Book Review: Confession Of A Reformission Rev.

On a recent flight I completed the majority of Mark Driscoll's book Confessions Of A Reformission Rev. Driscoll is the pastor of Mars Hill Chruch Seattle (marshillchurch.org) and wrote the book to chronicle his journey of planting and growing the church. Once I got into the book it was easy to get through and Driscoll packs a lot of information into every paragraph.

Likes: Driscoll thoroughly describes the biblical research that went into his decision making as a church leader. The Notes section provides numerous resources to conduct your own research on nearly all matters discussed in the book. Furthermore, Driscoll presents multiple alternatives for addressing issues within the church, such as the size of an elder board or the ecclesiology of leadership in general. Driscoll's willingness to learn from pastors across the country and across denominations is commendable. Above all, I like Driscoll's call for men to rise up and fulfill their godly purpose. Our culture has effectively reduced what it means to be a man (see popular tv shows such as Rosanne, The Simpsons, According to Jim, The King of Queens, you get the point), but Driscoll challenges the men of his church and readers of his book to take the responsibilities we were given by God to care for ourselves and our families. Since there are more things I liked about the book, I suggest reading the book on your own.

Dislikes: First, I like the fact that Jesus is the senior pastor of Mars Hill Church Seattle. However, that makes me dislike the fact that Driscoll would on occasion refer to Mars Hill as my church. Other than that, because Dricoll is real and honest thoughout this work, I don't have any other significant dislikes.

Conclusion: This is an excellent book for all Christians and those seeking Christ. If the book is read with the understanding that it is basically a memoir it effectively challenges the reader to examine their faith, their ministry, and their church. I say that it is a memoir because it chronicles the growth of Mars Hill Church from just a few to a few thousand attenders. Driscoll includes with the memoir his doctrine, beliefs, and struggles. His willingness to be frank about himself and his failures makes the book real and applicable.