LifeWay Archives - Baptist & Reflector

MANDRELLS TALK ABOUT LIFE IN THE ‘GLASS HOUSE’

October 8, 2021

By Joy Allmond
Lifeway news office

Ben and Lynley Mandrell are hosting a new podcast series on life in the ministry. Mandrell is a former Tennessee Baptist pastor at Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson.

NASHVILLE — When Ben and Lynley Mandrell left the Denver-area church they planted to answer a call to lead Lifeway Christian Resources, they weren’t prepared for the journey their inner lives would take. On the heels of this seismic shift in ministry assignment, they found themselves in counseling to work through issues not dealt with due to the busyness of ministry life.

“It was a drastic shift,” said Lynley. “We spent 17 years pouring into families and walking with them through their own challenges. You don’t realize how much of yourself you’re giving to ministry without pausing and tending to your own needs. And we were emotionally depleted.”

Before planting Storyline Fellowship, Mandrell served as senior pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson from 2006-2013, leading the church to grow from 1,800 to 2,600 in weekly attendance. Before becoming senior pastor, he served as the church’s college pastor and as director of discipleship ministries at Union University in Jackson.

Lifeway released a new podcast on Sept. 20 called “The Glass House,” hosted by the Mandrells. The episodes will feature transparent conversations with ministry leaders who live in a “glass house” — an environment where they are left vulnerable to the stress of church life and the criticism of others. [Read more…]

LIFEWAY’S GLORY EVENT WITH JACKIE HILL PERRY GATHERS 1,200 WOMEN

August 30, 2021

By Helen Hummel
For Lifeway Christian Resources

Best-selling author Jackie Hill Perry leads women in a study of the doctrine of God’s holiness at the recent Glory event held in Nashville on Aug. 27-28. — Photo by Kate Neelly

NASHVILLE — Minutes after the lights dimmed in the sanctuary of Nashville’s Mount Zion Baptist Church on the evening of Aug. 27, the room erupted in praise.

Led by worship leader Jordan Welch, 1,200 women stood from rows of wooden pews and raised their hands. Their voices rang out and filled the room as they sang, “We will praise the name of Jesus, that great name.”

This was the first night of Glory, Lifeway Women’s brand-new event featuring Bible teacher Jackie Hill Perry. Over two days, Hill Perry led these women in a study of the doctrine of God focused on His holiness. [Read more…]

LIFEWAY TRUSTEES HEAR STRATEGY FOR NEXT ERA OF MINISTRY

August 26, 2021

By Aaron Earls

Writer, Lifeway Christian Resources

Lifeway president and CEO Ben Mandrell shares the organization’s strategy for the future with trustees during their recent meeting in Nashville. — Photo by Aaron Earls

NASHVILLE — In the first in-person trustee meeting since February 2020, Lifeway Christian Resources president and CEO Ben Mandrell shared the three-pronged strategy for the next phase of Lifeway’s ministry.

“God is calling us to embrace a new season,” Mandrell said. “I believe Lifeway has great days ahead as we push forward into the future with confidence.”

Mandrell said the first two years of his presidency were about narrowing the focus of the organization. “Lifeway must draw closer together, united in one clear mission—serving local churches,” he said to trustees during their August 23-24 meeting in Nashville.

As Lifeway steps into the next era, Mandrell stressed, “We must serve the customer more deeply. And to serve our core customers—local churches—more deeply, we need to understand them and their needs.” [Read more…]

COMING BACK WITH A BANG

June 29, 2021

After year’s absence, messengers return for ministry, business, fellowship

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Baptist Messengers show their ballots during a vote at the 2021 SBC annual meeting in Nashville.
— Photo by Eric Brown

NASHVILLE — One year after COVID-19 forced the cancelation of the 2020 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptists came out in force in Nashville on June 15-16 with the highest messenger count since 1995 — and the largest since the turn of the century in 2000.

The messenger count totaled 15,726, marking the largest gathering since 11,959 messengers attended the SBC annual meeting in 2000 in Orlando. The number also far exceeded the 11,641 messengers who attended the last SBC held in Nashville in 2005. [Read more…]

LIFEWAY LOOKS TO FUTURE WITH MINISTRY ASSIGNMENT CHANGES

June 2, 2021

By Carol Pipes

Director of Corporate Communications, Lifeway

NASHVILLE — Messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting in Nashville will vote on recommended changes to Lifeway Christian Resources’ mission and ministry assignments.

“Lifeway is in a season of emphasizing who we are, why God allowed this organization to be created, and where we’re going in the future,” said Ben Mandrell, president and CEO of Lifeway. “Looking back at our creation story, Lifeway’s first president, Dr. James M. Frost, cast a vision for an organization that would fuel the ministry of local churches by creating doctrinally sound, easy-to-use materials.

“He saw enormous potential in designing tools that make church ministry more effective by equipping church leaders. It’s our desire to continue that vision and commitment as we come alongside local churches to support the Great Commission.”

In the proposed revision, the phrase “designing trustworthy experiences that fuel ministry” would be added to Lifeway’s mission statement. [Read more…]

BETH MOORE ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE FROM LIFEWAY, SBC

March 10, 2021

By Scott Barkley
Baptist Press

Beth Moore

NASHVILLE — Longtime Bible study leader Beth Moore has publicly announced that she is ending her affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention and Lifeway Christian Resources, relationships stretching back more than three decades.

Moore made the announcement through an interview with Religion News Service (RNS) today (March 9).

“I am still a Baptist, but I can no longer identify with Southern Baptists,” she told RNS. “I love so many Southern Baptist people, so many Southern Baptist churches, but I don’t identify with some of the things in our heritage that haven’t remained in the past.”

Moore told RNS her perception of the SBC began to change in 2016 with the election of Donald Trump as president. Specifically, she cited his behavior toward women as revealed in an Access Hollywood tape and a lack of condemnation from Southern Baptist leaders. [Read more…]

LIFEWAY BUILDING UNDER CONTRACT, TRANSITIONS TO NEW WORK ENVIRONMENT

January 27, 2021

By Carol Pipes
Director of Corporate Communications, Lifeway

The Lifeway building, located in Nashville, is now under contract to be sold.

NASHVILLE — Lifeway Christian Resources has entered into a contract for the sale of their building in downtown Nashville. Contract terms, including the sale price, have not been disclosed.

Lifeway President and CEO Ben Mandrell said he is excited about Lifeway’s future workplace and the prospects of settling into a new work environment.

“Lifeway is moving forward, building fresh vision, and getting prepared for a new season of ministry to churches,” Mandrell said. “This has led us to think strategically about selling our large building downtown, fully embracing remote work as the norm, and moving into a new era of creative and collaborative work.”

Mandrell said he and other Lifeway leaders have been looking at options for their headquarters since the summer of 2019, well before anyone knew COVID-19 was on the horizon.

“One of the first questions I asked when I took this role was ‘What should we do with this building?’ A study completed last year showed we were using the building at only 60 percent occupancy on a daily basis,” Mandrell said. [Read more…]

SHOULDERING THE LOAD

January 25, 2021

Pastors, church leaders dealing with tough decisions, high stress levels during pandemic

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

FRANKLIN — Though a large number of Christians may feel their pastors and ministers have easy jobs (after all they only have to work on Sunday and Wednesdays, right?), research findings indicate the opposite is true.

In 2015 LifeWay Research revealed some of the stress pastors face:

84 percent say they’re on call 24 hours a day.
80 percent expect conflict in their church.
54 percent find the role of pastor frequently overwhelming.
53 percent are often concerned about their family’s financial security.
48 percent often feel the demands of ministry are more than they can handle.
21 percent say their church has unrealistic expectations of them.

And, that was five years before a pandemic that has turned the world upside down.

“Pastors and their families have been under increased stress since the beginning of the pandemic — as have all families,” observed Steve Holt, church services director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. [Read more…]

COVID-19 LEADS TO CHRISTMAS CHANGES ACROSS THE NATION

December 15, 2020

By Aaron Earls
LifeWay Research

NASHVILLE — Almost all Americans celebrate Christmas, but most say COVID-19 will cause some changes to their usual holiday habits.

A new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found 93 percent of American adults say they celebrate Christmas. That number is essentially unchanged from a decade ago when 91 percent said the same in a 2010 LifeWay Research survey. [Read more…]

MANY PASTORS SEEING NEGATIVE ECONOMIC TRENDS IN 2020

November 18, 2020

By Aaron Earls
LifeWay News Office

-LifeWay Research

NASHVILLE — After a few years of economic optimism, pastors say the 2020 economy is hurting their congregation.

According to a new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research, almost half of U.S. Protestant pastors (48 percent) say the current economy is negatively impacting their church, including 5 percent who say the impact is very negative.

Around 1 in 6 (15 percent) believe the economy has had a positive effect, including 4 percent saying it is having a very positive impact. More than a third of pastors (35 percent) say there’s been no impact. [Read more…]

After year’s absence, messengers return for ministry, business, fellowship

Pastors, church leaders dealing with tough decisions, high stress levels during pandemic

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