After receiving what he thought was a legitimate invitation to speak at the upcoming Rededicate 250 faith event in Washington, D.C., Pastor Mark Driscoll said he would be honored to participate. Driscoll, who leads Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, also excitedly shared the news with supporters via email.
Unfortunately, “that invitation was subsequently rescinded,” according to a spokesperson for Driscoll, because the issuer “did not, in fact, hold the final authority to do so.” That explanation, provided exclusively to ChurchLeaders, came from John Welnick, executive operations director on the leadership team of RealFaith, Driscoll’s Bible-teaching ministry.
RELATED: Controversial Pastor Mark Driscoll Announces Building Fund for $15.5M Trinity Church Property
In an email, Welnick expressed concern about the “incorrect narrative…spreading online” about Driscoll’s participation in Rededicate 250. The spokesperson, who provided screenshots of correspondence dating back to January, explained, “Neither Pastor Mark nor our team had any reason to question [the invitation’s] legitimacy.”
Rededicate 250 Speaker List Does Not Include Mark Driscoll
Pastor Mark Driscoll rose to fame—and then fell from grace—at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. In 2014, he resigned from Mars Hill after former elders and congregants accused him of abusive leadership, domineering behavior, and other misconduct. He was also accused of plagiarism and the use of church funds to promote his books.
Driscoll, who launched Trinity Church in 2016, remains a controversial figure in evangelical circles. But John Welnick, the pastor’s spokesperson, denied reports that Driscoll was spreading a false rumor about his invitation to the official day of prayer and worship in Washington, D.C.
Welnick shared screenshots of January text messages to Driscoll from someone at Pro Events, who wrote, “I have been asked by the White House and 250 [anniversary] Committee to produce Rededicate 250…and you are on their short list of speakers they would love to have.” The proposed topic for Driscoll, according to one text, was “faith, family, and moral courage.”
A subsequent email to Driscoll, dated Jan. 30, stated, “The White House 250 Committee is excited to have Pastor Mark Driscoll to be part of the 2026 National Day of Prayer, taking place on May 17, 2026.”
An email dated Feb. 12 noted that “our ROS [run of show] is still tentative.” By April 14, Driscoll’s team received a follow-up email explaining that Driscoll’s “segment wasn’t included” in the schedule. That decision was made “some time ago,” the sender said, adding apologies “for not communicating that sooner.”
The sender indicated that the person who originally contacted Driscoll about speaking at Rededicate 250 “wasn’t involved in the run-of-show decision-making” but “only helped make an initial connection” with Driscoll. “Final decisions were made at the White House level, outside of both of our control,” the email added.
John Welnick, Mark Driscoll’s spokesperson, denied reports that Driscoll was spreading a false rumor about his invitation to the official day of prayer and worship in Washington, D.C.Click to Post
