Lifeway Christian Resources announced Monday that president and CEO Ben Mandrell is leaving for a senior pastor post, and EVP and COO Joe Walker will be appointed interim president and CEO while a selection search for Mandrell’s successor is underway.
Walker has held financial positions at Lifeway since 1986, including CFO and corporate controller. He was named EVP and COO in March, overseeing daily operations and helping provide strategic leadership of the company, which includes the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing curriculum and Bible publishing arms.
Walker made note of Mandrell's leadership and “God's hand and provision” in overcoming the challenging years of plunging revenue during the pandemic. He pledged to “work closely with our leadership team and our trustees to continue the strong culture and financial results Ben led us to achieve.”
James Carroll, chairman of Lifeway’s Board of Trustees, said, “Selecting Joe Walker to lead was an easy and unanimous decision. Because we have served closely with him and watched him lead in a variety of capacities, we have the utmost confidence in him and his ability."
Carroll also expressed gratitude to God and to Mandrell’s efforts as the 10th president of Lifeway. He arrived in 2019, three months after Lifeway closed all of its 170 brick-and-mortar stores and nine months before the pandemic froze demand for Lifeway products. By 2023, revenue was on the upswing. Mandrell will be the senior pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., beginning August 10.
