With a search committee named and deployed to find the next president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptists remain both hopeful and skeptical on finding a new president who can help lead the ERLC forward.
In June, nearly 43% of voting messengers supported a motion to abolish the SBC entity, and ERLC President Brent Leatherwood stepped down a month later. He was elected to lead in 2022 after serving a year as acting president, following Russel Moore’s pressured departure.
New leadership search
But, now that a search for new leadership has begun, what does a fresh start for the ERLC really look like?
Former ERLC president Richard Land, who faced his share of pressure and controversy during his 25 years in the role, said the search committee’s decision is “critical” for the organization’s future. The ERLC has the greatest opportunity “it has ever had” to represent the SBC in Washington D.C., he told the The Baptist Paper in a phone interview.
Land, who retired from the position in 2013, described Washington as full of leadership that is “very sympathetic” to the ERLC and Southern Baptist causes.
“That’s why I thought it would be so tragic if we would have voted to defund the ERLC precisely at the moment where it’s got the opportunity to have more impact than it’s ever had,” he said.
The challenge, he added, is that the SBC entity is “still suffering from policy decisions of former ERLC administrations.” Land noted, “I thought Brent did an excellent job under difficult circumstances.”
Land added that he does believe it is important for the next president to be an ordained SBC minister.
“Ministers can talk to ministers in a way that it’s difficult for non-ministers to do,” he said. “That’s just a reality. … there is sort of a secret handshake kind of deal that ministers have that they don’t have with non-ministers.”
‘Lightning rod’
The ERLC’s influence, he noted, depends on how much confidence Southern Baptist pastors have in the entity’s leader.
On handling controversial issues, Land said criticism comes with the territory.
“If you feel called to take that job, you are going to be a lightning rod. It goes with the job,” Land noted. “If you don’t have a thick skin, you shouldn’t take that job. Fortunately, I did.”
On issues where Southern Baptists seem divided on how far is enough — such as the abolition of abortion — Land said it is important to foster discussion between both sides.
Seeking wise counsel
But not everyone is convinced that fixing the ERLC’s troubles are that easy. The problems run much deeper, noted one Baptist public policy director in Louisiana.
Will Hall, director of public policy for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, noted that the days of depending on one man to lead the ERLC should be over and must be addressed. In order for the ERLC to “avoid past stumbles,” he said, the entity should consider transitioning “from a commission headed by one person to a council of state public policy directors … something akin to the Great Commission Council.”
He noted that state public policy directors are on the ground and in the trenches, working on legislative initiatives that “extend to national issues” and are important to churches.
“We are already plugged into our delegations in Washington as well as our respective state capitals,” said Hall, who also is executive editor of the Louisiana Baptist Message. “We represent significant voting blocks, politicians listen to us.”
He concluded, “it reflects biblical wisdom to operate as a council instead of a team of one — there is wisdom in the counsel of many.” He pointed specially to Prov. 11:14; 24:6, verses that advise seeking wise counsel.
Prayer
Regardless of where they stand of future ERLC leadership, Land urged “all Southern Baptists to be praying for the person that God has already been preparing and planned to be the next head of the ERLC … and that the search committee will be sensitive and receptive to the Holy Spirit and leadership and be led to that person. … I believe we can frustrate God’s will if we don’t seek it.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Shawn Hendricks and originally published by The Baptist Paper.
