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Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

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The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) is the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. Brent Leatherwood has served as the ERLC president since September 13, 2022.[1] The commission is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with additional offices in Washington, D.C., and Cyprus.

Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Founded1947
FounderSouthern Baptist Convention
TypePublic policy agency
62-6007072
Location
Area served
United States
President
Brent Leatherwood
Vice President
Miles Mullin
Employees25
Websiteerlc.com Edit this at Wikidata
Formerly called
Christian Life Commission

History

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ERLC logo, 1997-2013

Formerly known as the Christian Life Commission (1953–1997), the entity with organizational predecessors dating back to 1907[2] received its current name in the course of a broad reorganization of multiple Southern Baptist entities in 1997.[2]: 335  The Southern Baptist Convention terminated its participation with the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in 1992[2]: 300  due to conflicts over separation of church and state and whether Baptist organizations should play a role in partisan politics. It was led by Richard Land from 1988 to 2013. Land announced his intention to retire effective October 23, 2013, after the uproar that ensued from his controversial comments about the Trayvon Martin case that resulted in an official reprimand by the ERLC's executive committee.[3][4] Russell D. Moore filled the post afterwards.[5] Moore was an outspoken critic of then-Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. His criticism of Trump was controversial with several Southern Baptist leaders.[6]

The stated vision of the ERLC is an organization "dedicated to engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ and speaking to issues in the public square for the protection of religious liberty and human flourishing. Our vision can be summed up in three words: kingdom, culture and mission. Since its inception, the ERLC has been defined around a holistic vision of the kingdom of God, leading the culture to change within the church itself and then as the church addresses the world."[7]

At the convention's 2018 annual meeting, a motion to defund the ERLC was rejected.[8] At the convention's 2022 annual meeting in Anaheim, a motion was made to abolish the ERLC, but it was rejected.[9] Again at the convention's 2024 annual meeting in Indianapolis, another motion to abolish the ERLC was also rejected.[10]

On July 22, 2024, the executive committee of the board of trustees of the ERLC issued a statement saying, in part, "In accordance with our bylaws, the executive committee has removed Brent Leatherwood as president."[11] However, on July 23, 2024, the executive committee issued a retraction of that statement and announced that Brent Leatherwood would remain ERLC president.[12] The ERLC later claimed that Kevin Smith, the chair of the executive committee, acted without a formal vote of the board and thus Leatherwood was never actually let go as president.[13] Kevin Smith resigned from the board of trustees and released a statement saying that, after multiple conversations with members of the executive committee, he "was convinced in my mind that we had a consensus to remove Brent Leatherwood as the president of the ERLC."[14]

Activities

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The agency has many ministries to carry out its stated missions, including voter registration,[15] a think tank called the Research Institute,[16] and the Psalm 139 Project, which donates sonogram machines to crisis pregnancy centers.[17]

ERLC is involved in legislative advocacy. Its achievements include:

The ERLC campaigned unsuccessfully against the 2022 passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, arguing that its gender-neutral definition of marriage contradicted the Bible, and claiming that it is a threat to religious freedom.[21]

Leadership history

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# Leader[2][22] Years Title Organization name
Southern Baptist organized civic engagement prior to Cooperative Program funding
- Arthur James Barton 1908–1914 Chairman Committee on Temperance
- William Louis Poteat 1913–1914 Committee on Social Service
1 Arthur James Barton 1914–1920 Committee on Temperance and Social Service
1920–1942 Social Service Commission
2 Jesse B. Weatherspoon 1942–1947
Beginning of Cooperative Program funding
3 Hugh Alexander Brimm 1947–1952 Secretary–Treasurer Social Service Commission
4 Acker Calvin Miller 1953–1960 Executive Secretary Christian Life Commission
5 Foy D. Valentine 1960–1987
6 Nathan Larry Baker 1987–1988 Executive Director
-[a] Robert Parham[23][24] 1988
7 Richard Land 1988–1997
1997–2013 President Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
8 Russell D. Moore 2013–2021
-[b] Daniel Patterson[25] 2021
9 Brent Leatherwood 2021–present[c]
  1. ^ Interim executive director
  2. ^ Acting president
  3. ^ Acting president, 2021–2022

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wehner, Peter (June 7, 2021). "The scandal rocking the evangelical world". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Sutton, Jerry (2008). A matter of conviction: A history of Southern Baptist engagement with the culture. B&H Publishing Group. ISBN 9780805447552.
  3. ^ Banks, Adelle M. (August 1, 2012). "Southern Baptist leader Richard Land to retire after ethics probe". Religion News Service. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  4. ^ Toalston, Art (June 1, 2012). "Trustees reprimand Land, halt radio program over comments". Baptist Press. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  5. ^ Allen, Bob (April 11, 2014). "SBC leader says evangelicals paying price for 'narrow vision' of religious freedom". Associated Baptist Press. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014.
  6. ^ Allen, Bob (November 23, 2016). "Former SBC leader says ERLC out of touch with mainstream". Baptist News Global. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  7. ^ "ERLC: About". erlc.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  8. ^ Merritt, Jonathan (June 16, 2018). "Southern Baptists call off the culture war". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  9. ^ Porter, Brandon (June 15, 2022). "Messengers overwhelmingly affirm necessity of ERLC". Baptist Press. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Barkley, Scott (June 13, 2024), "Messenger motions deal with ERLC, censure, other issues", Baptist Standard, retrieved July 22, 2024
  11. ^ Bristow, Elizabeth (July 22, 2024). "ERLC Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees Issues Statement Regarding ERLC President Brent Leatherwood". ERLC. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  12. ^ Bristow, Elizabeth (July 23, 2024). "ERLC Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees Issues Retraction Regarding ERLC President Brent Leatherwood". ERLC. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  13. ^ Bristow, Elizabeth (July 23, 2024). "ERLC Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees Provides Update & Clarity on ERLC President Brent Leatherwood". ERLC. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  14. ^ "Smith resigns from ERLC board, issues apology for removal of Leatherwood 'without a formal vote'". Baptist Press. July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  15. ^ Hastings, Dwayne (August 12, 2004). "Focus on the Family signs on to ERLC's iVoteValues initiative". Baptist Press. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  16. ^ "ERLC Research Institute". erlc.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  17. ^ "The Psalm 139 Project: About". psalm139project.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014.
  18. ^ Ortiz, Cindy (October 5, 2009). "Report: U.S. Officials Unaware of Child Sex-Trafficking Problem". Baptist Press.
  19. ^ Strode, Tom (October 22, 2002). "President signs Sudan Peace Act seeking end to regime's atrocities". Baptist Press. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  20. ^ Tucker, Neely (July 27, 2003). "Government Aims to Halt Prison Rape: Disparate Groups Unite in Backing New Reforms". The Washington Post.
  21. ^ Strode, Tom (December 14, 2022). "Biden signs 'Respect for Marriage Act' amid religious liberty concerns". Baptist Messenger. Oklahoma City, OK: Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  22. ^ Ward, Alex (March 21, 2023). "Explainer: A history of the ERLC". ERLC. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  23. ^ Waddle, Ray (June 4, 1988). "Baptist ethics agency names interim director". The Tennessean. p. 10. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  24. ^ Briggs, Ed (June 12, 1988). "SBC Interim Head Named". The Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. 15. Retrieved July 22, 2024. The committee also accepted the resignation of its chief executive, the Rev. N. Larry Baker, effective last Friday, and named CLC staff member Robert Parham as interim executive director, effective yesterday.
  25. ^ Pickering, Jeff (May 19, 2021). "Russell Moore announces departure from Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission". ERLC. Retrieved July 22, 2024. In the interim, the ERLC Executive Committee has asked Daniel Patterson, ERLC executive vice president, to serve as acting president.
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