Strong Disciple Ministry

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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[Linda]

http://strongdisciple.com/ministry

I don't understand this at all.

He appears to be trying to move on without acknowledging his inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature that resulted in the revocation of his ordination.

Wouldn't a desire to "save" his wife from the "terrifying forces of evil" minimally begin with protecting his marriage by not meeting alone with women and having conversations of a sexual nature with them?

Mark, if you are reading this, please start here. It's not too late.:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

[searching]

Makes me absolutely sick.

[Linda]

I just noticed this paragraph.

"I will also continue to help serve any of our churches that would like me to speak at one of their retreats or conferences to inspire, teach and equip their people. I will serve in any possible way I can to help God's dear people"

Our churches?

Is he saying that even though his ordination has been revoked and he has chosen to resign rather than follow a restoration process offered by Evergreen, he still identifies as a GCC leader and still believes that his teaching services will be in demand? Of course, the bigger question is, will GCC allow him to teach and find him fit to equip others?

No repentance. No apology. Just pretend nothing happened.

And then there's the matter of "God's dear people" who have been damaged by his inappropriate behavior? What about them? Do they matter? Does anyone care? This is horrible and very wrong.

[Free in Christ]

From my experience with leaders deep inside of GCC (but from outside of the Midwest) , I would say they are still very much 'on his side' (I hate to use 'side' language, but I think it is appropriate here). I would not be surprised if he was asked to speak elsewhere. I could be wrong, but that is how I read it. It is being cast as gossip and slander from more than 20 years ago, which is thus dismissed.

[Ghost]

MD you have been called out...Shamed..Dis Honored..Dis Graced....why be so Arrogant...just go away...take the money and run.....no one wants to hear your version of the Me and The Messiah....How can you be so Callous..Delusional.....You just dont get it...you and your Leather Jacket...you do not represent anything good in life..go back to Iowa..just get on 35 S. and go til you see the border..buy a scenic farm..a house with a porch...then just sit on the porch swing....you just enjoy life with your wife and grand children....you never had a Time..it has never been about you...just be thankful and blessed and let things fade away..

[GodisFaithful]

There were a number of people on the forum who were predicting that Mark Darling would just go on to start a new ministry on his own and garner a new following. I guess that is what a number of other pastors have done who have been caught in some kind of moral or ethical misbehavior and have been demoted.

The strange thing to me is that when someone starts a "ministry", if it is going to be legit, don't you need some board members and some accountability?? At least the appearance of such??  Especially if you are raising money to support yourself and the "ministry".

I think this is going to flop. How can Mark Darling talk about humble servant leadership when he is so proud that he will not admit the truth of what was found in the investigation of his inappropriate behavior toward women, even if it happened a bunch of years ago? He is lying and covering up his sin. God is not mocked and this will fizzle. Now he has absolutely no accountability to anyone but himself. Most people see through these shenanagans.

[OneOfMany]

And so it continues. This is what psychopathic personalities do.

[GodisFaithful]

Note the self-aggrandizing self-promotion boasting in his intro of his "ministry". Hopefully most people see through this desperate attempt of Mark Darling to put himself back on the pedestal off of which he so ignobly fell. And, who knows, perhaps leaders within GCx just might let him do just that. Come to a conference and teach men to be just like him. Boastful, proud, self-exalting. 

[Mapleleaf]

I also chuckled at the very bottom:

We are in the process of obtaining our 501(c)(3) tax-deductible status.

Maybe he could have his son help with that portion of the ministry, I hear he's the expert in all things related to keeping 501(c)(3) status accurate.

[Huldah]

I also chuckled at the very bottom:

We are in the process of obtaining our 501(c)(3) tax-deductible status.

Good to know that at least someone in the Darling family is taking one of our warnings to heart.

[OneOfMany]

Well now let's not get too hasty here on the 501c3 status. Mark Darling is a proven liar. Just because he says he is in the process of obtaining the status does not mean he has of yet taken any steps to attain the status.

[Rebel in a Good Way]

Mark Darling can easily put together a board to cover any requirements needed for a 501c3. If I were him, I'd ask Jeromy, GodTrumpsAll, and IsThisReal? 

All of that to say you only need a handful of people who are loyal to you and set yourself up as a legitimate ministry.  That's actually how most of GCC already works, IMO.

The strange thing to me is that when someone starts a "ministry", if it is going to be legit, don't you need some board members and some accountability?? At least the appearance of such??  Especially if you are raising money to support yourself and the "ministry".

[Huldah]

Well now let's not get too hasty here on the 501c3 status. Mark Darling is a proven liar. Just because he says he is in the process of obtaining the status does not mean he has of yet taken any steps to attain the status.

What I meant was that he has at least learned not to claim 501c3 status before he actually has it. He knows that his critics would be quick to pounce on any provable falsehoods that he posted.

For those who are new to Mark Darling and Strong Disciple, who came across this thread via a Google search, I just want to say that you can always verify the tax-exempt status of a ministry with the IRS directly. The IRS website (https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/) is usually helpful, but it isn't always updated promptly, so the best source is to simply call the IRS in person and ask.

[WalkHumbly]

https://pastormarkdarling.com/servant/

Wow they are getting a ton of stories on there...

[Linda]

https://pastormarkdarling.com/servant/

Wow they are getting a ton of stories on there...

Yes, they are.

I'm sure there are many reasons for this. My first comment is that obviously, not everything Mark Darling did or said was bad. No one here has ever made that claim. Sadly, I have personally known several pastors who have had major moral failures. They have been gifted speakers and Bible teachers. They have led many people to the Lord and offered sound counsel. Not everything they did was bad. One woman. One affair. One church and the jig is up. All the good they did is shadowed by one or more selfish acts of passion. Sin destroys much.

There is a callous attitude in that web site. What about the stories of the women on the receiving end of the inappropriate behavior? What about their stories? What about the trauma they have endured and the years of counseling? What about the damage to their faith, their marriages, their families?

What about the deception involved on that web site? "God has led me to begin a new full time ministry." That's not the full story. There is much deception in that statement.

Clearly, the man is non repentant and is defiant. It's very sad.

[Ghost]

MD you have been called out...Shamed..Dis Honored..Dis Graced....why be so Arrogant...just go away...take the money and run.....no one wants to hear your version of the Me and The Messiah....How can you be so Callous..Delusional.....You just dont get it...you and your Leather Jacket...you do not represent anything good in life..go back to Iowa..just get on 35 S. and go til you see the border..buy a scenic farm..a house with a porch...then just sit on the porch swing....you just enjoy life with your wife and grand children....you never had a Time..it has never been about you....just be thankful and blessed and let things fade away..