"Founded in 1996, Seattle's Mars Hill Church was poised to be an influential, undeniable force in evangelicalism—that is until its spiraling collapse in 2014. The church and its charismatic founder, Mark Driscoll, had a promising start. But the perils of power, conflict, and Christian celebrity eroded and eventually shipwrecked both the preacher and his multimillion-dollar platform."
Mars Hill was a megachurch with a location in my hometown of Grand Rapids. I never attended, but I'm familiar with the movement promoted by churches like Mars Hill, Hillsong, Bethel, and Lakewood Church. These churches ditched traditions deemed boring, featured dramatically low lighting, and were fronted, in large part, by failed musicians. The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill is a deep dive into Mars Hill Church, the 2000s megachurch that grew from a home study to 15 locations across four states. The podcast wrestles with the rise of megachurches and social media ministry and the dangers of raging 2000s masculinity. Produced by Christianity Today, host Mike Cosper takes a well-analyzed, critical look at the way Gen X changed churches. Its production quality is strong, its Christian perspective isn't preachy, and it's a rousing listen for Christians and non-Christians alike.
