en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Hill_Church
2 corrections found
grew from a home Bible study to 15 locations in 4 U.S. states.
This location count is paired with the wrong number of states. Mars Hill’s 15th location was in Phoenix, Arizona, so 15 locations meant operations in five states, not four.
Full reasoning
This sentence combines two separate facts in a way that makes the state count incorrect.
- In July 2013, The Christian Post reported that Mars Hill already had 14 locations in four states: Washington, Oregon, California, and New Mexico.
- That same report says Mars Hill was announcing a 15th regional church in Phoenix.
- Mars Hill’s own archived timeline then says: "In January 2014, Mars Hill launched a new location in Phoenix, AZ".
- A 2014 Spokesman-Review report likewise described Mars Hill as having "15 branches in five states."
So:
- 14 locations = 4 states
- 15 locations = 5 states, because Arizona was added
That makes the article’s wording "15 locations in 4 U.S. states" factually wrong.
3 sources
- Mark Driscoll Announces Plans to Launch Mars Hill Church Phoenix | Church & Ministries
Seattle-based Mars Hill Church pastor Mark Driscoll announced plans for a 15th regional church in Phoenix... Since then, the church has grown to well over 13,000 congregants across 14 locations in Washington, Oregon, California and New Mexico.
- Mars Hill (archived timeline)
In January 2014, Mars Hill launched a new location in Phoenix, AZ... In 2011... launches 5 new locations in Everett, WA, Sammamish, WA, Rainier Valley, WA, Portland, OR, and Orange County, CA.
- Mars Hill cuts branches, personnel as giving declines amid controversy
The church, which had blossomed to 15 branches in five states and had followers around the world, also plans to cut 30 percent to 40 percent of its paid staff of about 100.
After January 1, 2015, each church location dissolved into an independent congregation.
Not every Mars Hill location became an independent church. Contemporary reporting and Mars Hill’s own archived directory show only 11 newly independent churches, while some locations combined or did not continue.
Full reasoning
The word "each" is too broad here.
Mars Hill’s own archived post-closure timeline says: "With her final breath, Mars Hill gave birth to 11 newly independent churches" and then lists those 11 churches. That directly contradicts the idea that every location became an independent congregation.
Reporting from November 2014 also says Mars Hill had 13 locations in transition and that some would combine, while some congregations "have chosen not to continue" (including Huntington Beach in California). So the network did not turn every location into a standalone successor church.
In short: some former Mars Hill locations became independent churches, but not each location.
2 sources
- Mars Hill (archived timeline)
2015 Local Churches, Local Mission... 11 Newly Independent Churches... Church Directory: Mars Hill Albuquerque, Mars Hill Ballard, Mars Hill Bellevue, Mars Hill Everett, Mars Hill Olympia, Mars Hill Portland, Mars Hill Rainier Valley, Mars Hill Shoreline, Mars Hill Spokane, Mars Hill Tacoma, Mars Hill West Seattle.
- Mars Hill Church On Course to Dissolve by End of Year; Local Congregations Make Decisions on Future | Church & Ministries
While plans for the Seattle-based Mars Hill Church name and brand to completely dissolve by the end of the year are moving forward, transformation of its 13 locations are well underway... The post... details the pastors who will take over these locations and if some will combine... Some elders for local congregations, such as for Mars Hill Huntington Beach in California, have chosen not to continue.