An article written months ago has just helped another international speaker recognise a suspicious invitation. And while the scammers appear to have found a new church name and conference… the people warning each other are making their job increasingly difficult.
If you only have a minute, read this: The fake church speaker scam appears to be back, and this time, the suspicious invitations are coming from “New Temple Church” in Melbourne, Australia, for a conference called “Rise Beyond 2027: Breaking Barriers”. International speaker Dave deBronkart received an invitation, investigated and found my previous Good Things Guy article warning about a nearly identical scam. This is now the third suspicious church conference I’ve written about, spanning the UK, South Africa and Australia. The websites look convincing, the invitations sound legitimate but the warning signs are remarkably familiar. The good news? My original article is still helping people recognise potential scams before they lose money. And that’s exactly why I’m sharing this warning again!
Global (30 October 2026) – It’s been almost a year since I first encountered an elaborate church speaker scam. Well, nearly fell for it. And apparently, the scammers have decided that I need enough material to turn this entire experience into a trilogy.
Yup, They’re back. Again.
This time, the supposed church is in Melbourne, Australia. The conference is called “Rise Beyond 2027: Breaking Barriers” and the invitations are coming from people calling themselves “Pastor Mark Keating” and “Church Events Coordinator” “Melissa Gardner”. The organisation is called “New Temple Church”… and it has a very convincing website.
Dave deBronkart, an international speaker specialising in healthcare and health technology, recently contacted me. Dave has delivered hundreds of conference keynotes and his TED Talk earned him a standing ovation. He’s an experienced speaker who knows how international bookings work, but when he received an invitation to speak at a church conference in Melbourne, he decided to investigate. And he found my article! That article, written months ago after my own experience, had reached someone on the other side of the planet who needed exactly that information. And that is why I am writing about this again.
@brentlindeque Storytime… I got scammed by a church. Well, nearly scammed, and not a church (but it did look like one). This is the most bizarre story (to me) and maybe me sharing it will help someone else. They call themselves “New Life Community Church” and the Event was called “Elevate”. They strung my assistant and me along for 2 months. I should have known better. I should have done more research. But friends, their website looked LEGIT. What kind of evil human scams you while asking you to “get to know Jesus”? Anyway, now I know. And so do you. Oh, I have a UK Visa (now), if you need a speaker. LOL. Okay. Love you. Bye. #storytime #elevate #whenweknowbetter #wedobetter #neveragain ♬ original sound – Brent Lindeque
In May 2026, I shared how I had spent almost two months communicating with a supposed church in the UK. “New Life Community Church” had invited me to speak at its “Elevate 2026” conference. There were contracts, schedules, travel arrangements and an incredibly convincing website. Everything seemed legitimate until the organisers suddenly demanded $1,700 (R28,255) for supposedly mandatory travel insurance, which would apparently be refunded after the event. That’s when I realised I was being scammed. I wrote about the experience, and three months later, American comedian Dan Nainan contacted me after receiving a suspicious invitation from another supposed church. This time, “Living Hope Community Church” was apparently hosting the “Empower 2026 Conference” in Bryanston, South Africa. Dan had found my video warning other speakers, and after investigating, I discovered a website remarkably similar to the first one, questionable photographs and an address that didn’t appear to match the supposed church.
And Now, Melbourne.
The latest organisation calls itself “New Temple Church”, and its website, www.newtemplechurchau.org, looks very similar to the previous two. It has all the usual church information, worship services, ministries and religious messaging. Everything you would expect from a legitimate congregation. But the address is where things get interesting.
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There actually was a New Temple Church in East Melbourne, established in the 1870s. However, that historic church building was converted into a private residence decades ago. The new website uses an address in the same area and features imagery associated with Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral, which is an entirely different building. Both buildings are relatively close to each other, but neither establishes that this new organisation is operating from the address it claims.
Then there’s the “Rise Beyond 2027: Breaking Barriers” conference itself. The promotional artwork appears AI-generated, the programme is vague and there are no confirmed speakers listed. Of course, AI artwork isn’t proof of anything, but combined with the other similarities, there are enough red flags to warrant serious questions. And the names “Pastor Mark Keating” and “Melissa Gardner”? I haven’t been able to independently verify their connection to a legitimate church organisation.
Why I’m Writing About This Again
These scams are incredibly sophisticated. They don’t start by asking for money. They start with a professional invitation, an impressive website and conversations about speaking fees, flights and accommodation. They build trust over weeks, sometimes months, before suddenly introducing a mandatory payment that will supposedly be refunded. In my case, it was over R28,000 for travel insurance. Other speakers have encountered similar demands involving visas and administrative fees. I haven’t established whether the Melbourne invitation has reached that stage, or whether the same people are behind all three operations. But the similarities are concerning enough that I want other speakers to be aware.
If you’ve received an invitation from New Temple Church in Melbourne, Pastor Mark Keating or Melissa Gardner regarding Rise Beyond 2027: Breaking Barriers, please investigate before committing to anything. Verify the organisation independently, check the address, look for previous events and be especially cautious if anyone asks you to pay money upfront. These websites can look incredibly convincing, and the people sending the emails can sound professional, friendly and genuinely interested in your work. That is precisely what makes these schemes so dangerous.
How to Spot a Fake Conference Scam
After encountering three versions of this apparent scheme, I’ve learned a few warning signs to look for. And whether you’re a professional speaker, an author, an entertainer or simply someone who has received an exciting international invitation, please keep these in mind.
Scam-Warning Checklist:
- Check the organisation: Don’t rely on its website alone. Search for independent reviews, previous events, registration details and evidence that the organisation actually exists.
- Verify the address: Look up the physical location on Google Maps. Does the building match the organisation’s claims? Is it actually a church, conference venue or business?
- Investigate the organisers: Search the names of pastors, event coordinators and conference organisers. Can you find credible evidence that these people exist and work for the organisation?
- Look closely at the website: AI-generated photographs, generic biographies, vague programmes and impressive-looking websites with very little verifiable information should raise questions.
- Check previous conferences: Legitimate recurring events should generally have some history. Look for photographs, speakers, attendees, media coverage or independent mentions.
- Be suspicious of sudden fees: If an organisation has promised to pay you but suddenly requires you to pay for insurance, visas, administration or travel through its preferred agent, stop and investigate.
- Don’t trust refund promises: Being told a mandatory payment will be refunded later doesn’t make it legitimate. Verify any requirement directly with the relevant government authority or service provider.
- Search the word “scam”: Google the organisation, conference name and organisers alongside words such as “scam” or “fraud”. That’s how I discovered what was happening to me.
- Never let urgency override common sense: Scammers often introduce deadlines or last-minute requirements to pressure you into making payments before you have time to investigate.
And my biggest piece of advice? If someone is offering to pay you thousands to speak at an event, but suddenly needs you to send them money first, that should be a massive red flag.
But Here’s the Good News
When I wrote that first article, I was frustrated. I had wasted almost two months dealing with people who appeared to be trying to steal from me. But I figured that if sharing my experience could help even one other person, something good would come from it. And look what’s happened. First, Dan Nainan found my video and contacted me about South Africa. Now Dave deBronkart has found my article and contacted me about Melbourne. Two international speakers who recognised the warning signs because somebody else had shared their experience. And who knows how many others have read those warnings and avoided being caught?
That’s why I’m writing about this for the third time. Because somewhere, another speaker might be Googling “New Temple Church Melbourne”, “Pastor Mark Keating”, “Melissa Gardner” or “Rise Beyond 2027: Breaking Barriers” and I want them to find this article before they lose a cent.
The scammers can keep changing their websites, inventing new churches, creating impressive conference names and emailing speakers around the world… but every time somebody shares their experience, we make it harder for the next person to be fooled.
To quote their latest website, “Your barriers do not have the final word. Through faith, resilience, and God’s strength, you can rise beyond every limitation”.
Yes you scammy scammers… watch us rise.
by 
