The three-day conference will feature speakers John MacArthur, Josh Buice, Justin Peters, Phil Johnson, Virgil Walker, Scott Aniol, and Tom Pennington.
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G3 Questioned for Charging Hundreds for the Conference
Last month, G3 Ministries released a film titled “Cessantionist” at its National Conference. The film features interviews with Josh Buice, Steven Lawson, Phil Johnson, and Justin Peters. It can be streamed on Vimeo for $6.99 or purchased for $19.99. A deluxe edition is also available for $49.99 and includes Tom Pennington’s book, “A Biblical Case for Cessationism: Why the Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit Have Ended,” a bonus DVD, a Cessationist timeline booklet, a Cessantionist sticker pack, and a Cessationist bookmark.
Former Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Second Vice President Malachi O’Brien, who believes the gifts of the Holy Spirit are operative in today’s church, asked Peters on social media why G3 is charging so much for a conference. O’Brien’s inquiry came in light of the fact that many cessationists, including Peters, starkly warn Christians not to follow charismatic preachers, some of whom ask for money.
“This is a really good observation. This conference costs $299 a person
And no doubt offerings will be taken and materials will be sold. Will there be vendors as well? Each speaker probably makes a decent honorarium,” O’Brien said. “Cessationist conference [is] $300 but it’s Benny Hinn freewill offering you’re criticizing?”
“It costs a great deal of money to put on a conference. There is a tremendous amount of organization, speaker travel and lodging expenses, food, equipment, venue rental (depending on location), etc. And, no, no offerings are taken,” Peters responded. The conference is being held at GCC—not a conference center.
“To charge for tickets to recover at least some of these costs is a far, far cry from what Benny Hinn does,” Peters added. “Benny Hinn has made himself a multi-multi millionaire who lives in palatial homes, drives luxury cars, wears luxury clothing, and flies in private jets on the backs of the poor and sick.”
O’Brien replied that he spoke at Greg Locke’s recent deliverance conference, which was free. Locke’s church even financially assisted pastors to travel and attend if they had need. Over 7,000 attended.
O’Brien clarified that he wasn’t criticizing G3 Ministries for charging for the conference but pointed out “that it is easy to judge others when we may not know their heart of generosity.”
Peters admitted that MacArthur does have some wealth, “but nothing approaching the scale of Benny Hinn and what he does have he acquired [from] over 50 years of faithful preaching and ministry and writing books—not by telling poor people ‘send me what little you have left’ as Benny Hinn did just a few days ago.”
