As a mental health counselor and a survivor of spiritual abuse, I perceive many signs of cult like control/spiritual abuse: Controlling Pastor/ with “Yes Men” Elders; No Talk Rule; No Dissent;... More

As a mental health counselor and a survivor of spiritual abuse, I perceive many signs of cult like control/spiritual abuse: Controlling Pastor/ with “Yes Men” Elders; No Talk Rule; No Dissent; Emphasis on Submission/Obedience; Shunning of "Unrepentant" Former Members; Dis-fellowshipping Questioners/Critical Thinkers; By Laws Removing Accountability of Pastor/Elders; Mind/Thought Control; Membership Covenant and Financial Giving Pledge Required; "Biblical" Counseling Only, if Referred Out, Must Sign Release Form (no confidentiality allowed); Kangaroo Court Firing of Two Elders Who Dared to Question; Extreme Gender Role Enforcement; Members Must Attend Accountability/”Community” Groups… Scary!
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Bad: This place is a cult and I am saying this from years of experience with Mars Hill as a member who use to love this palace, follow them blindly and function as a "serving member". If you are... More

Bad: This place is a cult and I am saying this from years of experience with Mars Hill as a member who use to love this palace, follow them blindly and function as a "serving member". If you are a baby C.
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Visited last summer (I live in Tacoma). Would definitely be there if I lived in Seattle.

Visited last summer (I live in Tacoma). Would definitely be there if I lived in Seattle.
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We attended Mars Hill for about two years, and MAN, do we miss Mark Driscoll (sp?)!! He is an amazing preacher - it's worth going just to check him out (or, as Robin said, you can hear him online).... More

We attended Mars Hill for about two years, and MAN, do we miss Mark Driscoll (sp?)!! He is an amazing preacher - it's worth going just to check him out (or, as Robin said, you can hear him online). He's NOT the typical preacher - he didn't even become a Christian 'till college, he's only in his mid-thirties, he's hilarious, and he often uses words you'd never here from the pulpit. Some of the things we didn't like about the church: the music is loud, the room is dark (I'm just talking about the Ballard location), most of the people who attend are between the ages of 20-30, and the church is HUGE...despite all that, though, you've got to go hear this guy!!!
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If you want to try it out before you visit, just podcast the sermons and music. You can type in "Mars Hill" to your podcast search engine. I listened for weeks before actually attending and found... More

If you want to try it out before you visit, just podcast the sermons and music. You can type in "Mars Hill" to your podcast search engine. I listened for weeks before actually attending and found that I hung on Mark's every word. Since I've been there, it's only been better. He really understands Seattle and preaches to us, not some hypothetical congregation. Plus, there's a coffee bar and you can bring your coffee into the sanctuary. How very Seattle!
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I attended Mars Hill a total of 12-15 times. The church wasn't terrible, but definitely was not a good fit for me and my fiance. The music is good for worship. The messages were fairly hit and... More

I attended Mars Hill a total of 12-15 times. The church wasn't terrible, but definitely was not a good fit for me and my fiance. The music is good for worship. The messages were fairly hit and miss, and the crowd was a little "trendy" for my taste. Overall, however, this body seems to be serving a good purpose for the city, just not the right fit for us.
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