Former Mars Hill Church executive pastor Sutton Turner has responded to the pending RICO lawsuit against himself and former lead pastor Mark Driscoll. According to Patheos, Turner has hired a lawyer in preparation for the lawsuit, which was filed by former Mars Hill members.
The lawsuit claims that defendants Turner and Driscoll ran the Mars Hill Church complex in a way that financially benefited the leaders, namely Pastor Driscoll.
In a statement, Turner said, “For over a month, I have offered to meet with the Jacobsens and Kildeas. Unfortunately, they have not responded. It has been 19 months since I resigned from Mars Hill. I have had many meetings and conversations with people, even people that were previously listed in legal demands against Mars Hill Church. Although the plaintiffs have requested meetings with Mars Hill Church in the past, that request has not been offered to me personally in the 19 months since my disassociation with Mars Hill Church.
“Since I have yet to be served with this lawsuit, I have hired an attorney to take service for me in the state of Washington. Last year, I wrote at length of my involvement in ResultSource and Global even after threats of litigation from counsel associated with Mars Hill Church. I believe I have done everything I can to resolve this peaceably. Unfortunately, it is now time to prepare for a legal defense of these allegations.”
Patheos previously reported that Driscoll called the pending lawsuit malicious and false.
Publication date: April 11, 2016