Participants of the G3 Conference received a shock when they opened up a statement from the ministry announcing that the conference was canceled. The event was scheduled over September 11 to 13 in Atlanta Geogia and has grown from 750 participants in 2013 to 6,500 in 2021. The conference is overseen by G3 Ministries, which gathers some of the most theologically respected voices throughout Reformed and Baptist thinkers. Up until recently, the ministry’s president, Josh Buice, was one of those respected voices.

That, however, changed after elders of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church (PMBC), where Buice pastors, confronted him over allegations that he was using multiple anonymous social media accounts and using them to slander other faith leaders, including some that have spoken at the G3 Conference. He also authored a couple of anonymous Substack accounts and owned two anonymous email accounts. “Dr. Buice had been asked on multiple occasions over the past two years whether he had any connection to these anonymous accounts,” the statement noted. “In each case, he denied any knowledge of them. On Sunday evening, May 4, 2025, after clear and comprehensive evidence emerged linking the accounts directly to him, the elders of PMBC confronted Josh. For some time, he continued to deny his involvement. Only after further evidence was presented and much pleading with him to walk in the light did Josh finally confess to his actions.”

According to G3, Buice was asked to step down as president and he voluntarily resigned, leading to the tough decision to cancel the G3 Conference. Initially, G3 stated that Buice’s previous content would remain available, however after pushback, that decision was rescinded and all of Buice’s content has been scrubbed from the ministry and other ministries like Founder’s Ministries, a group Buice criticized through his accounts. Buice will also be stepping away from his position at PMBC for the time being, although his actions are not considered “permanently disqualifying.”

Founders Ministries, which Buice had accused of Christian Nationalism on his accounts, also released a statement. “A large percentage of his wicked words and actions were directed at Founders Ministries, our President, Tom Ascol, and his family,” the ministry noted. “Many who are aware have reached out to express their concern and support, for which we are grateful. Like all who know and love Josh and appreciate the testimony of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church and the work of G3, we grieve at what he has done and are praying for the Lord to grant him true repentance and humility to submit himself fully to his church and elders as he begins to learn how to make amends where he can and to live by simple, sincere faith in our Lord Jesus.” The group stated it held not animosity toward Buice and asked for prayers for him.

The names of all the accounts or what qualifies as “slander” has not been yet released. Protestia, released images of two of the alleged accounts, noting they had been openly hostile towards ministry leaders such as John MacArthur, Doug Wilson, and Tom Ascol. The discovery has led many to criticize the “celebrity pastor” culture that has become common in evangelical circles. “That’s the danger of celebrity Christianity. It doesn’t just tempt pastors to sin—it engineers a context where sin festers in the dark while applause thunders in the light. And if the church doesn’t repent of this culture—if we keep building stages instead of pulpits, fan bases instead of congregations, ministries instead of churches—we will continue to watch talented men disqualify themselves in slow motion. We will keep burying shepherds under the very platforms we built for them. “That’s the danger of celebrity Christianity,” wrote Kendall Lankford of The Prodcast. “It doesn’t just tempt pastors to sin—it engineers a context where sin festers in the dark while applause thunders in the light. And if the church doesn’t repent of this culture—if we keep building stages instead of pulpits, fan bases instead of congregations, ministries instead of churches—we will continue to watch talented men disqualify themselves in slow motion. We will keep burying shepherds under the very platforms we built for them.