The Seattle area megachurch founded by Mark Driscoll is disbanding at the end of the year.

The announcement last Friday sent shockwaves through the church’s multiple locations as they have only a few weeks to decide if they want to become an independent church, merge with another congregation or simply disappear.

The “Mars Hill” ministry itself will also cease to exist.  They will fire all of their existing staff.

The church has been struggling through transition after the resignation of founding pastor Mark Driscoll.

Several former Mars Hill leaders expressed optimism that this news could end up bringing benefit to the Seattle area.

“God makes good out of bad:  New local ‘Mars Hill’ churches: Redemption Church, Redeemer Church, A Seattle Church, Downtown Cornerstone, Reach; all these seeds have fallen from the dying Mars Hill tree.  God is very much alive in Seattle,” former Mars Hill deacon Mike O’Neil wrote.