Mark Driscoll and John Lindell have reconciled following controversy at the Stronger Men’s Conference.
During the conference, Driscoll called out the spirit of Jezebel for being present due to sword swallower Alex Magala’s performance where he removed his shirt and climbed up a pole.
Lindell called Driscoll off of the stage, and the two of them spoke in private. Following this discussion, the two came back to address the matter.
In a post on X, Sean Feucht shared a clip from Protestia of this moment as “the clip that should be going viral.” In the video footage from the conference, Lindell and Driscoll discussed how meaningful their friendship has been, with Lindell likening Driscoll to John the Baptist.
“You want to what John the Baptist was like?” Lindell said, pointing to Mark. “Mark’s a prophetic voice to our generation…and Mark, I want you to know, you’re a gift to the kingdom.”
Driscoll also shared his gratitude for his friendship with Lindell, apologizing for not speaking about the matter privately first.
“I honor, respect and love and admire you as the father of this house. This is the greatest men’s event I believe in the country right now,” Driscoll said.
“What we’re going to do is we’re going to try and model how brothers can work together in division…I should have, between sessions, talked to you rather than just verbal processing on the stage. And as the father and the head of the house, you could have given me a thumbs up or down, and I need to honor that as spiritual authority,” Driscoll continued.
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This comes as just days later the sword swallower, Alex Magala, is responding to Driscoll’s claims about his performance.
In a statement to ChurchLeaders, Magala says his performance was part of an ancient tradition and was not to be taken as a sexually-charged act.
“My performance, which some have controversially likened to inappropriate entertainment, is deeply rooted in a historical and cultural tradition that dates back over 1,200 years and has since become a respected discipline showcasing human strength and agility,” Magala said.
Magala was previously on “America’s Got Talent.” He has also worked as a pole dancer. He says Driscoll’s comments failed to see the art behind his performance.
“Only an uninformed person would draw a comparison between my act and an inappropriate performance,” Magala said.
Magala further believed his performance “provides inspiration to the audience and permission for them to reach new heights of what’s possible in their lives.”
He also pointed out his own Christian faith, saying his desire is always to “use my talents to inspire and entertain audiences in a way that respects my faith.”
No matter what you believe was fair in this scenario, it’s obvious that the Stronger Men’s Conference has certainly taken the world by storm in ways no one ever expected.
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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.
