Restoring What’s Broken: A Redemptive Story the Mars Hill Podcast Didn’t Tell You
What if the rise and fall of a church isn't the end of the story—but the beginning of redemption? How do you rebuild trust when spiritual abuse has shattered it?
Leadership in the Church can be a beautiful, transformative calling—but it can also collide with deep brokenness. Recently, Jeff Vanderstelt sat down with us to share an untold part of the Mars Hill story. For those familiar with The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast, you know the heartbreak and failure that defined much of its narrative. What you might not know, however, is that this story didn't end in destruction.
There’s another chapter—a redemptive one. It’s a story of humility, healing, and restoration, where the people of Mars Hill Bellevue, guided by Jeff Vanderstelt and a team of humble leaders, began to rebuild with Jesus as the hero.
If you’ve experienced wounds from toxic leadership, spiritual trauma, or broken systems, this story offers hope: healing is possible—not just for individuals, but for the Church as a whole.
The Aftermath: Stepping into the Wreckage
After the public implosion of Mars Hill Church, its elder team made a stunning decision: dissolve the church and allow each campus to become its own local congregation. The Bellevue campus, however—once the “air war” hub of Mars Hill—had no leader to step in. Its numbers had dwindled. People were shell-shocked, carrying unresolved trauma, anger, and confusion.
Jeff Vanderstelt was invited to help—but not to restore the old systems. From day one, Jeff embodied a different kind of leadership. He refused to claim the title of “lead pastor,” instead insisting, “I’m just one of the elders here.” It was a powerful declaration that Jesus—not any one person—would be the head of the Church.
But stepping into the wreckage wasn’t easy. Jeff faced people who were grieving, disillusioned, and even angry. His first priority was not vision casting, but shepherding.
“What we needed was to love one another, be with one another, and pursue healing. The vision could wait.”
Naming the Pain: The First Steps Toward Healing
The trauma at Mars Hill ran deep. For years, the congregation had been immersed in a system that tolerated spiritual abuse, and many didn’t even have language for what they had endured. Jeff quickly realized: the pain had to be named.
While preaching through Nehemiah—a book famously tied to Mars Hill’s past—Jeff addressed the spiritual abuse head-on:
“Nehemiah used his position of authority, in the name of God, to harm the people of God. That’s called spiritual abuse. And that’s what happened here.”
In that moment, something shifted. People began to grieve. Tears fell. For the first time, the congregation felt seen, and healing could begin.
Jeff reflected later on how important it is to tell the truth about brokenness:
“We need to give people permission to share their pain and to be present with them in it. When we refuse to name the pain, we compound it.”
From Hierarchy to Shared Leadership: Rebuilding the Eldership
The top-heavy, personality-driven leadership model at Mars Hill had concentrated too much power in one person. Jeff and his team reoriented the congregation toward shared leadership and true humility.
Here’s what changed:
Reevaluation of Elders: No one retained elder status automatically. All leaders, including Jeff, underwent a season of reevaluation.
Modeling Disciple-Making: Every elder committed to leading a missional community and embodying disciple-making as a lifestyle.
Listening and Shared Authority: Decision-making became collaborative, and women’s voices were intentionally included in leadership spaces.
Prioritizing Emotional Health: Jeff encouraged elders to pursue counseling, accountability, and healing, recognizing that unresolved trauma doesn’t just disappear.
Jeff summarized it this way:
“The Church doesn’t need more celebrities; it needs humble leaders who love like Jesus.”
For the congregation, the impact was profound. Leaders became safe again. Men and women stepped into their gifts. And slowly, the Church began to reflect the beauty of Jesus.
Stories of Transformation: Redemption in Real Time
Jeff described moments of profound healing within the Bellevue community—moments where people physically wept as they processed their pain, or visibly relaxed as the truth set them free. One member likened the experience to “a caged animal tasting freedom for the first time.”
Women, in particular, began to flourish. Jeff recounted how one woman, in tears, said:
“I feel seen for the first time.”
For others, the change was equally transformative. Elders who had once been complicit in unhealthy systems repented publicly and sought reconciliation. Congregants who had been sidelined began to lead with renewed joy. This was more than recovery—it was restoration.
Reflective Exercise: Evaluating Your Team and Culture
Take a moment to reflect on your team, leadership, and systems with these questions:
Leadership Evaluation:
Are our leaders modeling humility, emotional health, and servant leadership? Do we regularly evaluate leaders based on biblical standards?Shared Authority:
Is leadership collaborative, or is too much authority concentrated in one person? How are we practically positioning Jesus as the head of our church?Disciple-Making:
Are our leaders actively making disciples who make disciples? Are they leading by example in mission and everyday discipleship?Emotional Health:
Do we prioritize the emotional health of our leaders and congregation? Are there safe spaces to process pain, seek accountability, and pursue healing?Gifts and Roles:
Are men and women of all ethnicities and backgrounds equally valued and equipped to flourish? Are we creating pathways for every person to use their gifts in mission?
Take 15 minutes to discuss these questions as a team. Identify 1-2 areas for intentional growth. Small shifts can produce profound, redemptive change.
The Part of the Story You Didn’t Hear
The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast exposed many hard truths about what happens when leadership and systems go unchecked. But as Jeff reminded us, that’s not where the story ends.
“The story doesn’t get to end with sin. Jesus is still the hero. He brings beauty out of ashes, healing out of brokenness, and redemption to even the most painful chapters of our lives.”
The Church at Mars Hill Bellevue didn’t simply dissolve into bitterness or regret. By God’s grace, it became Doxa Church—a thriving, healthy community where Jesus alone gets the glory.
A Word for the Wounded
If you’re carrying pain from toxic leadership, broken systems, or spiritual abuse, Jeff’s story is a gentle reminder:
Your pain matters. Jesus sees it.
Healing is possible. Redemption doesn’t erase the past, but it transforms it.
The Church can repent and mature. It starts with leaders who prioritize humility, emotional health, and shared leadership.
“We celebrate Emmanuel—God with us—this time of year. And if we want to be His presence in the world, we need to show up with people in their pain, not to fix them, but to be with them.”
The brokenness isn’t the end of the story. Jesus is still building, healing, and redeeming His Church.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Jeff Vanderstelt on the Starfish and the Church podcast.
📄 Find practical resources and explore healthy, gospel-centered leadership at saturatetheworld.com.