk in the office and request a copy of the budget/expenses at any time. By the end of January of every year, a copy is furnished to every church member detailing where the money went the previous year. 

[laPapessaGiovanna]

10 hours ago, ViolaSebastian said:

Just want to add that he referred to women as "penis homes."

 

My jaw just fell on the floor. Can't believe it. This man is awful. 

[clueliss]

I used to listen to his sermons on podcast.  I moved and stopped listening during job change etc.  Returned to the marriage/sex sermons and walked away from them.  

Sermons that went out around the world by the way.  Acts 19 church building network.

 

[Shoobydoo]

11 hours ago, ViolaSebastian said:

Just want to add that he referred to women as "penis homes."

 

I. Just. Wow.

How can any human being hear that and think "yep, sounds rational to me?"

[SpoonfulOSugar]

12 hours ago, punkiepie said:

The Wartburg Watch has a great history on Mark Driscoll. You search him by his name or by his tag. They have done quite a few posts on him that provide a great context about who he is and what he's done. 

Warren Throckmorton is another one to look through.

@CyborgKin  Driscoll is a "shock jock" pastor who delighted in being "out there" in the manner in which he spoke.  (I think he cursed a lot.)  He built a multi-site mega church with little oversight (like . . . um, Gothard and a number of others) which, eventually, led to allegations of financial abuse (among other issues - like he paid to get his book on the bestseller list.)

He was forced to resign - but has since incorporated for a potential new church.  Hopefully this will put paid to that.

If you want more resources . . . I'm sure we can deepen the rabbit hole.

[refugee]

13 hours ago, Marian the Librarian said:

Fresh coverage in the Seattle P-I:

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/Ex-members-in-suit-charge-pattern-of-6861173.php

This makes me very happy...

I was shocked at the people who donated $90,000 (ETA: just one couple, a part of the suit) to the church... until I mentally estimated our own family's tithes over the course of 20+ years at the church we recently left, about 20 years too late. Yeah. The legalistically prescribed 10%. Or more.

Such irony. We paid for the privilege of our own near-destruction.

[Crocoduck]

For the Feds to go after church leaders on RICO charges, they have to have some seriously airtight evidence. I've worked in nonprofits for most of my career and I've always been appalled by how little IRS reporting churches are required to do. The Feds are SCARED of being seen as persecuting church-goers, so they get a LOT of latitude in how they allocate funds.

I think Driscoll might have reached the end of his streak here. He is going to at least be financially ruined by this. I haven't read about his actions extensively, but it sounds like it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!

[SpoonfulOSugar]

42 minutes ago, Crocoduck said:

For the Feds to go after church leaders on RICO charges, they have to have some seriously airtight evidence. I've worked in nonprofits for most of my career and I've always been appalled by how little IRS reporting churches are required to do. The Feds are SCARED of being seen as persecuting church-goers, so they get a LOT of latitude in how they allocate funds.

I think Driscoll might have reached the end of his streak here. He is going to at least be financially ruined by this. I haven't read about his actions extensively, but it sounds like it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!

Just to clarify - this is a civil suit, not criminal charges.

I didn't realize that RICO could be a civil action - live and learn . . . .

But it would be nice if some criminal charges resulted, too.  (I feel the same way about the Bundys and the FLDS . . . and several governors.  Maybe RICO seems like a good go-to for me.)

[Crocoduck]

Bah! I guess I was too optimistic. I didn't know RICO could be used in civil court. Oh well, he's still going to be ruined financially.

 

[samira_catlover]

14 hours ago, ViolaSebastian said:

Just want to add that he referred to women as "penis homes."

 

VS, that's a great parody you wrote, but you released it a month too early!

[justwatching]

7 hours ago, feministxtian said:

At the beginning of every year, our church sets a goal for "special giving", that is, above and beyond the regular offering that goes to funding the church itself. The board of elders picks some projects/ministries that they'd like to contribute to, and those are presented to the church body. There's rarely any opposition, as this money is usually earmarked to stay in the community. Well, this year, the goal was exceeded by quite a bit...SO...that extra went to the leader of a certain ministry in our community who had gotten hit HARD by some medical bills. 

Anyone can walk in the office and request a copy of the budget/expenses at any time. By the end of January of every year, a copy is furnished to every church member detailing where the money went the previous year. 

Same at ours.  The only thing kept confidential is names and amounts of giving.  Expenditures are available for viewing at any time.