UPDATE to story from 07-22-24 below as of 07-23-24, 7:15 a.m. Central time: Brent Leatherwood affirmed as president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and trustee chair Kevin Smith has resigned. ERLC’s executive committee retracted the previous press release announcing Leatherwood’s termination, explaining the action was not authorized. Read more here.
——-
The Baptist Paper typically has not covered trustee meetings of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, but a coverage team likely will be present at the upcoming Sept. 10–11 meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, to learn more about why the group’s president was let go today (July 22).
An email from ERLC showed up in media inboxes a little after 6:30 p.m. Central time with the following statement:
“In accordance with our bylaws, the executive committee has removed Brent Leatherwood as president. Further details, as well as plans for the transition, will be provided at our September board meeting. Until then, the executive committee of the board of trustees will assume directional responsibility for carrying out the ministry assignments for the ERLC.”
No reasons provided
No other information was provided, but the decision comes on the heels of a large social media backlash the day before when Leatherwood responded to President Joe Biden’s announcement with this social media post: “Not only is this a historic decision, it is the right decision for our nation. … Despite what some partisans will say, to walk away from power is a selfless act — the kind that has become all too rare in our culture.”
ERLC trustee Joe Godfrey from Alabama said that while he is not part of ERLC’s executive committee and was not part of the decision to terminate Leatherwood’s position, he did write “to tell Mr. Leatherwood that I had heard from a number of pastors and church leaders who felt his comments were not appropriate and seemed partisan.”
Previous presidential-related statement
The week prior, Leatherwood released a statement in response to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. It read in part:
“In a democracy like ours, we voice our opinions, we passionately press our case, we bravely dissent, and we loudly campaign for our cause. But we must never cross the line to harm those we disagree with. Political violence has hurt too many individuals and taken too many lives in our history. Now is the moment for all of us to unite and bring a swift and universal condemnation to this vile act that has no place whatsoever in America.
“While it will be easy to use this moment as an opportunity to dig in our heels, I urge Americans to pause, lament this violence, and realize how far we have strayed from our nation’s ideals. Let’s commit to praying for our leaders, those who are willing to serve in public office, and appeal to our Lord that His reconciling work would be poured out on this nation to overcome the hatred that is so prevalent in our culture.”
ERLC not always popular
Leatherwood, like his predecessor Russell Moore, has been the topic of concern among some Baptists, while messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting this past summer in Indianapolis voted down an attempt to abolish ERLC as an entity.
Read more from the ERLC report to SBC messengers here.
ERLC’s board of trustees chair is Kevin Smith, pastor of Family Church Village in West Palm Beach, Florida. He previously served as executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and has been on the ERLC board since 2018.
Baptist News Global is reporting that Smith and one other board member moved ahead of the full executive committee and full board with the announcement that Leatherwood had been “removed” from office without clarifying what that means in terms of employment, severance, etc.
The Baptist Paper has requested an interview with Smith.
