On Tuesday, Sept. 10, trustees of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), which is the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), met for the first time since the firing and subsequent retraction of the firing of ERLC president and CEO, Brent Leatherwood.
According to its website, the ERLC sees itself as a group of “missionaries sent by Southern Baptists to a confusing and chaotic public square in order to bring the hope of the gospel.” The ERLC says it pray that its “words and tone are a source of hope and light, not driven by politics, but pointing to the goodness of our Father, the gift of his Son, and the hope of his Kingdom.”
ERLC Removed Brent Leatherwood as President Then Retracted Removal
On July 22, the ERLC announced that Brent Leatherwood had been removed as its president and CEO, only to retract the announcement hours later.
RELATED: ERLC Removes Brent Leatherwood as President
“As members of the ERLC’s Executive Committee, we formally retract the press release which was sent yesterday,” the ERLC said in a statement on July 23. “There was not an authorized meeting, vote, or action taken by the Executive Committee.”
The statement also revealed that Kevin Smith, then the chair of the Executive Committee of the ERLC, had resigned from his position. Trustees reassured Leatherwood that he had their support moving forward.
Smith later told the Baptist Press that he was “convinced…that we had a consensus to remove Brent Leatherwood as the president of the ERLC” after having multiple conversations with ERLC Executive Committee members.
ERLC Trustees Reaffirm Leatherwood’s Leadership at Meeting
During the meeting earlier this week, interim ERLC trustee chair Tony Beam, alongside the rest of the ERLC trustees, released a statement titled “ERLC Trustee Statement of Affirmation and Encouragement.”
RELATED: Brent Leatherwood To Remain ERLC President; Trustee Chairperson Resigns
In the statement, the ERLC trustees said, “We affirm and support that the ERLC president and staff continue the excellent work in which they are engaged, in bringing light and hope to the public square and their work in keeping the churches informed about the pressing moral issues of our day.”
Leatherwood expressed his gratitude to trustees during the meeting. “I consider it such a privilege to serve as president of this organization. I know our team feels the same way about the service we render to our churches,” Leatherwood said. “We are grateful for the clear affirmation of our work by the trustees. Their encouragement renews our resolve to continue advocating for Southern Baptists in the public square.”
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