The seven-member presidential search committee of the board of trustees for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention is ready to start receiving applications and recommendations for the entity’s next president and CEO. Deadline for potential candidates to submit an application is Nov. 30.
The full board of trustees approved the committee’s recommendation for a presidential profile yesterday (Sept. 14) during the first day of its two-day annual meeting in Nashville, according to ERLC and Baptist Press.
“The ERLC has a rich history and it is our prayer as a search committee that God will reveal to us the right leader He has in mind to continue leading this Commission forward to defend religious freedom and be an advocate for life, the marginalized, the abused and the oppressed across the globe,” said Todd Howard, presidential search committee chair. “We would invite every fellow Southern Baptist to lift up this organization and our committee in prayer, asking God to provide us with wisdom, humility and discernment.”
ERLC has lost the confidence of some Southern Baptists in the past decade, primarily because of various stands taken by former president and CEO Russell Moore, but it also maintains a reportedly strong support base and continues to be included in the SBC Cooperative Program allocation budget each year.
Moore resigned his ERLC position in May for two roles at Christianity Today — public theologian and head of the magazine’s new Public Theology Project.
As the presidential search committee seeks Moore’s replacement, committee members said they are looking for these qualifications:
- Spiritually Mature: The candidate must have an authentic testimony of personal faith in Christ, give a hearty affirmation of the inspiration, inerrancy and authority of Scripture, and hold a firm conviction that Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world.
- Convictionally Southern Baptist: The candidate must be a member in good standing of a cooperating Southern Baptist church.
- Appropriately Educated: The candidate should have significant education in and demonstrated understanding of theology, biblical studies, ethics, philosophy, political science, law and/or history, preferably with a Ph.D., D.Min. or J.D. in at least one of these areas.
- An Excellent Communicator: The candidate must possess exemplary written and verbal communication skills, with a specific ability to communicate effectively among a range of audiences, including but not limited to churches, academic settings, media, public policy debates and conferences.
- A Proven Unifier: The candidate must be a coalition-builder, able to form relationships within diverse groups of people and bring those groups together in order to advocate effectively on the vital issues of our day.
Once the committee is ready to present a nominee for approval, a special-called board meeting will take place.
For more information on the process and committee members or to submit an application, visit erlc.com/
