The Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky., earlier this week scrutinized Mark Driscoll, author and a pastor at 7,000-member Mars Hill Church in Seattle and president of the Acts 29 Network for church planting, who is not affiliated with the denomination.

Known as messengers, SBC delegates heard eight motions June 23 that directly or indirectly related to Driscoll--who has stirred controversy for preaching on explicit sex, Baptist Standard reported.

However, five Driscoll-related motions were ruled out of order. They included requests that LifeWay Christian Resources remove books by Driscoll from its LifeWay Christian Stores, and for SBC organizations to "refrain from inviting speakers who are known to be unregenerate and curse, speak vulgarly and support alcohol."

Three Driscoll-related motions were referred to all SBC boards, including that Southern Baptist entities should monitor and report their "expenditure of funds for any activities related to or cooperative efforts with Driscoll and/or the Acts 29 organization," Baptist Standard reported.

Meanwhile, a May 18 interview with Driscoll on the syndicated "Family Life" program was halted in mid-broadcast after Bott Radio Network founder Dick Bott learned Driscoll was the guest, Baptist Press (BP) reported.

Bott said he made the decision because of what he saw as Driscoll's penchant for using vulgarity in his sermons-especially his questionable interpretation of the Song of Solomon in a Nov. 18, 2007, sermon preached in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a subsequent multi-part preaching series titled "The Peasant Princess," BP reported.

Driscoll is the author of several books, including Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods and Death by Love: Letters From the Cross (both Crossway Books & Bibles).

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