Missional Church: Driscoll & Emerging

A curious thing to post, but since I think it helps us come to a definition of the conversation/movement, I'll dive in.

I have thought for some time that some people are self-titled "emerging," others call themselves "emerging," and some are "emerging" though they don't care, or don't know it, or don't want to admit it.  Guys like Mark Driscoll and Tim Keller I put somewhere in that last category.

But Driscoll has been quoted as saying,

Let me agree that much of the church today is incredibly frustrating. Personally, when I hear so many young guys denying substitutionary atonement and the like after drinking from the emerging church toilet I turn green and my clothes don't fit. However, let me say though that we need to stay on mission.

Does this mean he is trying to distance himself from the emerging church and say he isn't a part of it, or that he is trying to pull the emerging church in his direction by distancing himself from parts of it (like notable authors), or something else?

Driscoll continues,

Sure, some pastors and churches are angry that I'm not putting my weight behind their mission but in the end...I won't stand before them for judgment and they won't stand before me, so I just let it go and keep pushing ahead until I see Jesus and he can separate sheep and goats and hand out rewards to the faithful. In the meantime, I refuse to get off my ladder but keep my sword close by and if a wolf shows up in my flock then I draw my sword but not until then.

While Driscoll seems to be doing much to not even use the word "emerging," it doesn't appear to me that he is abandoning the emerging church as worthless.  He is trying to be faithful in his context to lead his church and influence The Church in whatever way God gives him opportunity.  As he says...

What I'm finding is that if I stay on my mission eventually a platform gets big enough that you kind of just have permission to do your thing and others respect you even if they don't like you.

So it seems to me that Driscoll is "emerging" in the generic sense that he is missional to the postmodern (so to speak) culture, and in the sense that he still desires to influence (in some way) the conversation.  Whether he means to or not, there is no doubt he has influence in the emerging church conversation.  But he obviously isn't "emerging" in the sense that he doesn't care to push or carry the papers of a movement.

Mark, if someone points this out to you, I'd love you to set the record straight.

-----
Read Missional Church Part 1

Comments

[Phil]

In doing my own study on the EC, I came across this on Pomomusings which may add some insight to how some within the EC may look at Mark.

http://cleave.blogs.com/pomomusings/2003/12/mars_hill_churc.html

[Steve McCoy]

I've read that befoe Phil. Thanks for reminding me. I disagree with Adam pretty regularly. :)

[daverudd]

Thanks, Steve. I reall appreciate where Mark is, as he has found a way to be missional/incarnational without throwing away his theology. i don't agree with him in everything, but respect him for not doing the "popular" thing with the emerging crowd, and for choosing not to air his dirty laundry. He touches on why he backed out of Emergent in his book intro...

[Steve McCoy]

Thanks for reminding me of Driscoll's intro. He also wrote, "I am presenting this book as a contribution toward the furtherance of the emerging church in the emerging culture." (p. 17) I think that shows clearly where he stands as of the publication of the book.

Driscoll, for all of his 'in your face' quirkiness, is a tremendous example of theological strength and missional strength. God is using him.

[andrew jones]

hey - we owe mark a lot, for helping the early formation of young leaders, that later became emergent, and for being a star, and a pastor who loves his people, and loves his Bible.

if he wants to stay reformed, then thats fine and he will have a large reformed playground to speak into with authority (which he does) as well as the emerging culture to bring Jesus to.

as long there are churches of every description jumping on the bandwagon without thinking through the missional impetus for being "emergent" among the "emerging culture", then we will have toilets where there should be sinks or baths.

i think we should all, like mark has done, embrace those elements in the emerging church that God has iniatied, smiled on and empowered, and as for the things that should not be there, flush them away or at least dont invite them into our ministries.
We all need to be discerning.

[Steve McCoy]

Thanks for a great comment on the issue Andrew. It means a lot from an emergent guy. Blessings.

[mark driscoll]

I don't jump onto many sites but will because I appreciate the kindness I am shown here. Their is a difference between emergent and emerging though the words are so similiar people understandbly miss the subtleties. I had some very good time not long ago with Dan Kimball who wrote "The Emerging Church" and what he calls the emerging church is evangelical theologically and missional functionally. I fit that mold. What is running under the banner of Emergent is not theologically evangelical as it is denying penal substitution (Jesus died in my place for my sins), and a literal eternal conscious hell. I am not, therefore, Emergent. I was at the beginning of all of this, saw it coming, and pulled out to focus on my church which has taken off by God's hilarious grace, my young family, and church planting. My next book will trace the early history of the movement and my church transitions from nothing to 4000 to talk about a lot of this in great detail. The manuscript is done and it's coming out with Zondervan. After that, a series on theology, another series on Bible study helps, and a third series for young men will be rolling out really quickly. My hope is to help shape the next generation of young pastors. Of course not everyone will be likeminded with me, and that is fine. I am just praying that the emerging generation of pastors is Bible believing, Jesus loving, evangelical, and missional. I lean more reformed than some, but am in no way a full blown covenentalist or hyper calvinist, am not a cessationist, and what I believe does not limit who I partner with so if an Arminian loves Jesus I love them. I believe this is a crucial time and am excited about the questions being raised regarding the gospel and culture and frankly troubled by some of the prevailing answers. So, rather than criticizing I hope to serve with my Bible open.

[Steve McCoy]

Great comment Mark. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and position here, and I think it makes drawing lines a little easier. Looking forward to reading the stuff you are writing, and I'm encouraged by your pro-active approach to discipling the next generation of leaders and Christ-followers.