Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
 | |
| Founded | 1947 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Southern Baptist Convention |
| Type | Public policy agency |
| 62-6007072 | |
| Location |
|
Area served | United States |
Key people | Brent Leatherwood, President |
Employees | 25 |
| Website | erlc |
Formerly called | Christian Life Commission |
| Southern Baptists |
|---|
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. President Russell D. Moore left office on June 1, 2021. Brent Leatherwood was unanimously voted in by the board of trustees to be the next ERLC president on September 13, 2022 .[1] The commission is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with additional offices in Washington, D.C., and Cyprus.
History[edit]
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 is an outspoken critic of then-Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump. His criticism of Trump has been 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]
Activities[edit]
The agency has many ministries to carry out its stated missions, including voter registration,[9] a think tank called the Research Institute,[10] and the Psalm 139 Project, which donates sonogram machines to crisis pregnancy centers.[11]
ERLC is involved in legislative advocacy. Its achievements include:
- The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA)[12]
- The Sudan Peace Act of 2002[13]
- The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA)[14]
- The North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004
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.[15]
Leadership history[edit]
| [2] | Title | Organizational name | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Leatherwood | 2022- present | President | Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission | |
| Russell Moore | 2013–2021 | President | Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission | |
| Richard Land | 1997–2013 | President | Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission | |
| Richard Land | 1988–1997 | Executive Director-Treasurer | Christian Life Commission | |
| Nathan Larry Baker | 1987–1988 | Executive Secretary | Christian Life Commission | |
| Foy Valentine | 1960–1987 | Executive Secretary | Christian Life Commission | |
| Acker Calvin Miller | 1953–1960 | Executive Secretary | Christian Life Commission | |
| Hugh Alexander Brimm | 1947–1952 | Executive Secretary | Social Service Commission | |
| Southern Baptist organized civic engagement prior to Cooperative Program funding beginning 1947 | ||||
| Arthur James Barton | 1920–1942 | Chairman | Committee on Temperance | |
| Arthur James Barton | 1914–1920 | Chairman | Committee on Temperance and Social Service | |
| Arthur James Barton | 1910–1914 | Chairman | Social Service Commission | |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Wehner, Peter (June 7, 2021). "The scandal rocking the evangelical world". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Banks, Adelle M. (August 1, 2012). "Southern Baptist leader Richard Land to retire after ethics probe". Religion News Service. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ Toalston, Art (June 1, 2012). "Trustees reprimand Land, halt radio program over comments". Baptist Press. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Allen, Bob (November 23, 2016). "Former SBC leader says ERLC out of touch with mainstream". Baptist News Global. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ "ERLC: About". erlc.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ^ Merritt, Jonathan (June 16, 2018). "Southern Baptists call off the culture war". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ Hastings, Dwayne (August 12, 2004). "Focus on the Family signs on to ERLC's iVoteValues initiative". Baptist Press. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ "ERLC Research Institute". erlc.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
- ^ "The Psalm 139 Project: About". psalm139project.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014.
- ^ Ortiz, Cindy (October 5, 2009). "Report: U.S. Officials Unaware of Child Sex-Trafficking Problem". Baptist Press.
- ^ Strode, Tom (October 22, 2002). "President signs Sudan Peace Act seeking end to regime's atrocities". Baptist Press. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ Tucker, Neely (July 27, 2003). "Government Aims to Halt Prison Rape: Disparate Groups Unite in Backing New Reforms". The Washington Post.
- ^ 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.
External links[edit]
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| National | |