What happened when Mark Driscoll and Josh Howerton showed up at the Stronger Men’s Conference this weekend
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on April 15, 2024.
Megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll seethed as Alex Magala, described by two fawning onlookers as “the finest swordsman in all the world,” slowly circled a pole on stage, peeled off his red leather top, slid his tongue up to the tip of a sword, swallowed the sword all the way down his throat, and began to climb the pole erected for the opening of this weekend’s Stronger Men’s Conference in Springfield, Mo.
Driscoll was so enraged by the two onlookers that he claimed to wake up at 1:00 a.m. to pray for the men. By the time he took the stage, his voice was hoarse. But he was ready to go. “They’re nonbinary,” he began going after LGBTQ people. “Their sexuality shifts on a spectrum. They are transgender.”
Driscoll blamed the presence of LGBTQ people on demons who deny male and female binaries and claimed America has become a cult of tolerance. Then he turned his sights on the sword-swallowing male pole dancer.
“The Jezebel Spirit opened our event,” Driscoll declared. “There was a platform. It was a high place. On it was a pole, an Asherah pole, the same thing that’s used in a strip club for women who have the Jezebel Spirit to seduce men.”
A few nervous claps began to spread through the stadium.
“In front of that was a man, who ripped his shirt off like a woman does in front of a pole at a strip club,” Driscoll continued to describe. “That man then ascended … and then he swallowed a sword.”
John Lindell, the event organizer and lead pastor of James River Church, called out, “You’re out of line, Mark!” And when Driscoll continued talking, Lindell added, “Mark?”
Then Driscoll stood up and replied, “Okay, Pastor John, I’ll receive that.”
“You’re done!” Lindell yelled.
“Thank you,” Driscoll responded, putting his hat back on and looking down at his pulpit.
Loud cheers and boos began to fill the arena as Driscoll walked off stage. Then suddenly, the Great Southern Bank Arena transformed into Kendomland: Land of the Free and the Men, as the Kens went to war, not against the Barbies anymore, but against the other Kens.
“Bring him back! Bring him back!” the men roared as Lindell hopped up onto the stage to respond.
“Mark was out of line!” Lindell barked amidst the thundering wrath. “If Mark wanted to say that, he should have said it to me. He didn’t. Matthew 18. If your brother offends you, go to him privately.”
“I talked to Mark for a half hour! There was not one word of that! He’s out of line! If he wants to say it, he can say it to me!”
And gazing up at it all, soaking it all in, was none other than the man who has dominated religious news headlines over the past month, megachurch pastor Josh Howerton.
Really well done Rick. Thank you.