Jesse Johnson

For those now conflicted over continued support/partnership with G3 Ministries: The pattern made clear in witness testimony and documentation from Pray's Mill is an ecclesiology that Christians in free-church traditions should immediately recognize as deeply unjust and unbiblical: The elders investigate. The elders decide what happened. They determine your motives. They decide what repentance requires. And if you disagree with their judgment, your disagreement itself becomes evidence that you are rebellious, divisive, or unrepentant. "Submit to your elders" becomes "submit to the elders' interpretation of disputed facts, motives, and remedies." Biblical elders have real authority, but it is ministerial authority under the Word of God. They do not possess perpetual, self-generating jurisdiction over Christians simply because they hold the office of elder. They cannot bind the conscience where Scripture has not bound it. They cannot turn their own prudential judgments into “biblical requirements” merely by declaring them to be the necessary fruits of repentance. This system contains a dangerous, abusive circularity: We have determined that you sinned. We have determined what repentance must look like. If you reject our determination, that proves you haven't repented. Because you haven't repented, you must submit to further discipline. A closed authority loop. In this loop, accusations against elders receive extraordinary procedural protection, while those same elders investigate accusations against members, determine their motives, prescribe their repentance, and then judge whether that repentance is sufficient. Brothers and sisters, this is not an issue of polity preference. It is a 4-alarm ecclesiological fire in Reformed evangelicalism, coming from an institution trusted to teach other churches. Elders shepherd the flock. They teach the Word. They exercise genuine spiritual oversight. They are not lords over the conscience. And "obey your leaders" is not a biblical blank check allowing church officers to convert disputed judgments into the voice of God. This system of self-generated authority existed at Pray's Mill Baptist Church while Josh Buice was there. It was in the background, justifying his anonymous communications. But when those comms involved a fellow elder, this same system was used against him. After his departure, it continues to be used and taught by the same men who ask us to trust them to train pastors and churches. The brothers and sisters who have paid dearly to bring this to light were pursued and attacked for doing so. Some are still being attacked as I write this. Pastors, you must understand that if you partner with them, this is what you have yoked with.