Missionary claims his group was kicked out of Burning Man after sharing Jesus with hundreds, accused of violating rules

September 8, 2026

A Navy veteran who describes himself as a “front-lines revivalist,” claims he and his Christian group were kicked out of the temporary Burning Man community in Nevada after sharing about Jesus with hundreds.

The Christian Post reports that John Calvin Hinerman, who is a member of Philip Renner Ministries, was forced to leave Burning Man after organizers say the evangelists broke privacy rules.

In a Sept. 3 statement to the Reno Gazette Journal, organizers said, “Burning Man takes participants’ right to privacy seriously. Seeking permission and consent before filming or engaging other participants in Black Rock City is a requirement and responsibility for anyone at the event.”

Burning Man officials said Hinerman’s camp was repeatedly warned to change their behavior, but they chose not to respect the privacy of other community members.

According to the Christian Post, Hinerman contends that he and his team of evangelists were discriminated against, stating in an Instagram post, “Burning Man is discriminating us and breaking their own rules of being ‘radically inclusive’ and KICKING us out for being Christians?!”

The Reno Gazette Journal reports that the Christian camp initially attracted people by offering coffee and matcha and then tried to get people to accept Jesus as their savior.

Hinerman said that some 800 people had given their lives to Jesus as a result of his ministry being at the event.

Some attendees saw the push as evangelizing, but others felt their efforts were aggressive.

In his social media post, Hinerman wrote: “Burning Man is WRONG for kicking us out, and the devil is MAD over 800 people gave their lives to Jesus and became a LIVING temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Photo: top, Credit: John Hinerman/GoFundMe