Hillsong Church has decided not to push through with Mark Driscoll's scheduled speaking engagement in Australia and the United Kingdom this July after the public vehemently reacted to it.
There has been an online petition with thousands of supporters demanding to "remove Mark Driscoll from the Hillsong Conferences," saying that having him as a keynote speaker for the Speak, We're Listening conference from July 22 to 24 is "disappointing" given the church leader's questionable behaviour.
"This is both disappointing and of great concern to many across the UK and internationally. Mark Driscoll resigned from the leadership after many leaders and other within his church raised issues about unethical and abusive behaviour," the petition said.
Hillsong senior pastor Brian Houston has decided to cancel Driscoll appearance, according to Christian Headlines, explaining that having Driscoll as their speaker might just become a distraction to those planning to attend the conferences.
"I do not want unnecessary distractions during our conference, particularly as this 30-minute interview was only a small part of this five-day event," Houston said in a statement.
"It was clear to me that Mark's attendance had the potential to divert attention from the real purpose of Hillsong Conference, which is to see people leave encouraged in their own spiritual journey," he added.
However, Houston clarified that he still has the utmost faith in Driscoll despite what critics are saying. He reminded people that Jesus Christ taught His followers about love and forgiveness, and he for one wants to follow His example.
"I will not write off Mark as a person simply because of the things that people have said about him, a small minority of people signing a petition or statements he has made many years ago for which he has since repeatedly apologized," he stressed.
Driscoll was the former lead pastor of Mars Hill Church. He was forced to resign from his position after he was accused of plagiarism, misuse of church funds, and improper leadership tactics. Driscoll was also accused of writing sexist and demeaning articles on the Internet under a pseudonym.
