Preacher Joel Beeke seems to spend most of any given year away from home speaking at conferences. He is not unusual as he is part of a “celebrity circuit” of conference speakers most of whom know each other and speak at conferences (including each other’s) frequently. The “celebrity circuit” of Evangelical conference speakers includes Phil Johnson, John MacArthur, James White, Voddie Baucham, Justin Peters, Steven Lawson, Clarence Sexton, Todd Friel and Sinclair Ferguson, Tom Ascol, but Joel Beeke seems to top them all when it comes to conference invitations.
Some of these conferences involve overseas travel including luxury cruises which, I suspect, are free of charge for the speaker(s) who, in addition to speaking enjoy lavish holidays as a “perk” of being on the “celebrity circuit” and because the cruise is likely to have more interest (and more bookings) if a well-known and popular preacher will be present.
It is probable that Joel Beeke (and the others mentioned) are richly compensated for these speaking engagements. They may have their travel and accommodation expenses covered and receive a “love gift” from the congregation/audience at these conferences and I venture to say that it is likely that some, most or all of these men are very wealthy indeed.
Dr John MacArthur has a veritable religious empire around Grace Community church in California and Clarence Sexton’s church in Tennessee is dazzling in its ostentatiousness. Joel Beeke is President of this and Professor of that and editor of this and editor of that and speaker at frequent conferences that it follows that he too is a wealthy man.
With so much money among them one wonders why they did not pass the hat around when their friend Voddie Baucham who is originally from America but based in Zambia had a serious health problem earlier this year, and instead of staying in Zambia for treatment, he returned to the USA where apparently he had no medical insurance, and apparently nearly died before having treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, paid for through a “gofundme” campaign organised by Pastor Tom Ascol which raised a cool one million plus dollars.
Voddie’s wealthy friends could easily have funded his medical bills, but instead the begging bowl was placed in front of hardworking, unknown Christians.
When Tom Ascol, Voddie Baucham’s friend was asked what would happen to any money left over from Voddie’s 1,439,450 dollars he refused to comment!
These “celebrity” preachers are no Apostle Paul. He knew what it was to be in want. They know only what it is to have plenty and to spare, irrespective of how they started out.