Rob Bell to Leave Mars Hill Church

Rob Bell, the pastor who ignited a debate earlier this year over heaven and hell and who many say is "moving farther and farther away from biblical Christianity," has announced his departure from the 10,000-member Mars Hill Church, which he founded with his wife 12 years ago, Christianity Today reports. Mars Hill Church said in a statement that Bell "felt the call from God to pursue a growing number of strategic opportunities ... to extend the heartbeat of the message of [God's love] to our world in new and creative ways." Bell, the producer of the popular NOOMA video series, recently sparked controversy among Christians with his book Love Wins, which discounted the existence of hell and asserted that "a loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering."