Evangelicals Confused as They Defend Driscoll

Evangelists in Disarray as They Defend Disgraced Pastor Mark Driscoll After Stronger Men's Conference Debacle

SPRINGFIELD, MO - The evangelical community was sent into a tailspin this week after the controversial pastor Mark Driscoll was unceremoniously kicked out of the Stronger Men's Conference in Springfield, Missouri by fellow megachurch leader John Lindell.

The incident occurred when Driscoll, known for his fiery sermons and uncompromising views, publicly condemned the performance of a male stripper who was doing a sword-swallowing act during one of the conference sessions. 

"I was absolutely appalled by the debauchery and ungodliness on display," Driscoll reportedly shouted from the audience. "This is not what godly manhood is about! We must take a stand against this moral decay!"

However, Lindell, the host of the conference and pastor of James River Church, was having none of it. He immediately strode over to Driscoll, grabbed him by the collar, and forcibly escorted him out of the building as the audience looked on in stunned silence.

"Who does this guy think he is, coming in here and telling us how to live as Christian men?" Lindell fumed to reporters afterwards. "After all the garbage he pulled at Mars Hill, he has no moral authority to lecture anyone."

The incident has left many prominent evangelical leaders in a state of confusion and consternation. For years, they had roundly condemned Driscoll for his authoritarian leadership style, misogynistic teachings, and financial improprieties that led to the implosion of his Mars Hill megachurch.

But now, with Driscoll finding himself on the receiving end of similar treatment, these same leaders find themselves in the awkward position of having to defend him.

"This is a real pickle we find ourselves in," said bestselling author and radio host James Dobson. "I mean, Driscoll is clearly a flawed and troubled individual. But the idea of him being manhandled and kicked out of a Christian men's conference just doesn't sit right with me. Where do we draw the line?"

Others, like a popular preacher and televangelist Joel Osteen, were more blunt in their assessment.

"Look, I'm no fan of Mark Driscoll and his brand of toxic masculinity," Osteen told reporters. "But seeing him get treated that way, it just makes me uncomfortable, you know? We're supposed to be about forgiveness and restoration in this community. I don't know, man. This whole thing is a mess."

As the fallout from the Stronger Men's Conference incident continues to reverberate, evangelical leaders find themselves in the unenviable position of having to reconcile their past condemnation of Driscoll with their apparent need to defend him in the face of this latest public humiliation.

"It's a real Catch-22," sighed megachurch pastor Rick Warren. "I guess we'll just have to pray about it and see where the Lord leads us. In the meantime, I think I'll steer clear of any more men's conferences. Too much drama for my liking."