Scandal Comes to G3 & Reformed Baptist Bros

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Scandal has come once again to G3 Ministries, a previously widely respected conservative, Reformed Baptist ministry that has published and platformed many notable evangelicals in the last 5-10 years, including John MacArthur, Voddie Baucham, and James White. G3 has been functioning since 2013, but was organized formally in 2020, becoming a haven for Southern Baptist Churches leaving the Southern Baptist Convention over progressive drift.

G3 was recently involved in pretty gross scandal as longtime G3 speaker Steve Lawson was found to be involved in a five-year-long inappropriate sexual relationship outside of his marriage–for which he was entirely unrepentant. 

Lawson was a widely respected preacher, teacher, prior, and frequent G3 conference speaker. 

Without going into great detail about Lawson’s issues, the most grievous details beyond his behavior surrounded how he was allowed to function within the role of “pastor.” Lawson was apparently valuable enough as a speaker that he need not be bothered with the daily functions or requirements for those holding the office of pastor, like accountability or oversight of any kind. There was also considerable question around whether or not Lawson was a member of the church he was serving at and if he was, why was he not being disciplined under their policies for church members. This is an interesting detail because it was G3 who couldn’t confirm if Lawson, one of their primary personalities, was even a member in good standing.

Why would you not know that about people that you platform? Why was there not such basic vetting that this question could have been quickly settled?

And now this.

Josh Buice, founder and former president of G3 Ministries, resigned on May 8, 2025, after confessing to operating multiple anonymous social media and email accounts used to slander fellow Christian leaders, including speakers at G3 conferences and elders at his own church, Pray’s Mill Baptist Church (PMBC) in Douglasville, Georgia. Founders Fund+12Christian Post+12Christian Post+12

The elders of PMBC uncovered irrefutable evidence linking Buice to at least four anonymous social media accounts, two email addresses, and two Substack platforms. When confronted on May 4, Buice initially denied involvement but eventually admitted to his actions after further evidence was presented. He expressed sorrow, asked for forgiveness, and acknowledged that he is presently disqualified from serving as an elder, though the church does not consider this disqualification necessarily permanent.

May I suggest to Pray’s Mill Baptist–you absolutely should consider this a permanent disqualification. Because it absolutely is–for a number of reasons.

Buice was operating multiple anonymous social media accounts to attack personally and slander anyone he considered to be in “competition” with himself or his ministry.  Including people speaking at HIS CONFERENCES…during the conferences. He wasn’t whistleblowing in frustration about truths being overlooked. I’ve seen the accounts, I’ve read the tweets and posts, and I also know he was suspected as the author of them for at least two years.

It’s not snark. It’s accusatory, deceptive, manipulative wickedness. Picture Screwtape whispering in the ears of the public, begging others to see the sin of others he had projected, assumed, or manufactured. Picture Screwtape with a megaphone standing around good and godly men as they preach and speak, shouting “He can’t be trusted! Don’t listen to him!”

But here is my real concern. Even now, our correct understanding of life, law, and the Lord is so clouded we cannot even see or address sin within the Body properly. Y’all I’ve watched podcasts and read on this topic all week long and NO ONE was having the conversation most needed to be had.

Many address the behavior and why it is sin…anonymity in the Body is never necessary or helpful. Great. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Hear, hear. My blog is called Hey Salty Lady but my name is Sara Johnson and anyone and everyone that wants to know it, can. In the last twelve years, I’ve issued issued corrections twice. But stuck to my words and guns on countless issues, because if you are speaking aloud you should be speaking accurately and thoughtfully to begin with.  ESPECIALLY IN THE CHURCH.

I’ve seen many a helpful post addressing rightly that this was not an issue of insecurity or immaturity. It was public slander and it should require public repentance. I totally agree.

Another hot topic right now in churchdom is “Christian Celebrity” and how did we get here? That is so rich to wonder aloud now as though we have been victimized by scoundrels forced upon us by a lost and fallen world. Nay, nay friends. We went and found the scoundrels, recruited, platformed, and published them…refusing to ask basic questions of faith or content or character.

If it sizzles it sells.

That has been a primary metric for hiring and firing within the Christian world for decades. I am sorry if that is new information to you. I assure you, it is not at all new.

Neither Lawson or Buice should ever be in a pulpit again. I say this with complete confidence and even a measure of grace. People sin, we all do. There is redemption and even restoration sometimes. Praise the Lord. They have not disqualified themselves based on behavior alone.

They have disqualified themselves because their bad behavior revealed even more grievous errors. Bad theology.

Why are we not having that conversation?? Pray’s Mill Baptist…G3…had a pastor in the pulpit and a president in the office who had such a low view of God that he thought God could be mocked and the Body deceived without consequence. That’s disqualifying, folks. Let’s just run through what Buice’s behavior says about his theology, shall we?

You do not believe that God is sufficient to defend you, so you multiply your defense in the form of fake followers and friends.

You do not believe that God is just to handle or address sin with others, so you must be the one to be judge and jury for the brethren. Even if it must be done deceptively.

You do not trust God to honor your efforts and ministry, so you must manufacture support to champion yourself and your views.

You do not trust God to honor your efforts and ministry, so you must diminish the efforts and ministry of others.

You do not believe God sees and knows all, because if you did this would govern your public and private actions.

You do not believe God sees and judges rightly the hearts of men, because if you did you would not have allowed yourself to operate in deception.