G3 Ministries began as a platform to serve the church where institutions like The Gospel Coalition were inept. It featured famous pastors while elevating lesser known names, yet in 2025, the ministry’s founder, Josh Buice, became ensnared in his own sin of defaming pastors using various burner anonymous accounts. Buice has since been cancelled from G3, while the ministry has cancelled their upcoming 2025 conferences.
Virgil Walker, the Vice President of Ministry Relations for G3 and a prominent figure in the ministry, announced his departure from G3 so that he could transition back towards serving the local church.
After serving as Vice President of Ministry Relations, I’ve made the decision to transition out of my role at G3 Ministries. This letter is my personal reflection—full of gratitude, marked by conviction, and centered on God’s faithful hand.
There’s no easy way to write a message like this, except to begin with gratitude. After much prayer, counsel, and reflection, I’ve decided to transition out of my role at G3 Ministries.
The announcement article is very cordial and congratulatory, and offers no sign of bitterness in his departure. However, he does allude to Buice’s scandal:
I came to G3 Ministries on December 1, 2020—what I thought would be a long-term chapter in my life and ministry. G3 wasn’t just a job to me. It was much more. I planned to spend the remaining years God gave me to help build what G3 Ministries could become. While I’m saddened that this chapter was cut shorter than I had hoped, I remain steadfast in my calling to ensure my life’s work honors God, wherever He leads.
I’m also grateful to Josh Buice. While I’m deeply saddened by the situation that led to his resignation, I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity he gave me to be part of G3 Ministries. He believed in me, welcomed me into the ministry, and gave me room to grow. That open door changed the trajectory of my life and calling, and for that, I’m deeply thankful.
He proceeds to thank those part of G3 Ministries for allowing him to serve since 2021 and praises the impact that they have had, bringing thousands of Christians together.
Analysis
There was a looming question of whether G3 would survive Buice’s burner account scandal, as was written back in May:
G3 specialized in conferences, but with a tainted brand and a harmed ability to recruit and retain speakers, they inevitably fall behind in the conference circuit. Since their brand is dead right now, waiting until 2026 to throw the next conference could be too long to generate interest.
Throwing conferences takes a lot of planning and costs a lot of money. G3’s next conference, if they decide the roll the dice, could be a disaster that loses money. Moreover, G3 might be too afraid to take a risk because of the damaged brand. This may also be why current conferences were canceled. Since they likely hadn’t recouped their cost, they likely cut the cord to not lose more money.
G3 appears to be in a transition and lacking a sense of direction. At the time, it was predicted this could spell the end of G3. If they cannot hold a conference until 2026, that could ultimately diminish the relevance and potency of the ministry, leading men to pursue alternatives instead. Subsequently, they lose donations and revenue from the ability to generate new content. With rising tides like Founder Ministry, which appeals to a similar audience that was unironically targeted by Buice’s burners, other outlets could fill the void without the reputational damage. It also should be noted that Buice’s hostility towards Christian Nationalism tarnished his brand back in 2023, as did their handling of the Steve Lawson scandal back in 2024.
It should not be a surprise that Walker is transitioning away from G3 amidst the scandal and lack of direction for the ministry. If anything, more departures are likely to be expected, and this could be the beginning of a free fall for G3. Hopefully, this will be good for Virgil Walker to return his focus to the local church and beneficial to the local congregants whom he will serve.
