Alex Murashko reports at ChristianPost.com:

A wider circle of accusations surrounding author and Seattle-based megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll that originally included plagiarism allegations by a radio talk show host, now includes claims from others tracking the saga about how ghostwriters or researchers were used and not given proper attribution. At the same time, the Mars Hill Church pastor's silence on the matter has raised intrigue and the question: How powerful is the "evangelical celebrity machine?"

"What started in late November with Janet Mefferd's accusations of plagiarism against Mark Driscoll has morphed into broader concerns over authorship and use of research materials," CP quotes Warren Throckmorton as writing over at Patheos. "This finding raises interesting questions about ghostwriting and the use of research in writing for publication. I am not aware of how wide spread this practice is but perhaps this story allows us a view behind a door not often opened," states Throckmorton.

"Throckmorton, who has been reporting daily on developments in the Driscoll alleged-plagiarism story that began three weeks ago, says that it appears that Docent Research Group consultant Justin Holcomb 'quoted the material from the New Bible Commentary and then Driscoll changed a few words and included it under his authorship. There are multiple instances of this practice throughout the memo'," CP reports.

Here is how the Docent Research Group describes some of its services: "Provide excellent sermon research for pastors who . . . Desire to inform and transform an audience . . . Need stories, metaphors and statistics that connect with their audience . . . Require a team that will execute the Pastor’s specific ideas, questions and instructions . . . Speak to culturally savvy congregations." Under "Book Summaries," Docent specifies "books or articles," promising to provide pastors "content you need to know but don’t have time to read," in "any genre" and at "any level of detail."

In addition, Christian Post reports that "well-known theologian and pastor John Piper also chimed in on the online chatter about the Driscoll matter via Twitter, and Throckmorton writes that the series of [Piper] tweets was 'apparently in response to an op-ed by Andy Crouch at Christianity Today on the Mark Driscoll plagiarism (now ghostwriting) controversy. Crouch's op-ed builds to this crescendo: The real danger here is not plagiarism -- it is idolatry'."

Related
Francis Schaeffer: "The Central Problem of Our Age"
Oxford, Cambridge, Plagiarism and Christian Worldview 
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Francis Schaeffer: A Student's Appreciation of a Distinct Approach