“Along the way, something in the organization’s emphasis shifted so that the early sense of collegiality dissipated and the ranks of speakers became steadily narrower. G3 spearheaded the Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel and, though I was present for the meetings in which it was discussed and began to be drafted, I opted not to sign it. As that statement became increasingly central to G3’s identity, it began to seem inevitable that my time there would come to an end.”
(Tim Challies) I have fond memories of the early years of the G3 Conference. When G3 held its debut event in 2013, I was one of the invited speakers and it quickly became a tradition. For eight years I fell into the comfortable pattern of making an annual trip to Atlanta. I would almost always speak in the second spot, then remain for the rest of the event to enjoy growing relationships with speakers and attendees alike. Though the list of speakers varied at each event, it is my recollection that Josh Buice (who founded G3), Steve Lawson, and I were the three who brought a keynote address for each of those first eight years.
For the first couple of them, G3 was hosted in and by Pray’s Mill Baptist Church, and that congregation displayed the absolute best of Southern hospitality. Time would fail me to tell of all the kind, caring, and encouraging leaders and members of that church. I especially appreciated them sending me home with a small but meaningful gift for Aileen—a token of gratitude to acknowledge that she had been willing to pull double duty while I traveled. G3 was special to me in introducing me to many friends and helping me better understand the role of a conference speaker.
CRN has compiled a list of false teachers and several other professing Christians we’ve warned you about over the years. The list also contains those we must keep an eye on plus movements, organizations and “frauds, phonies and money-grubbing religious quacks” to mark and avoid as per Romans 16:17-18 such as some of those mentioned in the article.