By Aaron Wilson NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ben Mandrell, Lifeway Christian Resources president and CEO, shared how the organization is laser focused on helping pastors and local churches fuel their ministries at a breakfast hosted by Lifeway at the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting on Tuesday, June 15. “We have to become highly relational and relevant to pastors and … [Read more...]
Lifeway looks to future with ministry assignment changes
By Carol Pipes NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- 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 … [Read more...]
Southern Baptist census data reflects COVID’s impact on churches
By Carol Pipes NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the early weeks and months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Southern Baptist churches joined the wave of school and business closures to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. Churches shifted to online worship services, while Sunday School classes and small groups met in backyards and via Zoom. While the total impact of COVID-19 on … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists experience historic drop in membership
By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A growing number of Southern Baptist churches are home to a shrinking number of Southern Baptists. Total membership in the Southern Baptist Convention fell almost 2% to 14,525,579 from 2018 to 2019, according to the Annual Church Profile compiled by Lifeway Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions. The decline of … [Read more...]
Multisite church identification shift can help strengthen SBC ties
By Aaron Earls and Carol Pipes NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Southern Baptist Convention is built upon relationships between local churches, associations, state conventions and national entities. A new change to church tracking could help strengthen those relationships and provide more information to better reach communities with the gospel. A growing trend in the … [Read more...]
