Mark Driscoll Obituary

Obituary for Mark Thomas Driscoll

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Mark Thomas Driskl, a cherished husband and committed father, passed away unexpectedly at 54. He leaves behind a legacy of family, faith, and love that touches the hearts of all fortunate enough to know him.

Mark is remembered by his beloved wife of sixteen years, Amanda Kotter Driskall, and her four children: James (14), Fiona (13), Caroline (10), and William (8). Before his passing in Mount Lebanon, PA, he was preceded in death by his devoted parents, James and Judith Driskl.

Mark Thomas Driscoll leaves behind a legacy of family, faith, and love that touched the hearts of all who had the privilege of crossing his path. He is survived by his siblings Jim and Mike Driscoll of Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and Susan Falkowski (David) of Westwood, Massachusetts, along with nieces Emma and Christina Falkowski and nephew Harrison Driscoll. Mark is also survived by his parents-in-law, William and Constance Cotter of Fairfield, CT.

He is also survived by his sisters-in-law, Amory (Joseph) Mitchell and Diane (Matthew) Hagerty, and nephews, Miles and Graham Mitchell; Trevor, Ryan, Elizabeth, and Taylor Hagerty, all of Fairfield, CT. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Christine (Patrick) Gregory, his niece Madeline, and his nephew, Timothy Gregory of North Andover, MA.

Born April 30, 1969, in Boston, Mark was the third of four children to the late James Joseph Driscoll and the late Judith Marie Driscoll. The family later moved to Upper St. Bonaventure University in Olean, New York. His proudest sports moment was scoring against Notre Dame, a memory he fondly shared with his older brother Jim (ND ’88) over the years.

He furthered his education and lacrosse career at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania and St. Bonaventure University in Olean, New York. One of his most cherished athletic memories was scoring a goal against Notre Dame, a moment he fondly recounted with his older brother Jim (ND 88).

Mark began his successful career in financial services in New York City, lending his talents to companies such as Bloomberg and, most recently, NASDAQ, where he served as Associate Vice President of Market Platforms.

Mark’s true joy in life was his family. While in New York, he met Amanda, who would become the love of his life. United by a strong Catholic faith, shared values ​​, and a competitive spirit, Mark and Amanda were married on February 2, 2008, at the Church of Our Savior in New York City.

Shortly thereafter, they moved to Amanda’s hometown of Fairfield, CT, started a family, and immersed themselves in all aspects of the community. Whether it was family outings, church visits, vacations with relatives, or participating in various activities with his children, Mark was a constant source of support and became a fast friend to all who met him.

His greatest joy was spending time with his wife and children and doing the simple things in life, whether it was taking a bike ride around the neighborhood, throwing the kids in the pool, or participating in one of their many sports activities. Mark was a devout Catholic, and his family were active parishioners at St. Pius Catholic Church in Fairfield, CT, where they regularly attended Mass.

Mark was a member of St. Pius’ men’s group. In his spare time, Mark enjoyed running and participated in many marathons, including one in Iceland. Mark’s lasting legacy will be marked by his unwavering commitment to family, faith, and his profound role as a loving, compassionate, and devoted father and husband. His warmth, generosity, and infectious spirit will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. A Mass of Christian Burial is celebrated at St. Pius

Mark was a wonderful, godly, optimistic man who was loved by all who met him, and he decided to make the most of it on his journey. Mark chose to make his life exciting rather than stressful. His mantra for overcoming his MS was, “Pain is inevitable, but growth is optional.”

Mark was an avid fisherman and hunter during his early years in Montana. He recently invested in a wheelchair that allowed him to return to the wilderness to hunt white-tailed deer in southwestern Montana. As a hobby, Mark built birdhouses in his garage in Bozeman and enjoyed building garden beds and growing vegetables.

Mark had a great love for music and enjoyed listening to all genres, but stayed true to his roots, 70’s rock and roll. During this time, he attended many concerts with his wife, Christy, close friends, and his younger brothers. Mark enjoyed many family gatherings at the Driscoll Home in Bozeman, where he was able to spend time with his children, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and sisters every summer. Mark also met his best friends from Butte many times over the years and celebrated with a few pints and many laughs in Butte and Bozeman.

Mark was born in Butte, Montana, on November 11, 1956, the third of five children to Bob and Mary Driscoll. Mark grew up in Butte and graduated from Butte Central in 1975. He married his high school sweetheart, Christy Wathen. Mark and Christy had two beautiful children, the loves of their lives: son Jeremy and daughter Kote.

Mark’s lasting legacy will be defined by his unwavering commitment to family and faith and his remarkable role as a loving, compassionate, dedicated father and husband. All who knew him will deeply miss his warmth, generosity, and infectious spirit.

Mark enjoyed watching his children grow in school and was present at all life events, including Kote’s graduation from WSU. Mark was a very successful businessman and was the manager of Thurman’s Plumbing and Electrical in Butte, Missoula, and Mt. Vernon, WA, for over 15 years. He subsequently received the “Manager of the Year” award for his and his team’s achievements.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Mary Driscoll; his close friend and ex-wife Christy Driscoll, who passed away on January 14, 2023, after a courageous year-long battle with cancer; and his brother-in-law Dan Gregier, who passed away in October 2022.

A Christian burial Mass will occur at St. Pius X Church, located at 834 Brookside Drive in Fairfield, on Friday, February 9, at noon, with burial at Oak Lawn Cemetery right afterwards. For directions on how to travel or sign Mark’s online guest register, please visit www.LeskoFuneralHome.com.

Instead of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Mark’s name to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, www.t2t.org.

The family asks that anyone wishing to make a donation in Mark’s name to the Montana Independent Living Program in Bozeman, MT, or the National MS Society. A celebration of Mark’s life will be held later this year, and an announcement will be made with the details.

Rest in peace, Markle Sparkle.

Mark A. Driscoll Life Span

Mark A. Driscoll (born 1970) is an American pastor and author within the evangelical community. He established Real Faith ministries and serves as the senior and founding pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, which he founded in 2016.  

In 1996, Driscoll co-established Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. By March 2014, Mars Hill Church had 14,000 members across five states and fifteen locations. He initiated The Resurgence (a theological collaboration) and co-founded various parachurch organizations, including Acts 29 Network, Churches Helping Churches, and The Gospel Coalition. Driscoll has contributed articles to the “Faith and Values” section of The Seattle Times, On Faith, and the Fox News website. He has also penned several well-known Christian books, such as A Call to Resurgence.  

Characterized as “an evangelical rebel, an accomplished speaker, and a magnetizing figure,” Driscoll is acknowledged for his blend of being “cool yet strict.” As a traditional evangelical, he favours a “retro” appearance paired with a “practical,” “forceful” approach to preaching.

Controversy has surrounded his views on gender roles, confirmed instances of plagiarism, and the reportedly toxic culture that existed during his time at Mars Hill.  

In the summer of 2014, Driscoll encountered public backlash and formal complaints from staff and congregation members at Mars Hill due to alleged abusive conduct. In August 2014, the Acts 29 Network board expelled him from membership and recommended he resign from his ministry role.  

On October 14, 2014, Driscoll stepped down from Mars Hill Church. Within three months of his resignation, Mars Hill Church was dissolved, with each campus either shutting down or becoming independent.  

In 2021, Mark Driscoll became the focus of a notable podcast titled The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.  

Early Life

Mark Driscoll grew up Roman Catholic in the Riverton Heights neighborhood of SeaTac, Washington, which he described as “a very rough neighborhood” where serial killer Ted Bundy took victims. He is the eldest of five children and the son of a plasterer from Union.

Describing a difficult family history of abuse and crime, he wrote: “The men on my father’s side are uneducated alcoholics, mental patients and wife abusers. … One of the main reasons my parents moved from North Dakota to Seattle was to get away from some relatives when I was a very young boy.

In 1989, he graduated from Highline High School in Burien, Washington, where he served as student body president, captain of the baseball team, editor of the school newspaper, and likely valedictorian. At age 19, Driscoll converted to evangelical Christianity as a freshman in college.

That same year, Driscoll said, “God spoke to me… He told me to marry Grace, preach the Bible, train men, and plant churches… I began to prepare to devote my life to obedience to [God’s] calling “For me.” He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Washington State University with a minor in Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Exegetical Theology from Western Seminary.

Career at Mars Hill Church

Mark Driscoll Obituary

After graduation, Mark and Grace moved to Seattle, where they attended Antioch Bible Church and volunteered in that church’s college ministry. A few months later, Mark was hired as an intern. During his internship, Mark met Mike Gunn, who worked for an athlete ministry at the University of Washington, and Lief Moi, a radio host.

The three men began talking about starting an “urban, postmodern” church in Seattle. Greg Kappas, the pastor in charge of church planting at Antioch Bible Church, mentored the three and helped them develop their plans.

Mars Hill Church founded

Driscoll, Lief Moi, and Mike Gunn founded Mars Hill Church in the spring of 1995 and officially opened it in the fall of 1996. The church first met in Driscoll’s home. In the spring of 1997, the church had moved and expanded to include two services. Driscoll later stated that he “wasn’t ready” when he planted Mars Hill at age 25.

Later, in 1997, in California, the speech he gave inspired many in the emerging church movement and, according to Driscoll, shifted the movement’s focus from reaching Generation X to the postmodern world. This brought Mars Hill Church and Driscoll into the national spotlight: He was interviewed on National Public Radio, and Mother Jones magazine published an article about the church.

Establishment of the Acts 29 Network

Mark Driscoll Obituary

In 1998, Driscoll and David Nicholas founded the Acts 29 Network (“Acts 29”), a church planting network, in response to people asking Driscoll for church planting advice. The goal of this parachurch organization was to plant 1,000 new churches around the world “through recruitment, assessment, training, funding and coaching.”

Acts 29 started slowly under Driscoll’s leadership, with 11 churches in the beginning and 17 in 2003. At this point, it began to grow rapidly, with 50 churches in 2006 and 410 churches in 2011. The majority is still in 38 churches in the United States in 16 other countries.

According to Salon, Driscoll structured Act 29 to conform to his own “strict orthodoxy and views” on theology and politics while leaving room for cultural detail. Among other things, according to Acts 29, future church planters must be led by men.

Mars Hill Church restructuring (2006–2007)

Justification

As the church grew, he began training other elders and deacons and took on a more leadership role in carrying out the vision and continuing the preaching. In 2006, the church had 4,000 to 5,000 weekly attendees at three locations in the Seattle area.

He said he slept only two to three hours a night and began to fear he would die prematurely of a heart attack. Finally, in 2006–2007, he began to restructure the church and claimed to be separated from power. Within Mars Hill, he publicly stated that he had resigned as “legal president,” president of the council of elders, and chief of staff while retaining his role as the public face and preaching pastor.

Proposed by law Changes

Mark Driscoll Obituary

Driscoll proposed changes to the charter that would give “executive directors” unlimited terms. Driscoll and supporters of the changes argued that the church had outgrown its original governing structure, while opponents argued that the changes consolidated power with Driscoll and his trusted deputies. Paul Petry and another pastor, Bent Meyer, both disagreed with the changes.

In response, Driscoll fired both. A forum post on Mars Hill reported – without naming the pastors – that one was fired for “showing an unhealthy distrust of leadership” and the other for “accepting elders’ minutes during the charter consultation period had been ignored” and “verbally attacked.” senior pastor.” [Driscoll].”

The morning after Petry and Meyer were fired, Driscoll told his pastors and other church leaders at a conference: “Yesterday we fired two elders for the first time in the history of Mars Hill. …So they weren’t on a mission.” Now, they are unemployed. This will be the deciding factor in success or failure. I’ve read enough of the New Testament to know that Paul occasionally puts someone in the wood chipper.

Not only did both lose their jobs, but they also had to go through a church process to assess their church membership. Petry was accused by Driscoll and the other elders of “lack of trust and respect for spiritual authority” and “inappropriate use of confidential information.”

The latter charge stemmed from Petry having discussed the bylaw changes with the church’s deacon, Rob Smith, who was not a member of the board of elders but was asked to join. Petry was allowed to comment on the allegations but was not allowed to attend the entire hearing. The elders unanimously concluded that Petry was no longer fit to be an elder. Driscoll urged his congregation to avoid Petry’s family.

Meyer received a “lenient” church trial but decided to resign. Rob Smith had written an email to the elders demanding a fair trial for Petry and Meyer; Smith said Driscoll then asked his parishioners to stop making donations to Agathos, an independent economic development charity that Smith also ran, resulting in an 80 percent drop in donations.

Effects

Mark Driscoll Obituary

In 2014, Petry, Smith, and Moi all participated in, and in some cases organized, online protests against Driscoll. Commentators linked the Mars Hill “riots” of the summer of 2014 to the structural changes of 2007 and other developments in Driscoll’s career.

The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona

By February 2016, the church’s staff included two former employees from Mars Hill. Texas megachurch leaders Robert Morris and Jimmy Evans served on the church’s board. In July 2021, a letter emerged from 41 elders who had worked with Mark at Mars Hill, demanding that he resign from Trinity Church and leave ministry entirely.

In the letter, they expressed concerns that the patterns of abuse and behavioural issues had persisted at Trinity Church, indicating that Mark had shown himself unfit for leadership in a ministry context.

Public Image

The Seattle Times noted that “preaching and communicating lies at the heart of Driscoll’s draw.” Another article characterized Driscoll as a “hipster preacher” who employed “charisma and combativeness.”

He has been called a “talented speaker” and a “charismatic leader.” Many regard him as an engaging presenter, “gifted,” and “dynamic and humorous, blending respect for Jesus with irreverence for everything else.” He has cited stand-up comedians like Chris Rock as influencing his public speaking approach. Crosscut.com described his delivery style as follows:

While pacing the stage at the main Ballard campus, he delivered a sermon on marital roles outlined in the Song of Solomon. He shared personal anecdotes from his marriage, provided statistics, and incorporated jokes naturally. Periodically, he would pause in a thoughtful, rehearsed way. This informal, relatable demeanour stood in stark contrast to that of a typical televangelist but retained a particular polish that made him easy to listen to.

Rob Wall, a professor at Seattle Pacific University, connects Mars Hill Church’s success to Mark Driscoll’s straightforward responses to complex spiritual questions: “His style of public rhetoric is very authoritative. Whether discussing the Bible or culture, he is quite clear and definitive.”

In 2009, The New York Times Magazine called Driscoll “one of the most admired—and reviled—figures among evangelicals nationwide.” 2011 Preaching magazine included him among the 25 most influential pastors of the past quarter-century.

In a 2014 profile, Salon described Driscoll as the focal point of a “cult of personality,” using controversy to enhance his visibility. Salon also noted that “[sex] talk fused with God talk, or titillation more broadly, [is] a key component of the Driscoll brand,” adding that “Driscoll’s stage persona at times has included tight jeans and an extra button open on the shirt.”

He famously greeted an audience at the University of Washington by sharing that he had gotten his genitals caught in his zipper before the event and that he would stick to the schedule because his wife was at home waiting for him with a cream pie.

ABC Nightline Special (2009)

In March 2009, Driscoll participated in an ABC Nightline debate called “Does Satan Exist?” Driscoll and Annie Lobert, founders of the Christian organization Hookers for Jesus, debated the existence of the devil with philosopher Deepak Chopra and Carlton Pearson, a former fundamentalist preacher and author of the Gospel of Inclusion.

One commentator described the debate as “controversial,” with all participants taking “unyielding” positions. Driscoll also appeared on the show and discussed other topics, including the Ten Commandments and Six.

Aid for Haiti (2010)

Mark Driscoll Obituary

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Driscoll and James MacDonald founded Churches Helping Churches to help churches rebuild after catastrophic natural disasters. They helped rebuild dozens of churches in Haiti and Japan. Driscoll first flew to Haiti shortly after the earthquake and formed a partnership between his church and Jean F. E. St. Cyr, a Haitian pastor.

Departing from Acts 29 and The Gospel Coalition (2012)

Chandler said of the transition: “[The Acts 29 board] ran a network of 422 churches on six continents in the same way that when there were 80 to 100 churches on one continent, Chandler also planned to separate Act 29 from separating.” Mars Hill Church: Prior to Driscoll’s departure, Acts 29 was funded primarily by Mars Hill. By mid-2014, Driscoll was no longer on the Acts 29 board.

Driscoll was one of the founders of the Gospel Coalition, a fellowship of Reformed evangelical churches. Upon his resignation, he wrote that he had “no relational conflict with anyone and no theological disagreement.” Instead, he explained that he changed his priorities and could not fulfill all his obligations. Driscoll said he plans to focus more on Mars Hill Church, spend more time with his family, and spend less time traveling.

Formal Indictment of Former Elder Dave Kraft (2013)

Mark Driscoll Obituary

In May 2013, former Mars Hill elder Dave Kraft filed formal charges (under Mars Hill Church bylaws) of “abuse” against Mark Driscoll and other Mars Hill leaders. He specifically accused Driscoll of being “dominant, abusive, arrogant and short-tempered.”

Kraft further argued that this “established pattern of behavior” disqualified Driscoll from leading the church. Mars Hill Church’s Board of Counselors and Accountability responded by saying it had sent 100 letters to former elders and staff supporting Kraft’s allegations.

They received eighteen responses, which they reviewed and deemed “not disqualifying” regarding Driscoll’s leadership position. However, the council launched a “reconciliation process” to address “many violations and abuses that remain unresolved.” Dave Kraft worked at Mars Hill from 2005 to 2013 and was Driscoll’s personal “coach” during that time.

Former Leaders and Members Protest Driscoll (2014)

Mark Driscoll Obituary

However, the criticism from conservative Christians, including Driscoll’s former “allies and supporters” in recent years, until 2014, has increased. According to the Seattle Times, radio host Janet Mefferd’s allegations of plagiarism marked a “critical turning point” that sparked outside interest in Mars Hill’s internal affairs and raised questions among new critics about the church and its handling of its finances.

After evangelical Christian and Grove City College psychology professor Warren Throckmorton learned of Mefferd’s allegations of plagiarism, he became interested and became a critic of Driscoll and Mars Hill.

“Repentant Pastors”

On March 29, 2014, a momentous event took place when Kyle Firstenberg, Dave Kraft, Scott Mitchell, and co-founder Lief Moi, former Mars Hill elders, courageously launched the “Repentant Pastor” blog. This blog is a platform where they openly share their confessions and heartfelt apologies, regarding their leadership roles at Mars Hill.

In a joint statement, they wrote: “We acknowledge and recognize that Mars Hill has harmed many people within the Mars Hill community, as well as those outside the community, summarizing the statements and writing that the previous managers emphasized their shortcomings.” to contain Driscoll,” and that they were complicit in Driscoll’s “autocratic” leadership style.

Fürstenberg worried that although the church appeared to be flourishing, the staff lived under constant stress, and “success had to be achieved regardless of the human and moral costs.” He was quoted as saying:

The reputation Driscoll earned as a swearing priest simply because he used harsh language from the pulpit was nothing compared to the cursing and abusive language he used daily against his staff. When someone asked me what I thought about working at Mars Hill, I simply replied, “It’s a great church to go to, but I wouldn’t recommend working here. The staff knew that what was preached on Sunday was not practiced. ” the employees on Monday morning.

Planned appearance at Hillsong Conference 2015

Driscoll was scheduled to appear at Hillsong Church’s 2015 Australian and UK conferences. A petition against Driscoll’s appearance at the conference collected 3000 signatures, prompting Hillsong Church Senior Pastor Brian Houston to cancel Driscoll’s planned speaking event. 

Instead, the Hillsong conference presented a 30-minute taped interview of Mark and Grace Driscoll, who were interviewed by Houston at the conference. Read More.