LifeWay’s Facts and Trends magazine has just released that Ben Mandrell, pastor of Storyline Fellowship in Arvada, Colorado, will be the search committee’s candidate to be the next president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.
I heard him speak for the first time at the Pastors’ Conference this year and thought he was great, but had no idea this was coming! LifeWay kept this under wraps better than most of the others!
Go to Facts and Trends for all the information.
Just as an addendum, yes, we went 5 for 5 as a denomination in keeping the SBC’s entity heads white! Each hire seemed great but this is an opportunity missed. That is a tough thing for me. I wanted so badly for us to break the color barrier here, but I can’t say that any of the hires we made was a mistake. That is a true conundrum. If feeling that way is wrong, I don’t wanna be right – see if anyone gets that one.
Was glad to see one of the committee members got in the obligatory “God’s choice for such a time as this” comment – sarcasm over!
Everything I read seems to indicate real optimism about this hire.
He’s 42. A young whippersnapper!
He was a featured missionary in our VBS materials a few years ago.
His sermon at the PC was great.
Gods man
For such a time as this.
Nerd
Perhaps this one is a little more significant hire than y’all can appreciate from your corner of the nation. The man is from a place that is WEST of the Brazos River! There are many ways to divide a country: race and gender being obvious and important. But journey from all the white guys to an ethnic rainbow of diversity begins with the single step of hiring someone from a diverse part of the country! Baby steps and all that…
I never comment on Voices or anywhere else much. That said, I am disappointed about the all white color of the recent posts filled in the SBC. I think I may be more than disappointed. I am grieved. My heart goes out to ethnic people who are not given the chance to lead. I am not saying any chosen were not good men. I am just saying my heart grieves that we are not racially diverse in leadership. God chooses every tribe, nation and tongue. Shouldn’t we?