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New meaning to the term “televangelist”

October 6, 2007 12:13 am
|      40 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle online | West Seattle religion

As Mars Hill Church-West Seattle expands to two Sunday services starting tomorrow, it appears MHC has gone to 100% video preaching for its satellite locations such as WS, with the “campus pastors” opening & closing the services, and the sermons all given on video by MHC leader Mark Driscoll. This is detailed in the newest blog post by West Seattle’s campus pastor Adam Sinnett, who points to an explanation from Driscoll — in the form of a 36-minute video, available online. We just watched it out of curiosity; it’s a long ramble that goes back into history, starting by contending that Christian leaders going back to Jesus himself were tasked with “using the opportunities that culture provides us,” then going on to discuss technological breakthroughs with religious ties, such as the printing of the Bible and the invention of the film projector by Thomas Edison (described by Driscoll as a “devout Christian” though we’re having trouble finding corroboration online). Driscoll notes that video preaching “frees up” each campus pastor to spend more hours each week “shepherding” the local flocks, and he notes generously that the campus pastors are “allowed” to preach “live” during the 10-12 times each year that Driscoll himself doesn’t do the Sunday sermon. BTW, the new MHC-WS service times as of tomorrow are 9 am and 11:15 am, so be on the lookout for more white-bus traffic, earlier and later.

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40 Replies to "New meaning to the term "televangelist""

  • Jan October 6, 2007 (12:52 am)

    and is Youtube next?

  • Bob October 6, 2007 (1:59 am)

    Soon, I foresee legions of robotic assistant deputy PastorBots freeing up the campus pastors to do compassionate person-to-person high-touch outreach to grateful flocks gathered around HDTV studio control panels at Mars Churchtek(tm) locations in farflung mega-urbs, through which the campus pastors can personally meet and soothe the faithful with Remote Hands waldoes.

    Bob

    (And listen up, all you other secondary impostor Bobs need to think about becoming Bob1273 or Bob56123 right away pronto, like on AOL or Hotmail. This WSB thing is getting pretty crowded around here.)

  • MG October 6, 2007 (8:10 am)

    Mars Hill – There couldn’t be a better or more discriptive name for a church. Thank you!

  • praying man-tis i October 6, 2007 (8:19 am)

    That’s pretty funny, Jan. Just remember that if he did do that, he’d be joining everyone else who does it now. It wouldn’t justify him though.

    I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something very commercial about this whole campus video streaming thing that I just can’t connect with. I’ll take my preachers live and in the flesh, thank you.

  • Tom October 6, 2007 (9:04 am)

    It sort of calls into question the whole notion of needing a brick-and-mortar chuch to begin with…
    Why bother with the costs of the upkeep, the rent, the busses etc. Most of the flock probably have high speed internet at home. Just imagine a massive e-baptism taking place on the virtual shores of 2nd Alki.

  • Bob October 6, 2007 (9:49 am)

    So, is Mars Hill a cult or what? Seems like a bunch of crazies to me.

  • LS October 6, 2007 (9:58 am)

    Definitely crazies. Gotta love the whole miscogynist, woman-hating, it’s-the-wife’s-fault take from borderline insane “pastor” mark.

    Why do people lap this crap up?

  • The House October 6, 2007 (10:16 am)

    Ok, I just watched his “sermon” as well. I don’t know the validity of his claims, but it could be plausible. It would be incorrect to state that Christianity contributed to inventions like the printing press, radio, TV, etc, but the invention of these did allow Christianity (as well as other religions and subjects) to be communicated to the masses.

    I’m not quite sure how you correlate the inventors religion to the invention itself. His line of reasoning is clouded (If I am a AAA member and I invent a time machine, does that been that AAA is the cause of my invention)? If you really trace religion back (any religion), it hasn’t contributed to the anvancement of mankind in any way. Rather, all advancements of mankind have come from science. It can easily be argured that religion actually does quite the contrary. In my opinion, the only positive thing religion provided us were documenting morals for a civilized society.

    Mark Driscoll, I really like your torn jeans although those went out in the 1980s. Next time you should wear a Miami Vice shirt with jean shorts.

  • Jan October 6, 2007 (11:44 am)

    House…maybe we could add him to our new “Fashion in WS” feature..lol..

  • Erik October 6, 2007 (12:40 pm)

    WSB –
    Everything I’ve found on Edison says he was an athiest. However, his second wife Mina was a devout christian.
    Edison did try to invent a device that would communicate with the dead, but later in life when asked his opinion of the afterlife…”It does not matter, no one knows.”

  • Gina October 6, 2007 (1:06 pm)

    If I want church via a television set, I think I’ll just pop in a Davy and Goliath dvd.

  • flipjack October 6, 2007 (3:20 pm)

    What a STUD! whoa!
    Hope they don’t use video when he get’s busted in a the SeaTac men’s restroom stalls.

  • Erik October 6, 2007 (3:59 pm)

    I gotta remember to stop tapping my foot to the music in my head when visiting public bathrooms.

  • djake October 6, 2007 (6:25 pm)

    Interesting takes on all of this I’m sure. However, I would take issue with one statement in particular. The idea that Science is the origin of everything including religion is totally false. At least according to my total educational experience including several college/universities. Science actually came from religious Theist/Deist types who were trying to find rules of order from their belief in a God who created the order in the first place. Study the true origins of Science, Galileo, Newton, Capernicus, etc. and you’ll see that Science actually began as a proof for God and then degenerated into attempts to disprove God

  • Sue October 6, 2007 (6:50 pm)

    Having a video service would do nothing for me; I might as well sit at home and watch the services on TV on Sunday morning. But you know, it must appeal to somebody if the place is packed and it’s going to 2 services. I’m glad that we have so many choices so I’m free to go to a different place on Sunday mornings.

  • The House October 6, 2007 (8:34 pm)

    Djake, if you’re referring to me I never stated that Science is the origin of everything. I stated that it is responsible for the advancements of mankind. There is a clear and distict difference between the two statements.

    I also would say I’m pretty sure that science began before Galileo, Newton, and Capernicus were a twinkle in their Daddys eye.

    I also don’t think science has “degenerated” to disprove God. It is still being used to prove God and many of the Biblical stories. The only problem is that you ultimately won’t be able to prove that God exists (similar to the infinite universe). Even if God showed up tomorrow, he/she/it would be discounted and ostracized from society since we don’t know what God looks like.

    Pretty deep, huh?

  • Wes October 6, 2007 (8:49 pm)

    Once again I have to ask, is it Mars Hill, Jesus Christ or Christians you all take an issue with?

  • y from westwood October 6, 2007 (8:56 pm)

    *vomit*

  • flipjack October 6, 2007 (9:05 pm)

    Hey Wes, Mark Driscoll is an obvious fraud and if you wanna do your over-generalization thing then fine.
    It’s ALL Tele-Evangelists to whom Jesus Christ would cringe at the sight of and probably be inclined to destroy their little video and TV production facilities just like he did the merchants in the temple. The Merchants in the Temple Wes that’s who!

  • thee October 6, 2007 (9:28 pm)

    edison = science
    mars hill = finger puppets and story time

  • The House October 6, 2007 (9:58 pm)

    Wes, I take issue with ignorant people.

    After further review, Mark Driscoll’s jeans are acceptable in church….they’re HOLY!!

    Now that was a good one!

  • Ken in West Seattle October 7, 2007 (7:00 am)

    relevant qoutes:

    ——–
    These blessings did not fall from the skies. These benefits did not drop from the outstretched hands of priests. They were not found in cathedrals or behind altars — neither were they searched for with holy candles. They were not discovered by the closed eyes of prayer, nor did they come in answer to superstitious supplication. They are the children of freedom, the gifts of reason, observation and experience — and for them all, man is indebted to man.

    — Robert_Ingersoll
    ——–

    We have already compared the benefits of theology and science. When the theologian governed the world, it was covered with huts and hovels for the many, palaces and cathedrals for the few. To nearly all the children of men, reading and writing were unknown arts. The poor were clad in rags and skins — they devoured crusts, and gnawed bones. The day of Science dawned, and the luxuries of a century ago are the necessities of to-day. Men in the middle ranks of life have more of the conveniences and elegancies than the princes and kings of the theological times. But above and over all this, is the development of mind. There is more of value in the brain of an average man of to-day — of a master-mechanic, of a chemist, of a naturalist, of an inventor, than there was in the brain of the world four hundred years ago.
    –Peter Gethers
    ——————–

    As difficult as it is, however, for journalists to fashion a readable narrative for complex issues without depressing our readers and viewers, there is an even harder challenge – to pierce the ideology that governs official policy today. One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to sit in the seat of power in the oval office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington. Theology asserts propositions that cannot be proven true; ideologues hold stoutly to a world view despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality. When ideology and theology couple, their offspring are not always bad but they are always blind. And there is the danger: voters and politicians alike, oblivious to the facts.

    –Bill Moyers, December 1, 2004

    ——-

  • praying man-tis i October 7, 2007 (8:03 am)

    Wow! I guess I’ll be the one to tell World Vision, and all the other Christian organizations around the world that their contributions mean nothing. Before you bother doing all of the research necessary to respond, I’ll just say that these organizations are a collective effort to address real issues many around the world face. No, each entity isn’t a religion in itself, but it’s because of religion they exist.

    Why is it that people believe that science and christianity can’t co-exist? Are ALL scientists non-believers? Christians can’t be scientists? Stop perpetuating those things that divide us.

    Not for one second do I believe that religion hasn’t provided more for humanity than documenting morals. Religion has its issues, no doubt, but I’m not about to blanket everyone for the faults of some. Oh, and, no, I’m not a Martian.

  • GenHillOne October 7, 2007 (8:39 am)

    hee hee…holy jeans…that is a good one :)

  • The Velvet Bulldog October 7, 2007 (9:53 am)

    Ok, I believe I’ve mentioned I live near the Alki Congregational Church. I am seeing people taking their PETS into the church. What are they gonna do, confess??? “I left a surprise in my owner’s favorite shoes…”

  • WSB October 7, 2007 (10:54 am)

    We mentioned this in the Weekend Lineup and another spot or two – today’s 10 am service there is the annual “Blessing of the Animals.”

  • The Velvet Bulldog October 7, 2007 (11:13 am)

    Thanks WSB. I still don’t get it, but ok. :-)

  • The House October 7, 2007 (1:18 pm)

    Ok, Praying Man-Tis. That you for taking the challange.

    Please name one thing that religion has done to advance mankind (that was my original statement) besides documenting morals.

    The pet blessing is ridiculous. If the whole premise of Christianity is that you have to accept Jesus Christ as your savior. Then reason tells you that dogs and cats will go to hell since they are unable to accept him as their savior.

    If I was a dog, I would worship Lassie. If I was a cat, I’d worship Morris.

    If I was a hamster, I’d worship anyone except Richard Gere.

  • Sue October 7, 2007 (2:50 pm)

    Velvet Bulldog, it’s probably for the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (which I believe is Oct. 4 in the catholic church) – he was the patron saint of animals and there are often animal blessings to commemorate it.

  • Wes October 7, 2007 (4:01 pm)

    So how is Mark Driscoll a fraud? You blast him, but no one has really given any good reason to why?
    Also, House, have you ever read the Bible? Just a question, nothing sinister behind it.

  • The High Point Blog October 7, 2007 (4:47 pm)

    Just curious, but it seems like Mars Hill Church and their events/news get a lot of coverage from WSB. Is there any particular reason for it?

  • JT October 7, 2007 (5:08 pm)

    Wes, the answer you’re looking for is too long. Check the archives here at WSB for past discussions. Also, the Times and PI carried a few stories of interest awhile back. Both about the WS opening and a protest by other Christians upset with some of his statements. The comments there were quite informative and lively. Google has links to a Salon.com article among other things, as well.

    Basically, he’s presented himself as the first christian of merit to inhabit Seattle. He has publicly stated an interest in influencing all aspects of Seattle both public and private with his idea of religion. He encourages woman to stay home and make more babies that agree with him. When Pastor Ted Haggard was busted with a male prostitute, he preached about how important it was for wives to keep themselves more attractive to avoid this. The outcry over this led to The Seattle Times cancelling a religious columm he wrote. His brand of religion is offensive to many because of it’s arrogance,sexism, and homophobia. Things that don’t play well in Seattle.

    Seattle is home to a lot of churches full of good people doing good things for our community. You’ll notice you don’t here any criticizing on this blog about any of them. Mark Driscoll came in like a bull dozer, telling his followers to buy up houses in the area and proceeded to act like if he jumped the highest and yelled the loudest for attention, he must be the one with the direct line to God. He’s a flavor of the month preacher using props to entice the unsuspecting.

  • Jan October 7, 2007 (5:32 pm)

    House…I suppose it’s how you or I or anyone views things. You may think it’s ridiculous…they don’t..to each his own. Now…this thing about “accepting Jesus as your Saviour”. That’s a fairly modern thing…the “born again” premise. Being “born again” was not at the beginning, I don’t think…we were born once, thank you very much. What I may believe, in a religious sense, is no one’s business but my own. I was once told that I was going to hell because I hadn’t been “born again” – and this person had no idea what I did or didn’t believe. They just assumed that I needed “saving”. You mention hell…should we gather from that you believe there is one? Again, it would be an assumption…and one that no one should make. Your beliefs should be your personal one’s, too, IMO. Speaking of religious things, there was a great edotorial in the NY Times this morning about whether or not this country was founded as a “Christian” nation…again..it’s an editorial…but a pretty good read.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/opinion/07meacham.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

    High Point Blog…Mark Driscoll made a big deal of bringing his church and his and his “flock’s” beliefs to West Seattle. I think that’s why it’s covered…for some particular reason, that particular church really gets to a lot of people…from their disruption of the neighborhood around the church, to their very public “show” at Alki a few weeks ago…it simply goes with the territory, I think..

  • WSB October 7, 2007 (5:44 pm)

    HPB — news organizations are wise to pay attention to all sizable institutions in their community, churches included.

  • praying man-tis i October 7, 2007 (8:24 pm)

    Don’t be a dope, House. Here’s what I’m commenting about: “In my opinion, the only positive thing religion provided us were documenting morals for a civilized society.”

    Sorry to burst your bubble. You don’t pose a challenge to me, but don’t take that as a knock. You merely sound off on your thoughts, which I do appreciate, but you’re not the final authority on issues and yours isn’t the only point of view that should be read. I agree with you about the pet blessing being ridiculous, but then again, so was your analogy. You’re smart enough to know what makes us different than animals, even if we act like it sometimes.

    I appreciate your post very much, Jan. It’s unfortunate people make false assumptions about one another, too. I was approached by a man handing out religious flyers, and when I kindly declined his offer he walked away visibly mad at me. Little did he know I already had my own walk with God, and I simply didn’t need his assistance at that time. Nonetheless, I knew well enough to not be bothered by it.

  • The House October 7, 2007 (9:38 pm)

    Praying Man-Tis, you still did not answer my question.

    Jan, the “Hell” reference was a supposition of Christianity not my own beliefs (I was reasoning as if I was a Christian).

    Tying this back to Mark Driscoll, I just caught this quote from him. Do with this quote as you please.

    “”After church tonight you will go home and you will eat chicken, not human, because of the spread of Christianity… go to a country where there hasn’t been the spread of Christianity and they’re having human for dinner.”

    I did not have chicken for dinner tonight. I had pizza.

  • Erik October 7, 2007 (9:49 pm)

    I’m pretty sure my dog thinks I’m his saviour as he worships the ground I walk on. So I occasionally bless him (when he sneezes), and do laying on of hands (since I still hold a valid massage license). He even gets the occasional baptism at the beach, on hot days.

  • Jan October 7, 2007 (10:23 pm)

    Erik…from one massage therapist to another…do that laying on of hands often, and he’ll worship you forever :)

  • Jan October 8, 2007 (12:27 am)

    ewww…Mr. Driscoll paints such a lovely picture with his words re: dinner. I had squash and cheese..no meat :) And..in Buddhist Asia,etc., I doubt that they’re consuming each other…what a creep he is…

    and, yes, House, your reference to Hell was exactly that…see? I didn’t assume :)

  • praying man-tis i October 9, 2007 (6:45 pm)

    Go back and re-read the posts, House. You’ll figure it out.

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