Mark Driscoll

from Mars Hill Church

Pastor Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church—based in Seattle, Washington—and one of the most popular preachers in the world today.

In 2010, Preaching magazine named him one of the 25 most influential pastors of the past 25 years. His sermon podcast regularly occupies the top spot in iTunes’s Religion & Spirituality category, and his online audience accesses about 15 million of his sermons each year. Pastor Mark is the author of over 15 books, and he has also written for CNN and The Washington Post, and been featured as a columnist for The Seattle Times.

With a skillful mix of bold presentation, accessible teaching, and compassion for those who are hurting the most—in particular, women who are victims of sexual and physical abuse and assault—Pastor Mark has taken biblical Christianity into cultural corners rarely explored by evangelicals. He has been grilled by Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters on The View, gone head-to-head with Piers Morgan on CNN, debated the existence of evil with Deepak Chopra on ABC’s Nightline, bantered with the gang on Fox and Friends, and explained biblical sexuality on Loveline with Dr. Drew.

Numerous ministries trace their roots to Pastor Mark’s leadership. He is the founder of Resurgence, a ministry that offers resources for Christian leaders, including books, events, classes, multimedia, and a blog that welcomes 7 million visits annually. He is the cofounder of the Acts 29 Network, which has planted over 400 churches in the US and 13 other nations. In 2010, following a cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti, Pastor Mark cofounded Churches Helping Churches with James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel. The organization raised $2.7 million in funds and delivered an additional $1.7 million in medical supplies to the devastated country.

Born in North Dakota, Mark Driscoll grew up in south Seattle, the son of a union drywaller. After graduating from high school, he attended Washington State University on scholarship. He became a Christian during his freshman year, and finished college with a degree in speech communication from the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication. He later completed a master’s degree in exegetical theology from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

In 1996, at the age of 25, Pastor Mark and Grace started a small Bible study at their home in Seattle, the least churched city in the US at the time. By God’s grace, Mars Hill Church grew beyond all expectations to 13,000 people (and counting), gathered weekly across 15 locations in five states: Washington, Oregon, California, New Mexico, and Arizona. In 2012, Mars Hill was recognized as the third fastest growing and 28th largest church in the country by Outreach magazine.

Most importantly, Pastor Mark is a husband to Grace and a father to the “fab five” Driscoll kids. He’s grateful to be a nobody trying to tell everybody about Somebody.