Elder and worship leader Zach Bolen has resigned from Mars Hill Ballard. Bolen, a high profile elder at Mars Hill, is the leader of Citizens, a popular band which has become well known outside of Mars Hill circles. The band’s first album, the eponymous disc Citizens, was released in March 2013 and has enjoyed critical and commercial success. Bolen served at Mars Hill University District prior to coming to Ballard in February of this year. Bolen was one of the most popular and accomplished worship leaders at Mars Hill.
Bolen’s resignation comes amid significant staff changes at Mars Hill Ballard. Recently, popular biblical living pastor Phil Smidt was fired and then this week pastor Aaron Mead and elder candidate Tim Klassen resigned. In recent months, elders Nate Burke, Jon Krombein, and Mike Wilkerson also left Mars Hill Ballard.
The UK Christian music magazine Crossrhythms raved about Bolen and Citizens,saying:
“Clearly Citizens have a bright future ahead of them. As Breathecast commented, “Musically, Citizens have created a patented type of indie rock that flutters with the electronic beat of Switchfoot, yet shimmers with the emotional intensity of Hillsong United. Above all, Bolen sings with a sense of honest gravitas; it is as if leading worship is more than just a day job. Rather, he sings with a deep-seated passion that can only come from a man who knows grace.”
A single, You Brought Me Back to Life, was released around Easter from an album slated to be completed by August.
Although Bolen’s future in music and ministry looks bright, it will not include Mars Hill Church.
Signposts 02 
You ask: “Can anything good come out of Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill? Well apparently yes!”
And there’s a lot more good happening at Mars Hill besides just the music. As a Mars Hill member, I can think of dozens of friends at church who have found salvation, healing, and biblical community at Mars Hill. God has done, and is doing, an incredible amount of good ministry through Mars Hill….but that kind of stuff doesn’t make the headlines.
well said Tim, the only thing you forgot to do is to start off your moronic comment with “Once upon a time…..”
You still alive Greg?
Believe it or not I hope you and Bones etc are well. 🙂
I’m alive
Another evangelical mega-church goes down in a spectacular sheet of flames, and we can already hear the cries of “Don’t look at us, look at Jesus!”
Those who justified and approved of this churches actions based on how many people they were reaching must now accept the other side of the coin – the story of their all too human failure has also now reached a large portion of the public.
Ultimately people will say “Why should we believe the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection is transformative when it cannot even transform the messengers?
But he did sell a lot of books.
Good to see you three still alive and kicking. Hope your families are all doing well.
Yeah going well Q, and I hope you and your family are as well. Wish you the best for the Christmas season.
Bones, I’d say he’ll still sell a fair amount of books. So I don’t think Driscoll will be disappearing from the public eye for a long time.
He may even end up back at Mars Hill – who knows.
Remains to be seen how the churches will turn out.
That was great!! Lol
Hey Bones, Wazza, Greg, hope you had a good Christmas! and are enjoying this season.