https://www.wthrockmorton.com/2020/07/16/james-macdonalds-mansion-notice-of-foreclosure/
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James MacDonald's role in the history of Mars Hill, in retrospect, seemed to involve being on the Mars Hill Board of Advisors and Accountability for just long enough to defend the use of Result Source to rig a No. 1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list for Mark and Grace Driscoll's Real Marriage and then depart because he was so confident that the BoAA would do its job he didn't need to be part of that process.
For those who may not recall or weren't anywhere near Mars Hill circa 2011-2014:
What accountability structure is in place for Pastor Mark?
Given that Pastor Mark serves as the most visible representative of Mars Hill Church, we have put in place an accountability structure that includes both internal accountability and external accountability. Internally, Pastor Mark is held accountable to every elder at Mars Hill Church, through the Executive Elder Team, the Full Council of Elders as well as the Board of Elders. He also has external accountability among church leaders outside of Mars Hill Church.
In the event that a formal charge and/or accusation is made against Pastor Mark that, if investigated and found to be true, would disqualify him from his position as an elder in Mars Hill Church, a group of five men consisting of both elders within Mars Hill Church and Christian leaders outside of Mars Hill Church, will investigate the charge or accusation and determine if it is true. This group currently consists of Jamie Munson, Dave Bruskas, James MacDonald, Darrin Patrick, and Larry Osborne. If the charge or accusation is found to be true, this group can rebuke Pastor Mark or, if warranted, remove him as an elder at Mars Hill Church. [emphases added] If Pastor Mark is removed as an elder, he automatically ceases to serve on the Board of Elders, on the Executive Elder Team, and as president of Mars Hill Church.
and
…
At Mars Hill Church, we love Jesus and our people very much. We also want to be good stewards with everyone and everything that Jesus has entrusted to us. With 15 churches across 5 states, 64 elders/pastors (27 unpaid), 54 elder/pastor candidates in process (nearly all unpaid), 614 deacons (517 unpaid) and roughly 1,000 Community Group leaders and apprentices of various kinds, we need all the wisdom we can get. In an effort to be accountable stewards, we have both internal leadership boards for wise counsel and accountability, as well as an external Board of Advisors and Accountability. The Board of Advisors and Accountability has three categories of responsibility:
· Counsel—The Board assists and advises the Church on those matters where prudence requires and outside perspective.
· Accountability—It provides support and outside objective oversight when needed.
· Governance—The Board manages or directs the civil and business affairs of Mars Hill Church, as required of all 501(c)3 organizations.
In recent years, the Board of Advisors and Accountability has been an incredible source of wise counsel for which we are very grateful. We are so excited to announce that we have now added our friend Tripp who has accepted our invitation to join our Board of Advisors and Accountability! He is a great brother and partner in ministry. He preached at Mars Hill last the summer for our Best Sermon Ever series and brought the Word with power. Dr. Tripp has been teaching at Mars Hill for many years in various capacities, and we also greatly appreciate his writing ministry especially, Dangerous Calling.
In regards to his acceptance, Dr. Tripp says, “I have a deep respect and admiration for churches that preach a courageous and liberating gospel into the brokenness of the culture around them. Mars Hill is one of these churches and I am glad to use my gifts and experience to assist it in its gospel mission.”
Dr. Tripp joins the current Board members: Michael Van Skaik, Dr. James MacDonald, Dr. Larry Osborne, Mark Driscoll, Dave Bruskas, and Sutton Turner. This Board of Advisors and Accountability was voted upon and installed by an overwhelmingly supportive vote from the entire eldership, with every single elder who voted doing so in approval.
in August 2014 ...
…
UPCOMING CHANGES TO THE BOAA
Dr. Paul Tripp joined our Board of Advisors and Accountability in November 2013 and has been an immense help to our leaders over the past year. Dr. Tripp has extensive experience in discipleship and biblical counseling. Earlier this month, we made the decision together to open the opportunity for him to work with greater focus on issues directly related to his expertise, namely the continued development of our community and redemption ministries. Because simultaneously being a board member and a consultant does not allow for the required definition of independence, Dr. Tripp graciously submitted his resignation from the BOAA in early June so that he can more extensively serve our church as a consultant. We are excited to continue this work with him, and are thankful for his continued support of Mars Hill Church.
Similarly, Pastor James MacDonald informed the board at the July meeting of his decision to transition from his current role on the board pending his replacement. Pastor James has been a great help in forming the current board’s direction, and we are very grateful for his time and wisdom over the last several years. He said about this transition, “I have great love and affection for Mars Hill Church and I want to make clear this change is not because I am unhappy with Mark’s response to board accountability. On the contrary, I have found him to be exemplary in his current readiness to live under the BOAA oversight. I am not resigning because I doubt Mark’s sincerity in any way. I believe in Mark Driscoll and his heart to leverage difficult lessons [emphases added] in service to Christ and his church in the years ahead. I am excited to continue to support that trajectory as Mark’s friend, as I focus my efforts on Harvest Bible Fellowship.” [emphases added]
Considering these transitions, Pastor Mark shared, “I am thankful for the service of both Paul and James, two men I admire and respect. Their service on our board has been a blessing to me and Mars Hill Church in countless ways. The amount of hours they have given as volunteers is extraordinary, especially in light of their other ministry demands.” Candidates are currently being interviewed to replace these open board positions. They will be submitted before the Full Council of Elders for their approval as soon as possible.
All of which is background to what would happen later. James MacDonald was fired from Harvest Bible Chapel. The larger background of that in connection to Mars Hill history can be read over here.
https://wenatcheethehatchet.blogspot.com/2018/12/julie-roys-article-at-world-mentions.html
I've relied where applicable on Julie Roys' research on HBC, since the main focus here has been more on MHC historical issues rather than attempting to dig into the ins and outs of HBC and James MacDonald without reference to his connection to Mark Driscoll and the former Mars Hill Church.
https://julieroys.com/tag/harvest-bible-chapel/
In sum, MacDonald's conduct has not suggested he was someone who was going to be in a position to hold Mark Driscoll
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