Mars Hill Bible Church
| Mars Hill Bible Church | |
|---|---|
| Location | Grandville, Michigan |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | non-denominational |
| Website | marshill |
| History | |
| Founded | February 1999 |
| Founder(s) | Rob Bell |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor(s) | A.J. Sherrill (Sept. 2016) |
Mars Hill Bible Church is an American non-denominational Christian megachurch located in Grandville, Michigan near Grand Rapids. The teaching pastor was Rob Bell until December, 2011 when Bell transitioned into another ministry and was succeeded by his friend and fellow Mars Hill pastor Shane Hipps. In August 2012, the church announced to its members that Kent Dobson, son of well-known church leader and speaker Ed Dobson, would assume the position of teaching pastor.
Founded in February 1999, the church's services, or "gatherings", were originally celebrated in a school gym in Wyoming, Michigan. Based on the idea that worship could be stripped down to its simplest form, it quickly grew in popularity. Through word-of-mouth and the launch support of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the church attracted about 1,000 visitors to their first gathering. Within a year the church had the defunct Grand Village Mall donated to them and purchased the land on which it is now located in Grandville, Michigan. After some remodeling, the 3,500 seat facility opened its doors in July 2000. As of 2005[update], the church attracts over 10,000 churchgoers to its two Sunday services and up to 50,000 downloads per week. They are now offering weekly podcasts so that the teachings can be automatically downloaded to computers.
The church's founding pastor, Rob Bell, founded the church at 28 years old, and served as Mars Hill's Teaching Pastor until 2011. On August 1, 2005, Zondervan Publishing released his first book, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. His second book, Sex God, was released in 2007 through the same publishing company, and in 2008, former Lead Pastor Don Golden co-wrote a book with Bell titled "Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile." Upon Golden's departure, Mars Hill shifted to a team leadership structure while retaining an executive pastor, currently Brian Mucci. In 2010 Shane Hipps joined Mars Hill, splitting time with Bell as teaching pastor. Hipps had previously pastored a small Mennonite Church in Arizona, Trinity Mennonite Church. Leading into the career-change that brought Hipps into ministry, he worked in marketing and advertising for Porsche. In March 2011 Bell released a book titled Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell And The Fate Of Every Person Who Ever Lived". The church announced on 9 September 2011 that Bell would be leaving the church in pursuit of new opportunities. On 18 December 2011, Bell delivered his final message as the head pastor of Mars Hill, saying farewell to the community in which he had a critical role in launching nearly thirteen years prior.
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