Inbox: The Buice Scandal

I was asked to comment about Josh Buice and the scandal surrounding him. G3 Ministries is one of the big names in New Calvinism - even though I think Buice would want to distance himself from that label.

The scandal surrounds the fact that he set up numerous social media accounts under false names and attacked other Reformed or Calvinist Evangelical leaders accusing them of corruption and the like. When exposed, he denied it. When further pressed he confessed and was subsequently removed from his post at G3 as well as his pastoral office.

It's frustrating because none of the articles I've read will really elaborate on the nature of his conduct - apart from an episode involving Voddie Baucham who for some bizarre reason said he couldn't get health coverage - perhaps related to his residency in Africa. Apparently he has some kind of serious heart condition that required surgery. Tom Ascol of the Founders Movement (which has degenerated into Christo-Trumpism in my book) started a GoFundMe page and they raised over a million dollars. At least this is how I understand it. Baucham now is part of the Founders team. Some have suggested that Buice was angry about this as he wanted him for G3.

Buice under his pseudonyms attacked the fundraising and insinuated corruption. Considering that I find all of these 'ministries' to be corrupt (almost inherently so) it all strikes me as rather ridiculous. I'm not a fan of any of these men and would dissuade anyone from donating to them or supporting them. In my book they're all a bunch of crooks, swindlers, and in many cases simoniacs - traffickers and profiteers in the things of God.

There have been debates as to whether or not Buice is actually repentant - some that know him well say he's not.

There's a long tradition of using pen-names to speak out on public platforms and yet it would seem Buice's criticisms were in some cases outright and unfounded lies - but once again, the examples (apart from the Baucham incident) are not given. One is left to wonder why?

The odd thing is this - if Buice had done the same and via a nom de plume attacked Benny Hinn, Rick Warren, and people like that, I have a feeling there wouldn't be much of a scandal. Both Reformers and American Founders engaged in this type of behaviour. It's nothing new and the format allows for a bit of freedom that wouldn't be there otherwise. I'll return to this momentarily.

But he was attacking his own elders, people that would speak at his conferences, people that would have been counted friends - even close friends. I'm guessing these are people that he's had in his home and vice versa. It's very bizarre and it's not hard to see why people are very angry and hurt.

Why would he do this? I don't know the man and as already stated, I'm not a fan and have written my own critical pieces concerning him, his ministry, and more broadly speaking the New Calvinist movement in general.

But Buice seems to have gone off the Trumpite cliff and he acts as if everyone is 'woke' or secretly some kind of liberal or leftist - even some of the people who are the most militantly anti-woke (as it were). The terms and concepts are just mush and have no real meaning and that mush seems to have spread to people's brains. It's like Buice saw himself as some kind of grand inquisitor or something - pushing everyone into exercises of self-criticism, or getting people to turn against each other to clear the field or something. It's certainly something twisted but I see more and more of this sort of thing within Christo-Trumpite circles. In all sincerity I believe the movement and many of these people are under judgment - losing their minds, and having their consciences seared.

Finally I return to the question of anonymity. I am one who does not broadcast my name though it would only take a few minutes to figure it out - and many who contact me learn it readily enough. I leave up a thin veneer for my own protection. Those familiar with my writings will know I've had some bad episodes in the past with Presbyterian leaders who turn very nasty when defied. I've had them make trouble for me - making phone calls to other people I deal with and stirring up further grief and strife. I don't trust them and don't want to unnecessarily give them any additional ammunition to make trouble for me. I have my enemies and others who would without twinge of conscience generate trouble for me in not just the context of the Church, but in terms of business, or even with law enforcement. In that respect one might say my semi-anonymity is more reminiscent of a nom de guerre than a mere pen name. I am not among these people or pretending to be one of them. I have rejected them and criticise as one outside the camp. My campaign is guerilla style - one without real hope of victory, utilizing a metric of success they would deem as insignificant.

Obviously with Buice something very different was at work - a different set of motivations and concerns which drove him to anonymity. He was not battling enemies but attacking friends and colleagues - that he (it would seem) deems to be less than faithful, unworthy, or perhaps secret enemies. In his case, one wonders does he in fact have any friends at all? It's a strange and sad chapter and it will be interesting to see how he ultimately responds.

And in terms of a larger discussion, we're starting to see the steady unravelling of New Calvinism. Scandals have brought down some. Divisions have destroyed conferences and ministries. Some of the revered figures have died or soon will. It's too soon to write the obituary for the Young, Restless, and Reformed - though the originators aren't that young any more and they never were Reformed. The movement itself seems restless. This story surprised me - but it didn't. The specifics did, but the overall implosion was predictable.