A US pastor has confessed to running several secret social media accounts slandering other Christian leaders.
Leadership of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church (PMBC), Georgia, said they have found “irrefutable evidence” that Dr Josh Buice had operated at least four anonymous social media accounts, two anonymous email addresses, and two Substack platforms over the past three years.
According to the statement, these accounts were used to “publicly and anonymously slander numerous Christian leaders, including faithful pastors (some of whom have spoken at G3 conferences), several PMBC elders, and others.”
The elders described Buice’s actions as “sinful in nature” and “deeply divisive.” “This has led to unnecessary suspicion and strife within the body of Christ, and particularly within the eldership of PMBC,” they said.
They noted that Dr Buice was repeatedly asked over the past two years about any connection to the anonymous accounts - which he denied each time.
It was only after further evidence was presented on Sunday, 4th May, that Dr Buice confessed to running the accounts.
At present, he has been disqualified as an elder of PMBC and been asked to take “indefinite leave”. Buice has also resigned from his role as President of the church’s G3 Ministries.
PMBC’s board of elders said that he has “acknowledged his sin, expressed sorrow, and asked for forgiveness” from each person targeted by the comments. However, they have not ruled out a future return, saying: “we do not believe at this time that his sin is necessarily permanently disqualifying.”
The church’s statement reads: “Pray that Josh’s sorrow would continue to lead to full and lasting repentance and that he would walk humbly before the Lord. We grieve for the harm caused to the body of Christ and to those faithful ministers who were targeted.
“We likewise reaffirm our commitment to walk in the light, to speak the truth in love, and to labour together for the building up of Christ’s church in holiness and unity.”