Pastor Mark Driscoll has been accused of making minors as young as 12 years old sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA’s), according to a former congregant who once dated Driscoll’s daughter.
Vincent Manuele was 15 years old when he started attending Trinity Church in the summer of 2020 and became involved with the worship team. Before long, he and Driscoll’s 17-year-old daughter started spending more time together and developed feelings for each other.
Driscoll found out about this and set up a meeting with father and son in his office, where he told the boy that the relationship must stay in the friendship stage and that they had better not kiss.
After they continued seeing each other and shared a kiss, Driscoll found out and was livid, leading to the family being shunned from church and ultimately surveilled by a team of professionals. (more about this story here)
Following their departure, Manuele released several YouTube videos about the incident, discussing his feelings and his disdain for how their family was treated. He also became a husband and father, working a sales job while doing anti-abortion ministry on the side.
Then, six months ago, he announced that he was writing a book about his experience:
After torching Mars Hill, Mark Driscoll fled Seattle in disgrace. At Trinity Church, he promised redemption, but behind the curtain it’s the same corruption, control, and abuse.
I know, because I was inside. Dating his daughter gave me a front-row seat to Driscoll’s world, and I kept everything: private texts with his family, direct conversations with Driscoll, and stories his staff prayed would never surface.
What I reveal here isn’t speculation, it’s bombshell evidence of a cult built on lies and manipulation. This book doesn’t just tell the story of Trinity, it exposes it for what it really is: a cult hiding behind the disguise of a church.
Notably, while the book is on pre-order and Manuele says he has received hundreds of orders, in 2023 he also released a trailer for an upcoming documentary he was going to direct and produce, called Driscoll’s Downfall, which never materialized.
As part of the promo for his book, however, Manuele released what he purports to be a portion of an NDA that he signed, which, among other things, prohibits Jr. Interns who work at the church from discussing certain information with parents.
“Parental Disclosure Restriction>
The intern understands that certain information shared by The Church is not to be discussed with parents, guardians, or any outside parties, regardless of age or familial relationship, unless specifically approved in writing by Church leadership.”
He claims he has spoken to “dozens of people who went through similar experiences” and is sharing on their behalf.
About these NDA’s, Manuele further alleges that minors were told not to tell their parents about them.
It is unclear at this time what the consequences were for breaking the NDA.
We reached out to Manuele and Driscoll for comment.
