I thought I had seen arrogance in Southern Baptist Convention agency heads in my 62 years of living, but I had not heard from Ben Mandrell until today. His cold-hearted arrogance speaking before the SBC annual meeting today is in a class all by itself.
Honestly, I was stunned hearing him speak from the floor of the convention in Indianapolis where a motion was under consideration to censure him and Bart Barber and Al Mohler for signing an amicus brief in a Kentucky case that had nothing to do with the SBC but pitted them and the SBC against an abuse survivor seeking justice.
“He and his trustees have stonewalled Southern Baptists.”
According to Ecclesiastes, there is a time to be silent and a time to speak. This Kentucky case was, at best, a time to remain silent. Because in filing the controversial brief they did, these three SBC leaders gave the appearance of putting the SBC on record seeking to cut off justice for a known abuse survivor.
The matter was further complicated because the SBC, Mohler, Mandrell, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (where Mohler is president) and Lifeway Christian Resources (where Mandrell is president) are named defendants in another Kentucky case that involves the same issues.
The appearance, at least, is that these SBC leaders sought to protect themselves and their agencies in one lawsuit by taking sides against a victim in another lawsuit.
To his credit, Barber apologized for representing the SBC on the brief without fully comprehending the ramifications. To his slight credit, Mohler at least said when found out that he did so on the advice of legal counsel.
But Mandrell — and his trustees — have been absolutely silent, have refused to respond to requests for why they originated this amicus brief. He and his trustees have stonewalled Southern Baptists until forced to speak by this motion made by a single person on the floor of the SBC annual meeting.
You would think, given those circumstances, the president of a multimillion dollar SBC agency would have the sense to show some humility, to recognize there are good reasons his actions have been called out, to show some compassion for abuse survivors. But he did not.
Instead, he came out swinging.
Here’s what he said, verbatim:
“I first want to say that the gentleman who made the motion, I have been at the Lifeway Village for three days. He has never come to speak to me. I worry about a convention where people can come to microphones and not be asked, ‘Have you made an attempt to have a conversation with the person who is being accused?’
“I worry about my future as the leader of Lifeway where I have more than 46 bosses.”
“I worry about my future as the leader of Lifeway where I have more than 46 bosses. My current board of trustees is made of 46 people to which I communicate regularly, I build trust and relationships with. They are appointed by you. You trust them because they’re good and godly people. When I meet with them and we make decisions that are complex, we talk through these things, we pray about them, we lose sleep about them. We often can’t share the full context of what is being discussed. So if I’m on the censure I would move that you expand it to include me and all 46 trustees that work together to make these decisions.
“My third and most important (point) because I have a daughter at home right now studying for the LSAT, I’m concerned about a future where Christian lawyers are viewed suspiciously as if they didn’t go to law school and have expert opinions in which they can help their institutions move forward without unnecessary litigation. Our lawyers are really good and godly people, and if you got to know them you would understand they are not trying to cover any evil. They’re trying to keep Lifeway free and clear of any litigation to which it should not be involved.
“We are for the survivor community. We produce materials to help churches better prepare for sexual abuse. We train all of our camp staff on how to be most prepared to see and spot evidence. So the caricature that is drawn of my legal team hurts our reputation and more than that it hurts their name as lawyers, and I’m concerned about incredible Christian lawyers that are stepping off boards because they do not feel like they can express their convictions, best help their institutions.”
Here’s what’s notable about this response:
- Mandrell begins by attacking the person who has called out his behavior. The man who has refused to explain himself for months finds it unseemly that someone sought to censure him without talking to him first. That’s arrogant.
- Mandrell flouts the authority of the SBC, which actually is the boss of his trustees. He essentially says, “Stay out of our business, you peons. We are smarter than you.” That’s arrogant.
- Mandrell elevates “Christian lawyers” above compassionate Christianity. I can give you plenty of examples where well-meaning “Christian lawyers” gave churches and institutions advice that might have been legally sound but morally wrong. And don’t forget it was the “Christian lawyers” who got the SBC Executive Committee in this mess to begin with. Forgettig that is arrogant.
- Mandrell shows no comprehension of why Southern Baptists might be concerned about what he and his trustees have done. None. Zip. That’s arrogant.
After Mandrell spoke, Mohler was recognized to give his comments, which echoed his earlier statement that the lawyers made him do it.
Al Mohler addresses messengers to the SBC annual meeting June 12. (Screencap)
He, too, said he shouldn’t be held accountable by messengers to the SBC but only but his trustee board: “I hesitate to think what the Southern Baptist Convention is going to look like if this is what we’re going to do meeting by meeting.”
“Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has nothing to hide, and I’m trying to think about how we can serve Southern Baptists best in this very moment,” he said. “I think one thing you need to know is that presidents of your institutions are not the lawyers for your institutions and that’s for good reason.
“We have lawyers as general counsel hired by the board of trustees. They make legal decisions. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southern Baptists have avoided scandal by following the advice of auditors, accountants and attorneys and not violating that advice.”
Again, see the example of the SBC and its Executive Committee whose “Christian lawyers” helped cover up known cases of abuse, worked against justice for victims and opposed needed reforms.
Allies of Mandrell and Mohler were at the ready to try to derail the motion to censure on parliamentary grounds — which they ultimately did through several maneuvers, even forcing the professional parliamentarian to show them a footnote in Roberts Rules of Order.
Messengers therefore did not get to vote on the censure.
SBC Parliamentarian Al Gage quotes from Roberts Rules of Order after being challenged on his and the chair’s ruling that a motion to censure was allowable. (Screencap)
Before Mandrell and Mohler spoke, another messenger was able to amend the proposed censure to add a word of praise for Barber.
Tyler Pearce of First Baptist Church of Crawfordville, Fla., said of Barber: “A lesser man would blame the lawyers, stress and a myriad of other situations, but Barb Barber is not a lesser man. He took responsibility and publicly asked for forgiveness. Let us forgive Bart Barber as Paul told the Ephesians that we should be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.”
And after all was settled, Barber himself returned to the platform and showed humility once again.
“I do not believe I have led you perfectly but I have tried, and I am trying to do my very best,” he said.
Ben Mandrell should take some humility lessons from Bart Barber.
Mark Wingfield
Mark Wingfield serves as executive director and publisher of Baptist News Global. He is the author of Honestly: Telling the Truth About the Bible and Ourselves and Why Churches Need to Talk About Sexuality. His forthcoming book is Troubling the Truth and Other Tales from the News.
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