Embattled Pastor Mark Driscoll Resigns From Mars Hill Church

Embattled Pastor Mark Driscoll has resigned from his senior pastor role at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington.

In a letter to the church's board of advisors and accountability dated October 14, Driscoll, who has come under fire over the past year, began by announcing that he will be vacating his post as pastor of Mars Hill.

"I do so with profound sadness, but also with complete peace," Driscoll wrote.

Mark Driscoll (Image source: YouTube)

He went on to note that the review process, which began in August when he willingly took at least six weeks away from ministry, concluded last week.

Driscoll expressed gratitude that he had not been disqualified from ministry. He was not asked to resign at the conclusion of the investigation, according to an announcement on the church's website.

"Mark Driscoll was not asked to resign; indeed, we were surprised to receive his resignation letter," it read.

Driscoll went on in his letter to say that he knows there are many areas in which he personally failed and that he is working to bring himself closer to God.

"I readily acknowledge I am an imperfect messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many things I have confessed and repented of, privately and publicly, as you are well aware," the letter continued. "Specifically, I have confessed to past pride, anger and a domineering spirit."

Pastor Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church)

He said that he doesn't want to be a distraction that takes attention away from the ministry and work that Mars Hill is doing.

"That is why, after seeking the face and will of God, and seeking godly counsel from men and women across the country, we have concluded it would be best for the health of our family, and for the Mars Hill family, that we step aside from further ministry at the church we helped launch in 1996," he wrote. 

Driscoll, who has fielded a number of controversies throughout 2014, said that it is time for the church to select new leadership.

Read the letter in its entirety here and read about the overarching controversy surrounding Driscoll here.