SBC Lifeway Executive Openly Advocates for Undermining Biblical Doctrine of Male Pastorate

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has mastered the art of lip service. It loudly proclaims its commitment to doctrinal integrity, to biblical complementarianism, to the idea that only qualified men should serve as pastors. It passes resolutions, crafts statements of faith, and insists that it takes the Bible seriously.

But when it comes time to act—when it comes time to enforce these supposedly “deeply-held” beliefs—the SBC’s leadership suddenly develops a severe case of strategic inaction.

The Law Amendment, an effort to enshrine the biblically-ordained male-only pastorate into the SBC’s governing documents, was ultimately shot down last summer. Despite overwhelming support from messengers in 2023, the effeminate elite class maneuvered to bury it, unwilling to draw a firm line against doctrinal drift.

Even today, they claim to "respect doctrinal boundaries," but their actions—time and time again—tell a different story.

And that brings us to Ben Mandrell, the president of Lifeway. If the SBC were truly serious about protecting doctrinal integrity, men like Mandrell would never be anywhere near leadership. Yet here he is, leading the denomination’s publishing arm, and openly advocating for functional egalitarianism.

In a recent clip, Mandrell, seated comfortably among a panel of women, discusses ways to work around biblical teaching on male leadership. With a smile and a nod, he suggests that churches need to be more "creative" in sidestepping the scriptural prohibition against female elders. His solution? Advisory councils. Strategy meetings. You can’t make this stuff up.

Carefully curated think tanks where high-powered women can "help make the decisions" without technically violating the Baptist Faith & Message. Because what’s the difference between an elder board and an advisory board that just happens to influence all the church’s major decisions?

Nothing—except the label. And if all we’re doing is changing labels, then surely that’s no violation at all, right?

Here’s the clip: